CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. - Early Wednesday morning tens of thousands on land and sea gathered in Chincoteague.
"I thought it was beyond words. I was very emotional," said Barbara Scotto of Chincoteague. "I was into tears. I follow the ponies all the time, and just to see that and experience that, it was like nothing I've ever done."
For the 97th time, the Saltwater Cowboys gathered up the Assateague Island ponies and just after 9 a.m. shepherded them across the water to Chincoteague Island.
The annual event is part of a fundraiser for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department.
Some of the ponies are sold at auction, which helps to maintain a healthy and sustainable pony population on Assateague.
Visitors who come to see the event for the first time can be overcome with emotion as they see the ponies swimming toward shore.
"[I'm thinking] don't lose any babies, don't let any of them drown, it was emotional! It was really emotional!," exclaimed Allison Eyler of Frederick, Md.
The swim has been attracting young and old since the 1920s, but really took off after the 1947 publication of "Misty of Chincoteague" by Marguerite Henry and the subsequent 1961 film based on the novel.
The Pony Swim may have made a regular visitor out of Chris Gardner of Las Vegas, Nev.
"Oh, it was great," Gardner said. "We were right here so we got real close up good view of it and saw all the ponies all come up right here in the little area. There was tons of people, it was better than I expected, and I'd definitely come back."
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin was among the thousands in attendance at this year's event.