Events for Saturday August 14, 2010
Street Stock:
Small-Tire Modified:
1st Aaron Ellis Bog Hog Full 4.144sec.
2nd Patrick Long All Night Soldier Full 6.324sec.
3rd Kelly Hubbard 90 s10 Full 9.019sec.
Big Tire Modified:
1st Jared Collins Orange Crush Full 5.149sec.
2nd Rodd Owens Mud Mistress Full 5.413sec.
3rd Sarah Clifton 69 Jeepster Full 7.211sec.
4th Kelly Hubbard 90 Chevy s10 Full 7.361sec.
5th Bryan Watson Cowpatty Full 7.520sec.
6th Mike Rodriguez 83 Chevy p/u 7.797sec.
7th Wayne Jones 92 Chevy p/u Full 11.345sec.
Mini-open:
1st Wright Townsend Mud Dobber II Full 3.059sec.
2nd Johnny Edwards In The Mix Full 3.556sec.
3rd Aaron Ellis Bog Hog Full 3.733sec.
4th TJ Bernard Equal Justice Full 4.953sec.
Unlimited:
1st Greg Noonan Can't Stop Full 2.554sec.
2nd Melvin Deavers Neighborhood Nuisance Full 2.731sec.
3rd Mike Scheifley Over The Top Full 2.750sec.
4th Wesley Ward Git-n-Busy Full 2.890sec.
5th Larry Joslyn Equal Justice II Full 3.260sec.
6th Aaron Ellis Bog Hog Full 3.719sec.
7th Johnny Edwards In The Mix Full 3.980sec.
8th Barry Long Sod Buster Full 4.443sec.
9th Chris Johnson Da Shiznit Full 4.977sec.
10th Ed Hoffman Equal Justice Full 5.559sec.
X class:
1st Jerry Pitman Big Buck$ Full 3.828sec.
2nd Jesse Ellis Big Red Full 5.006sec.
3rd Richie Lewis Big Poppa Full 5.136sec.
4th Jimmy Hall 99 Problems 127ft.
Thanks Kim!
While at the Worcester County Fair this weekend look for The Bay Queen Bakery Stand. Try one of those BabyCakes if you never have. And if you have, well, have another one! 
SNOW HILL -- Each day of the Worcester County Fair brings something new, along with the three-day standard features. 
The Worcester County Times says it best I suppose. " Combines are a familiar sight on the Eastern Shore, moving purposefully and efficiently through fields of grain, corn and soybeans. But seeing a combine from afar is very different from being close enough to touch one. "
Friday and Saturday night August 6th and 7th
Showtime: 7 p.m. Admission: $5.00 Rated G
Be there for a chance to win a Toy Story 3 toy!
The entire day of the Crisfield Mud Hop was an exciting and challenging day for everyone. Some trucks never made it through the muddy trench (most getting stuck near the 100ft. marker) and required the cable for pulling them out.
Most of the trucks with the larger motors, bigger tires, etc. had very little difficulty with the attempt and gave all of us some scary moments by going side to side in the pit, racing to the other end. There had been some close calls during the day that made everyone ooh and aah.
But it wasn't until the Unlimited Class took their turn that we really got our scare for the day.
The driver was not injured in this accident.
I'll just bet there were lots of happy, smiling faces yesterday after the 85th Pony Penning Auction. And some droopy sad faces too coming from those not lucky enough with their bidding. Bidding has to be hard work when you want a Chincoteague pony to take home for your very own.The remaining ponies will be returned to Assateague Island today. The return trip is just the reverse for them. Some of them have made the trek to the main land before so going home should be rather easy. It's on the quiet island of Assateague that the ponies will be able to roam and graze and occasionally look at the people going by.
I'm wondering if the pony going to a new home has any thoughts.
CHINCOTEAGUE ---- At Thursday's annual Pony Auction, one "buyback" pony patron will see their purchase price donated to a charitable and worthy cause.This year, all of the proceeds from one "buyback" pony purchase will be given to Hospice of the Eastern Shore, a community nonprofit organization that serves the needs of patients and families who face life-threatening illnesses.
Buyback ponies are released back to their home on Assateague Island. The buyback owners receive a special plaque and get to name their purchased pony.
Roe Terry, public relations officer for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which owns and manages the herd of world-famous ponies, said this is the second time Hospice has benefited from the buyback donation.
"Everybody knows someone who had to use hospice," said Terry.
Karen Agar, chief executive officer of Hospice of the Eastern Shore, is very pleased that Terry decided to make a generous donation to the organization.
"We're very, very honored to have been chosen," Agar said. "It shows how much support we have in the community."
According to Agar, services offered through the hospice are available to everyone, which is why the organization "depends on donations to continue its programs."
Those programs include "Fragile Hearts," a local support group for children who grieve and struggle with the loss of a loved one.
With the help of Fragile Hearts and other initiatives, family members and patients facing serious illnesses can "make the most of every day," says Agar.
Several hospice employees will be in attendance that day wearing hospice T-shirts. They will also be sitting on the auction block, witnessing the event that's held each year at the town's carnival grounds.
After the hospice buyback pony is purchased, Agar will be presented a check from the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.
According to Agar, the hospice was presented with a donation after a woman from Charlottesville purchased a "buyback" pony two years ago.
The woman decided to help make a donation to the hospice because her mother was in the care of the organization before she passed.
"We're hoping to have the same effect this year," said Agar.
Terry said the fire company is proud to make this type of contribution to a community organization.
"It's a good deal for everybody," he said.
CHINCOTEAGUE -- Crowds are gathering on the banks of Assateague Channel this morning in anticipation of the 85th annual Pony Swim.Accomack County Public Schools buses are taking people to Chincoteague's Veterans' Memorial Park to watch the event, made famous by Marguerite Henry's 1947 novel, "Misty of Chincoteague."
Longtime residents and people with an intricate knowledge of the event serve as guides on the buses, providing onlookers -- estimated to be in the tens of thousands -- with information about the event.
"The best thing to do is move forward and to the right," said guide Kat Edwards to a bus with onlookers. "Get as close as you can."
She told those on the bus that the first pony ashore will be named King or Queen Neptune and will be raffled off at the Fireman's Carnival.
But members of a family seated in the middle of the bus, with a young daughter in tow, shook their heads when Edwards announced the raffle.
Edwards, whose day job is director of housing services for the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission, laughed.
"Don't let your kids hear that? Is that what you're trying to say?" she asked, as the young girl suddenly became interested in winning a pony.
They got off the bus and blended into the crowd at Memorial Park, some people seated in lawn chairs, others farther down the coast, standing in marsh grass, looking toward the channel.
CHINCOTEAGUE -- Roe Terry intricately understands the annual Chincoteague Pony Penning from every angle.As the company's public relations officer and media representative, Terry helps television and print reporters get access to the ponies and the volunteers who are so important to this week's activities.
The result is that Wednesday's 85th annual Pony Swim and Thursday's Pony Auction will get worldwide coverage and have a dedicated following of enthusiasts.
"It's a juggling job," Terry said recently from his decoy carving shop on North Main Street. "You've got to be diplomatic."
Terry also understands the impact of Pony Penning on Chincoteague Island. The event helps local businesses and restaurants. And the proceeds of the pony sale and annual Fireman's Carnival help the fire company.
Long after the ponies are sold and crowds are gone, the funding helps meet the operating expenses for firetrucks, ambulances and more.
"Chincoteague's very lucky because we have the ponies," he said.
This year has been no different from others. Terry has been in contact with a reporter from Europe who recently spent time on the island documenting the ponies, and a television reporter from Japan who is expected to attend the event.
Last year, he was particularly proud that Horse Racing Television came to town to film the event and produce a segment. And Terry enjoys recounting when Spencer Christian, the "Good Morning America" weatherman, interviewed him live on national television while the ponies swam in the background.
"You learn, through your trials, what to do," he said. Terry always gives credit to the volunteers and firefighters who came before him and thanks Donald Leonard for being his mentor as the company's public relations point person.
Terry's involvement with the event, however, lasts far more than one week. Caring for the ponies, organizing the swim and auction and preparing for the carnival is a year-round process.
He waves off attention and deflects the credit to all the dedicated volunteers in the fire company and Saltwater Cowboys who give their time and talents to make the event a success.
"Everybody does it, not just me," he said. "It's a tremendous amount of work."
Terry, 57, joined the Navy after high school in Chincoteague and then worked at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Terry and his wife, Monnie, have two grown children, Ryan and Irene.
For a decade, beginning in the early 1980s, he was a full-time decoy carver.
Terry has been a carver ever since he was 15. He credits a neighbor, Doug Jester Jr., with fostering a love of the outdoors.
"He took me clamming, fishing, hunting," he said of Jester.
After carving 5,751 pieces in a little more than nine years, he went back to NOAA as an electronic technician, saying he "decided I better get some retirement and health insurance."
Still, Terry enjoys carving -- he works 42 hours a week at his full-time job and carves another 20-25 hours a week behind his house in a shop where he shows and sells his intricate, detailed birds.
These days, Terry produces about 200 pieces a year and donates some of them to worthy causes like the new Chincoteague Island Library for fundraisers. He also gives 40 talks a year to groups like Elderhostel on carving and wildfowl.
It seems Terry likely won't get much carving done in the coming days as volunteers coordinate the swim and auction. He'll be speaking with the media and granting access to the swim site. Like many others who help with the event, he takes vacation time from work so he can volunteer for the storied event.
Volunteering is dear to Terry, whether it involves the Pony Penning, helping on a wintertime house fire or with any other organization. He bristles at people who complain about volunteers.
"Don't complain about your volunteers," said Terry, who keeps his firefighting gear in his pickup truck. "Be a volunteer."
That's exactly what people will see Terry and the other Chincoteague firefighters and Saltwater Cowboys doing, not only in the coming days, but all year long.
"It's a satisfying job because you're a volunteer," he said.
CHINCOTEAGUE --This year's Pony Penning week will be the first appearance of Nightmist's colt, named Paul Merritt's Mountain Mist after local businessman and past supervisor, Paul B. Merritt.Michael Pryor and Paul became good friends in the late 1980s, which led to Pryor purchasing most of the ponies from the famous Chincoteague Miniature Farm, Inc., including most of the Misty family line.
(Paul Merritt)Forward to the late 1990s, when Windy gave birth to NightMist. NightMist was a very special pony from the miracle of his birth to the day he died.
The history of the great stallion started with Marguerite Henry purchasing Misty from Grandpa Beebe, then making her famous with a story book titled "Misty of Chincoteague," which has been treasured from the time of its debut in 1947.This brought Misty into the spotlight, making her famous and starting a legend and legacy to span the next 63 years.
Misty birthed three foals between 1960 and 1962: the first, Phantom Wings; the second, Wisp-o-Mist; and the third and final foal, Stormy.
Stormy was named after the great storm of 1962, which occurred just before her birth. Stormy would birth five foals: Thunder, born in 1967; Windy in 1969; Breezy in 1972; Rainy in 1973; and Misty II in 1974.
Windy would later adopt her sister, Misty II, due to Stormy's lack of interest in her.
Windy gave birth to seven foals: Sunshine in 1973; Cyclone in 1974; Gale in 1978; Hurricane in 1985; Tornado in 1987; Windstorm in 1988; and finally NightMist in 1998.
There are several books about the famous family. The latest editions were written about NightMist, including "NightMist the Miracle Pony," written by Jessie Friend, an understudy of Marguerite Henry and good friend of Pryor; and NightMist the Blue-eyed Pony, by Lois Szymanski, who has written several children's books about the famous ponies and is another good friend of Pryor's.
There is also a comic book featuring the pony and next year a biography about NightMist, titled "NightMist, the Foal, the Stallion, the Legend," by James Smith will be released.
NightMist, like his great-grandmother and grandmother, toured a lot, including with actor David Ladd, who was the child star in the film "Misty of Chincoteague."
NightMist, who was owned by Pryor, died in May 2009, leaving behind many new legacies -- one in particular, named in honor of Pryor's late friend, Merritt.
With the help of his friend Smith they came up with the name Paul Merritt's Mountain Mist. Mountain Mist is marked very similarly to his sire and father, NightMist -- having one blue eye, almost the same medicine cap and body markings and definitely a similar personality.
"He's almost the same as his father, but not exactly the same, because there can only be one NightMist," Pryor said.
Mountain Mist will also be going to train for six months with world-renowned equine trainer Tommy Turvey when he reaches the age of three next year.
Also traveling with Mountain Mist, who is known on the farm as Little Paul, will be Thunder II, the beautiful golden palomino and grand-foal of Misty.
Thunder II was one of the show ponies at the once-famous Chincoteague Miniature Pony Farm and has made appearances all over the East Coast. Thunder II was once the traveling buddy of NightMist.
Again this year Pryor and his Misty family of ponies will be at the famous Beebe Ranch on Ridge Road Monday through Friday from noon on. There will be pony rides all week and plenty of NightMist souvenirs.
The annual party, which was started to celebrate the birth of NightMist, now celebrates his life. It will be on Tuesday, July 27, starting at 6:30 p.m.
There will be free soda, pizza, subs, chicken, hushpuppies and cake, courtesy of the following sponsors: Pepsi, Pizza Hut, Subway, Woody's chicken, Captain Zaks and Sugarloaf Bakery.
During the week, Lois Szymanski's book will be available at the ranch and on Tuesday she will be there to autograph books.
Pryor also would like to think about preserving NightMist's legacy. In the near future there will be a statue erected of NightMist as a foal. The planned statue will be located on the Beebe Ranch, where the legacy began and the most fitting place to memorialize the famous NightMist.
Other appearances throughout the week will be at Pony Penning Enterprises on Maddox Boulevard, which is still run by Helen Merritt, on Thursday, July 29, from 6-8 p.m. Paul's spirit still lives on everyday with her.
This year will be a special year for the ponies that Pryor is offering for purchase. The four foals are grandchildren of NightMist and each one offers a unique trait.
There will be photos available all week at the Beebe Ranch. Come buy a piece of the legend and become part of the legacy.
By noon the area was packed with racers. Some drove campers, some drove semis to transport their racing vehicle. Others trailer towed their vehicle.
The 187 East Performance Racing Team were all there. Donald, the team mechanic, could be found almost anywhere throughout the day...... never in one spot for long.
During the intermission the young racers had their chance to compete.
No truck ever comes out of the pit looking like it did before it went in.
There were a few delays in the racing events during the day. During one race a truck ran completely over the hay bale taking the timing lights with it. That had to be restored before racing for be resumed and completed. But nothing was quite like this wreck at the end of the day in the Unlimited Class. There were only two more vehicles to go after this one and the hot day would be behind us. The next thing everyone witnessed was this car rolling and rolling at a very fast pace towards the crowd. Luckily it stopped and I think every heart watching stopped too. Paramedics and Staff were there almost immediately and had the driver unlatched from cage and slowly the driver stood to his feet and gave the thumbs up! Whew!
Day done!
You know, this huge event just didn't happen over night. And an event of this magnitude took hours and hours of planning. It took dedicated people to work outside in the hot temperatures like Sunday. A HUGE thankyou to ALL of you that took part making this a sensational event. I honestly don't know how it could have been any better.
THANKYOU!
Trucks were lined up first thing in the morning waiting anxiously to be registered for competition in the days events.
Racers and racing fans came from up and down the East Coast. I don't think anyone left the event yesterday that did not have a good time.......unless you were sun burned.
Pit is dug and waiting for racers and the racing fans.....................
Gates open at 8:00 AM
Races begin at 12:30 PM
