CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. – Thousands of people attended the 100th Chincoteague Pony Swim.
Shortly after 8 a.m., Saltwater cowboys herded the wild ponies across the Assateague Channel. Crowds began arriving to Pony Swim Lane around 3:30 a.m. It only took the ponies 4 minutes and 38 seconds to make the swim, but the memories made at the unique event will last a lifetime.
The Chincoteague herd is capped at 150 ponies.
“It’s been on my bucket list literally my entire life,” says Charli Evans from Laurel. “I have three horses and I’ve always wanted a Chincoteague Pony. My goal is to be a Saltwater Cowgirl eventually.”
The 100th Anniversary of the Pony Swim brought with it extra security and extra fanfare. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and his wife, Suzanne, attended and were named honorary members of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. The fire department manages the herd and conducts the swim.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin issues a proclamation in honor of 100 Years of the Chincoteague Pony Swim.
In 2023, Youngkin signed legislation designating the Chincoteague Pony as Virginia’s State Pony. On Wednesday, Youngkin also issued an official commemoration honoring the centennial year of the Delmarva tradition.
CoastTV interviewed people who came to Chincoteague from as far away as Arizona, Iowa and Minnesota who attended the swim. For Lee-Ann Oakeson and her daughter, the swim was extra meaningful.
“It was a bucket list of my husband's,” she says. “He passed away a year ago, and this was the 100th anniversary. So we decided we would come here to celebrate.”
Ahead of the swim, one foal was taken away for veterinary care, but later recovered, says Mayor Denise Bowden. The first foal on shore was a young bay colt, named King Neptune per tradition. King Neptune will be purchased via raffle.
Ponies relax before heading into town to the Carnival grounds.
The swim and surrounding activities raise money for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. Pony Penning Week ends Aug. 1 when the ponies swim back across the channel.