Chincoteague Pony Swim, Auction and Carnival
The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department will hold what is sometimes called the oldest Wild West show in the East on July 29 with the auction on July 30. The roundup, which goes back over a century has been run since 1925 by the Volunteer Fire Department as a way of raising money to provide fire protection to the community.
The wild ponies, believed to be descendants of horses from a Spanish galleon that wrecked off Assateague Island in the 17th Century or descendants of horses owned by colonial settlers who allowed them to graze on the island.
The event was made famous by the children's novel, "Misty of Chincoteague," written by Marguerite Henry in 1947 and made into a movie in 1960.
Assateague Island is a barrier island divided between Maryland and Virginia. You can visit Assateague Island State Park in Maryland or Assateague Island National Park that covers boths states.
Over the years, The Sun has covered the swim from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island and our photographers have taken many wonderful photos of this event.
To read more about Assateague Island and the Chincoteague ponies see links below.
Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce
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Comments
As a child I corresponded with Marguerite Henry, whose books I so loved. I am also a lifelong Marylander, and yet I have never attended this event! Maybe next year I will finally rectify that!
Posted by: Trish | July 29, 2009 3:41 PM
I have been coming to Chincoteague since I was a baby. I am 29 years old, and I live in Towson, MD, my greatgrandfather Lloyd Bowden was born here. I haven't spent much time here since life started happening. I thought I would bring my 1 year old son here to spend time with his great-grandfather Tom Bowden who will turn 91 in August. We watched the Ponies trot down Main St this morning with about 15 family members. It was like I never left. I went fishing off of George Taylor's Marina's pier and caught a croker in the after noon. I fried it up for my son and he loved it. I got sun burnt, so I wore my lacrosse pinnie from highschool. I walked over to the carnival with my mother, sister, and two nephews. A wife of a friend of mine in high school saw my shirt and said something to him. We talked for a while and caught up on what was going on in our lives, and how things were settling down. He has a two year old girl. I went to get a funnel cake but the line was to long so i turned around and walked back to the tilt-a-wirl. The lady in front of me dropped her phone i went to pick it up for her, and as she bent to we saw each other. I went to high school with her too. She has four girls and a husband in Iraq. It's a small small world and life happens so fast.
Posted by: Tim Mascari | July 29, 2009 9:46 PM