ACCOMACK COUNTY, Va.- With just two days to go until the 94th Annual Chincoteague Pony Swim, preparations are well underway. On Monday morning, big crowds turned out before sunrise to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge for the "Beach Walk."
The southern herd of Chincoteague ponies was rounded up on Saturday. On Sunday, the ponies that live a little further north were rounded up. On Monday, the ponies from the northern corral were walked along the shoreline to join the southern corral.
"Seeing all the ponies and all the people here to support them, it's amazing," said Alyssa Jastrom from Ridgely, Md.
The event drew people from across the globe, from Tennessee to Italy.
Now with the northern herd and southern herds joined together, the clock is quickly counting down to the swim on Wednesday when the ponies will journey from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island.
Once the ponies are on Chincoteague, they are herded up and the foals are auctioned off.
The auction helps control the herd size and also raises money for vet services and the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.
The remaining ponies will make the swim back to Assateague Island on Friday.
Visit the WBOC Facebook page or the WBOC News App for live coverage of the 94th Annual Chincoteague Pony Swim on Wednesday morning, July 24. Brought to you by our friends at Safford Ford Lincoln of Salisbury.
