A proverb says that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.But if you lead a pony to the water in the island town of Chincoteague, Virginia, you might see it swim.For the past 98 years, folks from near and far have been descending on Chincoteague for a unique, world-famous event known as the “pony swim.”Tradition held true on Wednesday, as the annual event reigned in large crowds.Darby Callahan, a pony owner who lives outside of New York City, told WTKR she’s been attending the pony swim since 1995 and that owning a Chincoteague pony had been a childhood dream since she read Marguerite Henry’s “Misty of Chincoteague” as a child.“I bid $800 and got this little pony who we call Island Dream because it was a dream. And its always been my dream to come to Chincoteague because I love Chincoteague… you know Misty Of Chincoteague as a kid. So we donated her back and every year we would come and we would see her,” Callahan said.According to local legend on the island in Virginia’s Eastern Shore region, the ponies ended up there after a Spanish ship carrying wild horses sank hundreds of years ago.And the annual pony swim, which also includes a pony parade, is held ahead of a pony auction, which benefits the local volunteer fire department and helps maintain the size of the herd of ponies. Tourism on the island for the pony swim event also helps local businesses. “Some of the small businesses will make more money this week than they probably do the first quarter,” Evelyn Shotwell, executive director or the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce, explained. The town’s mayor, Arthur Leonard, is proud of the pony swim tradition and says it’s something he and the people of Chincoteague look forward to.”We’ve never lost a pony in 98 years of doing the pony swim. It’s just something we do. We always look out for the ponies. They’re number one,” Leonard said. He told WTKR that at least one member of his family has been involved with the pony swim’s round-up crew each year since its inaugural event in 1925.”Watching my boys ride the horses and hopefully my grandson will do it one of these days,” the mayor said. The horses are examined by veterinarians before being sold at the auction.
A proverb says that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.
But if you lead a pony to the water in the island town of Chincoteague, Virginia, you might see it swim.
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For the past 98 years, folks from near and far have been descending on Chincoteague for a unique, world-famous event known as the “pony swim.”
Tradition held true on Wednesday, as the annual event reigned in large crowds.
Darby Callahan, a pony owner who lives outside of New York City, told WTKR she’s been attending the pony swim since 1995 and that owning a Chincoteague pony had been a childhood dream since she read Marguerite Henry’s “Misty of Chincoteague” as a child.
“I bid $800 and got this little pony who we call Island Dream because it was a dream. And its always been my dream to come to Chincoteague because I love Chincoteague… you know Misty Of Chincoteague as a kid. So we donated her back and every year we would come and we would see her,” Callahan said.
According to local legend on the island in Virginia’s Eastern Shore region, the ponies ended up there after a Spanish ship carrying wild horses sank hundreds of years ago.
And the annual pony swim, which also includes a pony parade, is held ahead of a pony auction, which benefits the local volunteer fire department and helps maintain the size of the herd of ponies.
Tourism on the island for the pony swim event also helps local businesses.
“Some of the small businesses will make more money this week than they probably do the first quarter,” Evelyn Shotwell, executive director or the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce, explained.
The town’s mayor, Arthur Leonard, is proud of the pony swim tradition and says it’s something he and the people of Chincoteague look forward to.
“We’ve never lost a pony in 98 years of doing the pony swim. It’s just something we do. We always look out for the ponies. They’re number one,” Leonard said.
He told WTKR that at least one member of his family has been involved with the pony swim’s round-up crew each year since its inaugural event in 1925.
“Watching my boys ride the horses and hopefully my grandson will do it one of these days,” the mayor said.
The horses are examined by veterinarians before being sold at the auction.
