CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. - With the town of Chincoteague’s annual Pony Swim fast approaching on July 30, this year’s event will mark the 100th anniversary of ponies crossing the Assateague Channel to Chincoteague Island.
According to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, the Pony Swim started with penning livestock on Chincoteague. Penning was a way for livestock owners to claim, brand, break and harness loose herds, with the earliest known description of Pony Penning being published in 1835.
The first Pony Swim in 1925, as well as the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company’s carnival and the pony auction, were originally ways the fire company raised money for a fire truck after the downtown area of the town was hit by fires in 1920 and 1924, according to the Chamber of Commerce.
Throughout the week of the Pony Swim, ponies are herded by Saltwater Cowboys, horse-riding volunteers who lead the ponies on their journey from Assateague Island to Chincoteague
Following the first Pony Swim, the fire company began purchasing the ponies on the island and still own them to this day, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The fire company is allowed to graze 150 ponies on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge through a special permit through the USFWS. The fire company maintains this number through the pony auction, which will take place on July 30 following the famous swim. The auction is also used to maintain the pony population as well as to raise money for the fire company and veterinarian care for the ponies.
Since the establishment of the Pony Swim, the event has gained recognition through the publication of the popular “Misty of Chincoteague” by Marguerite Henry, which was published in 1946, and then the movie “Misty,” which was based on the book and released in 1961, according to the Chamber of Commerce. The Island Theatre will be hosting free screenings of "Misty" throughout the week of the Pony Swim. Doors open at noon and showings start at 1 p.m.
Pony Swim festivities kick off on July 26 with the Southern Herd Roundup and will end on Aug. 1 with the Pony Swim Back. The Chincoteague Fireman’s Carnival will also be taking place from July 28 through Aug. 2.