Virginia’s Shipwreck Ponies

Every July, visitors from around the world gather in Virginia for the annual pony swim. This once-in-a-lifetime experience is totally unique to the Commonwealth and has been held annually for almost 100 years.

During this event, renowned salt-water cowboys round up the wild ponies from the nearby island of Assateague and guide them down the beaches, across the Assateague Channel, and through the town for a festival and pony auction.

The auction helps control the size of the herd, which in turn helps to preserve the delicate salt marsh ecosystem the ponies call home. It also acts as a fundraiser for the local volunteer fire company, which uses the proceeds to help provide veterinary care for the ponies throughout the year.

Fun facts/Interesting angles:

  • The origin of the Assateague Pony is the stuff of legends with stories crediting their arrival to tax evasion by early colonists, pirates, or most notably, as survivors of a doomed Spanish galleon destined for Peruvian gold mines.
  • The Chincoteague/Assateague Pony gained notoriety through Marguerite Henry’s book “Misty of Chincoteague,” inspired Disney’s 1961 cartoon movie “Misty,” and were immortalised by Breyer Animal Creations’ model ponies Misty and her foal, Stormy.
  • The high salt content of the cordgrass they eat requires the ponies to drink twice as much water as normal which leads to their tell-tale “bloated belly.”
  • See how one local Virginia town has turned protecting their wilderness and caring for their wildlife into a celebratory annual event.

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