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CHINCOTEAGUE
On the last Wednesday of July each year, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company rounds up about 150 wild ponies and sends them across the narrow channel from Assateague Island to Chincoteague on the Eastern Shore.
Then the ponies are marched through town and corralled at the fairgrounds. Today , locals and visitors will bid on the foals at auction, and proceeds will benefit the fire department. The winner of a special raffle will be given the first foal to have come ashore, marked with a necklace.
Organizers of the summer spectacle said an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 visitors flocked to the Eastern Shore Wednesday for the 85th annual pony swim.
The annual crossing of the 200-yard channel between Assateague Island, Maryland, and Chincoteague was made famous by Marguerite Henry's 1947 novel "Misty of Chincoteague."
Each year, ponies are auctioned to raise money for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which cares for the Virginia herd.
Ponies that are not sold and those donated back to the fire department will roam free for another year on the national wildlife refuge on Assateague.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Did the Pilot really just state that the swim
is the "last Wednesday in July"? That is incorrect. If the last day of July is a Wednesday, then the swim is the Wednesday preceding. AAA (the travel group) advertises the swim as "the Wednesday before the last Thursday in July". Wikipedia describes the swim as the "last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July". The key is that the auction is held on the last Thursday of July and therefore the swim is the day before.
It's true deb,
you can be both defensive and a little snarky. No real harm done, just goes to show that you're not above the fray and human like the rest of us.
Remember the Virginia Barbeque review? You hung me out to dry on that one. I scoured that article 7 times for an identifiable address and city to make sure before I questioned it. That included small print caption under the photo, everything printed in and outside of the article. You came online half a day later to make me a delusional idiot. That was after somebody went back and filled in the missing info. Give people some credit before you start shooting from the hip.
That having been said, glad to see a VP online producer out here on a level playing field. Hope to see more of it.
For those who are upset
For those who are upset about not knowing about the swim...FYI the ponies and horses swim back to Assateague tomorrow. There is also a carnival going on with rides and the horses are kept on the carnival grounds until they swim back on Friday. Just thought that I'd throw that out there. There are not as many people present for the swim back either so the crowd is easier to deal with.
I dig a pony
well you can celebrate anything you want
Wish I had been there
I'll jump on the bandwagon: I wish I had known about this days ago. I have lived in this area most of my life and know that there is an annual pony SWIM, but I don't know when this actually happens. It would have been nice to have taken my niece this year, but oh well. Oh, and Deb, I read all of the posts on this topic and I must say your comments were a little snarky. Just sayin'.
Why tell everyone?
As a person born and raised in this area, Norfolk specifically, I have seen many wonderful, fun and interesting events become un-attendable because of the massive amounts of people that show up. I’m not against people having a good time and I’m not talking rowdy crowds, I’m just saying so many people showing up that you can’t move or see things or stroll around or enjoy the event you came to see. Harborfest, the Grand Illumination in Williamsburg and the Pony Swim are just a few examples. These things don’t even need to be advertised, you just know that thousands and thousands of people are going to show up. Good for some, less good for others.
Hello
I am an online producer for HamptonRoads.com and PilotOnline.com. Thanks for the note on my vocabulary. I'll make sure to correct my response. And, I'm sorry you find my tone defensive or abrasive. It isn't intended to be.
There seems to be a pattern here...
...of unprofessional remarks by the online producer, including belittling, snide and passive-aggressive comments, and several posters in this thread seem to agree. I wonder if her supervisor is aware of her demeanor.
really?
lol at the comments directed toward the Pilot. you'll have had 85 years to know this is a yearly event. the event organizers also could have posted this in the Pilot's event calendar for free and purchased an ad so you could have had a heads up to take off work to watch a pony swim.
I would have loved more
I would have loved more information...BEFORE the FACT....no use now....Sounds like you are a little upset you had to take time out of your day to answer my question .....I am not the only one who had trouble with the article....now you have a good day...