CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. -- The weather conditions were solid for the ponies on Wednesday. However, all of the rain we got on Delmarva over the past few days created quite the challenge for a big crowd of spectators.
The 99th annual pony swim might've been one of the muddiest pony swims of all time. The recent string of rain turned the marsh near Pony Swim Lane into a swamp, but that didn't stop people from trudging through it to get some of the best seats in the house.
As the ponies dipped into the Assateague Sound shortly after 12:30, the loud cheers heard around the island made it crystal clear: when the ponies hit the water, the excitement builds.
Dakota and Kate Kunkle were at their 9th pony swim. Kate said there's just something in the air on Chincoteague during Pony Penning Week that keeps them coming back.
"The magic of it all!" said an emphatic Kate Kunkle. "I mean where else can you see wild horses swimming up onto a shore, it's amazing!"
Before Wednesday's magic was able to get underway, and eager crowd had to wait for the Coast Guard to signal slack tide. Then, there it was, the well-known orange smoke, letting people know their long hours of standing around would soon be worth it.
We caught up with Ella and Maya Fanning shortly after the flare went off.
"I think everyone's excited but we've all been standing here for a really long time," said Maya Fanning.
Maya's sister Ella said they quickly took notice of the conditions.
"Yeah, it's very wet this year as you can tell," said Ella Fanning.
The marsh was a whole different animal this year, causing some people to think twice about going across.
"It's a little daunting," said Sophia Tomaselli. "Walking from Memorial Park we saw a lot of people with mud up to their, basically wastes."
The mud took out more than just a few people too, including Tara Sicher.
"I got a little bit cocky and then I started getting excited and just took a plop," said Sicher. "But I kept everything dry like cigarettes, like I saved all of that."
It was a 'splash around in the puddles' type of pony swim in 2024.