Early on the morning of Wednesday, July 29, the herd of Chincoteague ponies will swim the channel from Assateague Island to Chincoteague as part of the 84th annual Pony Penning.
Each year, tens of thousands flock to the island in the last week of July to see the tradition take place. Many come in hopes of bringing home a piece of the island -- their own Chincoteague Pony.
The ponies, according to legend, are said to be descendants of Spanish horses that swam ashore after a vessel capsized off the island's coast. Today, the Chincoteague Ponies are registered as their own breed.
Two herds of ponies exist -- one each on the Maryland and Virginia sides of Assateague Island. The Virginia herd is owned and cared for by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.
"The fire company came to own the famous ponies after a devastating fire destroyed part of the town in 1925 and the townspeople decided to start their own fire company," said company Public Relations Officer Roe Terry.
"Later, a fundraising event, in the form of a picnic, bingo and small carnival, was held to raise more money, and the company decided to combine this event with a livestock penning that took place annually on Assateague, Chincoteague and Wallops Island," Terry said.
Over time, this fundraising event has evolved into Pony Penning, an institution that attracts visitors from around the world.
The Chincoteague Ponies were made legendary in Marguerite Henry's 1947 book "Misty of Chincoteague." The allure of the ponies grew even more after the film "Misty," based on Henry's book, was released in 1961.
"After the book about Misty and then the movie with the same name was made, the ponies became world famous, and like they say, the rest is history," Terry said.
Wednesday morning during slack tide --between 6 and 11 a.m. --the ponies will be herded into the Assateague Channel by the Saltwater Cowboys to swim to Chincoteague Veteran's Memorial Park.
Following tradition, the first colt or filly to come ashore will be dubbed King or Queen Neptune, and will be given away to a lucky ticketholder on the carnival grounds, where the ponies will be herded after the swim.
The Pony Shuttle will begin taking viewers to the swim site at 5 a.m. A complete shuttle schedule is available at http://www.chincoteaguechamber.com/pony-events/ev-pony-shuttle.html.
The pony auction will be held the next day. Between 8 a.m. and noon, bidders will contend for the approximately 70 to 80 foals that will be sold.
From; Delmarvanow.com
Picture courtesy JMMB
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