CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. - It is a unique tradition few Delmarva residents haven’t heard of, one deeply woven into the history and culture of the peninsula. And every year without fail, it is an event that draws the attention of the world.
The island town of Chincoteague, Virginia, held its 98th annual Pony Swim today, and it was as spectacular as ever.
For nearly 100 years, Chincoteague’s Saltwater Cowboys have herded the iconic wild ponies from Assateague Island across the Channel to neighboring Chincoteague. There, foals are auctioned, some as “buy backs” who are returned to the herd, to help maintain the population and raise money for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company - the ponies’ dutiful caretakers.
Misty of Chincoteague, published in 1947, has helped spread the word of Chincoteague’s beloved ponies, and year after year people now flock to the Island to be there on the last Wednesday in July to see their brief trek across the Channel.
WBOC’s Rachel Pierce spoke with attendees at this year’s significant swim and found they had come from all over. Two childhood friends from California, already a great distance from Virginia’s Eastern Shore, came straight here from Hawaii.
"We did 5,000 miles from Maui to be here," Christi Nicholson told Pierce.
For others, the spectacle was just a quick ride away.
“We have lived on the Eastern Shore our whole lives and we've never been to Pony Swim,” said Megan Fuller. “We are so excited to see it for the first time."
The fanfare and tourism the Swim draws is not lost on the residents of Chincoteague. For many there, it is a source of pride and celebration.
“A lot of people treat this like Christmas on the Island,” the Fire Company’s Hunter Leonard told WBOC’s Hunter Landon.
“The island thrives during this entire week,” Leonard added.
Hunter Landon also met quite a few people who had traveled great distances and braved the marsh mud to be at the Swim. For Jack Montgomery of Aurora, Colorado, this was his first time seeing the Chincoteague tradition.
“It was very cool,” Montgomery said. “Nothing like I expected.
The mud was no deterrent for those who’ve dreamed their whole lives to see the ponies they first heard of in a timeless children’s book.
Those who couldn’t make the trip to the Eastern Shore did not have to miss out, however. WBOC and sister station WRDE joined forces today to bring full, live coverage of the Swim, with views from the land, sea, and air. The coverage was broadcast and streamed online on both stations, accessible to all.
Viewers on Facebook commented their locations during the livestream, further representing much of the United States. Those tuning in ranged from New York to Florida, the Carolinas to Minnesota. Some even chimed in from as far as the United Kingdom.
Clearly, the tradition of the Chincoteague Pony Swim resonates with people deeply, no matter how far they are from the Accomack island town. Time has only bolstered the love for this Delmarva-exclusive custom, and we can expect the herds of people to continue traveling (or watching from) far and wide for the Chincoteague ponies for years to come.
