Wild Pony Annual Swim

 By Tiffany Amber Stockton

Did you enjoy learning a bit about the significance of a tiny little island and its impact on the Chesapeake region as well as the shellfish industry in general? What about my connection to "American Royalty"?

If you missed last month's post, you can view it here: https://www.hhhistory.com/2021/02/chincoteague-enchanted-island.html.

small boats accompany the ponies

Another famous and fascinating aspect of Chincoteague Island is connected to the "sister" island of Assateague just across the channel to the east.

PONY PENNING DAY

crowd gathered to watch, circa 1938

Pony Penning is an annual event held on the island of Chincoteague on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July. It consists of a Wild Pony Swim on Wednesday and a Pony Auction on Thursday. For the swim, "Saltwater Cowboys" (Fire Department volunteers) round up ponies from Assateague Island and drive them across the Assateague Channel to Veteran’s Memorial Park on Chincoteague Island.

Crossing in a rainstorm

The ponies swim across the channel during what's known as slack tide. I had no idea what this was when I was researching details. Tides were either high or low when I heard them, but "slack" is when the water has minimal tidal movement. This makes sense, as the ponies are wild, and driving them across the channel needs to be a smooth experience.

Walking through town to the fairgrounds

Once on Chincoteague, the "cowboys" drive the ponies through the heart of town and herd them into pens on the carnival grounds. Here, interested buyers can browse and observe the ponies in preparation for the auction on Thursday. The process is to thin the wild herd on Assateague to keep them healthy and thriving and sustainable at 150 ponies.

Wild Assateague pony

I remember visiting Chincoteague a few years ago in 2004 and driving across the bridge to Assateague, hoping for a glimpse of these wild ponies I hadn't seen since I was a little girl. I ended up parking near the

Assateague Lighthouse

lighthouse and walking around, always keeping an eye for an elusive wild pony. Growing up hearing the stories of these ponies fostered my love of horses which I still have today. Learning I actually had family ties to this island fascinated me even more. Though it took over an hour, I finally managed to see an Assateague Pony.

Postcard of Assateague Lighthouse

Two years later, a friend came to visit, and together, we ventured onto the island during the week of Pony Penning. I had told her a lot of what I'm sharing in these posts each month, and she wanted to witness some of it for herself. If you ever get a chance to experience it firsthand, I highly recommend you take the time to go. The entire week of festivities is only a fun complement to the actual rounding up of the wild ponies, which is quite a sight to behold!

Pony Penning, circa 1938

This traditional event in its current form has taken place since 1925 to raise money for the volunteer fire department, but its roots date back to the 17th century, when the island was primarily used to house livestock owned by residents on the mainland. Wild ponies roamed free, but residents would go over to Assateague and build corrals for the local herds. Selected horses were branded, gelded, and sold, a practice which lasted until the early 20th century. Once the fire department assumed control, it became a regular, annual event, combined with a fair and many other festivities.

Postcard, 1940's

The event was made popular to thousands of readers and soon-to-be tourists by the book Misty of Chincoteague, written by Marguerite Henry and published in 1947. To the left is a postcard from around 1940, capturing the event. It now usually draws from 40,000 to 50,000 spectators during its week-long fair. We are approaching the official 100th year for this event, and I can only imagine what's in store for *that* year! In the meantime, if you are in the area and able to attend, check out the link below for details.

http://www.chincoteaguechamber.com/pony-swim/pony-swim-day

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN:

* Have you ever attended the annual Pony Penning Day? When? Is this an event that might be on your "bucket list" of things to do?

* What other event do you know where horses are the highlight and feature attraction? When and where does it take place? Does it draw large crowds?

* Have you ever been around real wild horses or ponies? Where did you see them? How close did you get?

* Do you have a lighthouse near you, or is there one you've visited that has become your favorite? Where is it? What makes it unique?

Leave answers to these questions or any comments on the post below. Next month, I'll be covering the BeeBee family and their ties to the island as well as the famous Misty of Chincoteague. Come back on the 9th of April (my son's 10th birthday!) to find out more.

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BIO

Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having a very active imagination and cited with talking entirely too much. Today, she has honed those childhood skills to become an award-winning and best-selling author and speaker who is also an advocate for literacy as an educational consultant with Usborne Books. She loves to share life-changing products and ideas with others to help better their lives.

She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, along with their two children, two dogs, and two cats in Colorado. She has sold twenty (24) books so far and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. You can find her on Facebook and GoodReads.