Chincoteague Hosts 90th Annual Pony Swim

Swarms of people followed the wild ponies to Chincoteague for the 90th annual pony swim Wednesday morning.

Thousands of spectators from all over the United States came out to watch dozens of ponies make their yearly swim from Assateague Island to Chincoteague. The ‘Saltwater Cowboys’ rounded up the Assateague ponies for the swim which took place around 8 a.m. There were 150 ponies that made the swim; the first one to reach shore was crowned “King Neptune,”  and will be given away at a raffle on the carnival grounds.

The annual Chincoteague pony auction will take place on Thursday from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. to raise money for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which takes care of those ponies. Organizers say the auction helps to cut down on the size of the herd and raises money for veterinary services for the ponies throughout the year.

Ponies that go unsold and those that are donated back to the fire department will roam free for another year on the national wildlife refuge on Assateague.

There will be other events taking place throughout the week including the 90th Annual Chincoteague Fireman’s Carnival.