CHINCOTEAGUE, VA - The Chincoteague Pony Auction was held today and last year’s record prices were handily broken following the milestone 100th Annual Pony Swim.
According to the official auction website, a buyback foal, #56, fetched a stunning price of $100,000 on Thursday, July 31. The buyback price is twice last year’s record. The filly was first seen on May 14, according to the official auction site, and is the offspring of mare Marguerite and stallion Hidalgo. As a buyback, she will now return to Assateague Island and rejoin the wild herd.
Another buyback, foal #22, easily exceeded last year’s record at $78,000.
The Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce says Virginia’s First Lady Suzanne Youngkin purchased a take-home pony for the record price of $50,000. Governor Youngkin was in attendance on Wednesday for the 100th Annual Swim.
Aside from that bid, the take-home bid record was already smashed at prices of $17,500 for foal #9 and foal #30, and $25,000 for foal #32.
Funds raised during the auction benefit the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company and also go towards the care and health of the wild Chincoteague ponies.
Officials with the fire company said they raised over one million dollars on Thursday.
Barbara Campellone from Florida purchased a take-home pony with a winning bid of $8500 Thursday.
"He said the word 'sold' and I almost couldn't believe it," Campellone said. "I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it. I can't believe she's mine."
Campellone said it was easy for her to choose which pony to bid on.
"Over the past few days, she started sticking out to us," Campellone said. "We started seeing her over and over again and, as I got closer, I realized she was the one."
Campellone said her friends surprised her by pitching in towards her bid, helping her long-standing dream of winning a Chincoteague Pony come true.
"I lost my heart horse a couple of years ago, and I only have one by himself at home, so he needed a friend. Now he has a little girl to play with," Campellone said.
Jewel Williams from Georgia, and her family, also placed a winning bid on a take-home horse Thursday.
"It choked me up enough to where I can't even talk right now," Gwen Bradley, Williams' grandmother, said. "We are just so excited. With it being the hundredth, we weren't sure if we would have enough money to buy one."
Bradley said they have won a Chincoteague Pony bid before, and that coming to these events is a family tradition for them.
"All of my kids and grandkids will carry on coming to these great events," Bradley said. "This is the finest managed herd in the country."
On Friday, August 1st, the annual pony swim back will take place to return the herd to Assateague Island.
