CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. - The online auction for the buyback of Chincoteague foal #29 ended Wednesday night with a final bid of $40,500.
Bidding on the Bay Pinto Filly began on June 9th.
The highest bidder in the auction, the group Buyback Friends of the Wild Chincoteague Pony Herds, won the right to name the filly. They chose the name "Beebe's Perfect Storm." According to Darcy Cole, leader of the group, they chose the name to honor the "perfect storm" of people, businesses, and organizations that have come out in force to support the Museum of Chincoteague Island's bid to buy the Beebe Ranch.
"I was elated," said Pamela Ireland, owner of the High Tide Candy Co. "They have worked so hard to raise this money in a really short period of time to be able to buy this ranch free and clear and not have a mortgage to carry over, and they're so so close, and it's so important to this island"
The group will also receive a Registration Certificate stating that they are a participating donor in the Chincoteague Wild Pony Buy-Back to the Island Program. As a buyback, the foal will remain on Chincoteague in the care of the Fire Company.
The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company has said all of the proceeds from the auction will benefit the Museum of Chincoteague for the “Save the Beebe Ranch” fund. As of May 31st, the Museum had raised about $525,000 of their $625,000 goal as the June 30th closing date approaches. With the proceeds of the auction, that total is now well over $550,000.
"That's really cool because something that Misty like, actually stood on that ground," said Liesl Mueller, age 9. "People can go there and actually see it like I did."
Mueller, from Colorado, was visiting Chincoteague with her grandparents Thursday afternoon. She has been reading the "Misty" novels by Marguerite Henry for the past several weeks.
The Museum previously told WBOC they are under contract for the property at the Beebe Ranch and are already looking to form a special committee for the Ranch.
"[The Beebes] had many offers since we've been in negotiation with them from developers who would have given them many hundreds of thousands of dollars more than we agreed to," said Cindy Faith, executive director of the Museum of Chincoteague. "But they kept their word. They absolutely want it to be the ranch for years and generations to come."
Other fundraising options are still available, with another auction for a Peter Stone model of “Surfer Dude” ending tomorrow, and a GoFundMe. Donations can also be made at the Museum’s website.
