CHINCOTEAGUE, Va.- As tens of thousands of spectators looked on, approximately 140 ponies made the 87th annual swim at Chincoteague in Virginia.
Organizers of the summer spectacle said an estimated 40,000 visitors flocked to the Eastern Shore on Wednesday for the pony swim.
"It was a fantastic swim," said Denise Bowden, spokeswoman for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which maintains the Virginia herd. "The weather was great. Everything went off without a hitch. I can't say enough about it."
The crossing of the 200-yards between Assateague Island and Chincoteague Island got under way at around 9 a.m. and lasted about 10 minutes.
Each year ponies are auctioned to raise money for the fire company. This year's auction will be held Thursday at 8 a.m., with 67 foals on the auction block.
Ponies that are not sold and those donated back to the fire department will roam free for another year on the national wildlife refuge on Assateague.
The "Saltwater Cowboys" are shown leading the ponies across the Assateague Channel for the annual Chincoteague Pony Swim. (Photo: WBOC)
(Photo: WBOC)
(Photo: WBOC)
