Virginia’s Chincoteague Pony Swim

Walking into the Museum of Chincoteague Island, I didn’t expect to meet a childhood idol face-to-face. Nor did I expect her to be preserved in perpetuity, life-sized. Misty of Chincoteague was a fictional character—wasn’t she?

When I was little, every girl wanted a pony. A parade of books about horses—Black Beauty, My Friend Flicka, The Black Stallion—lined library shelves at school. But Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry stood out in my mind. Misty lived on an island! She ran on the beach! She swam in saltwater! “Misty was my crush,” said my good friend Joan.

When my family moved to the countryside, I begged my parents to let me have a pony. And they did.

Micki, however, was no Misty. She was a spirited Welsh pony. She’d stomp on my feet. She’d struggle when I combed her mane. She’d toss me off her back. She quickly cured me of my equestrian aspirations. So what if those kids in the books had perfect ponies? Those were only stories. On Virginia’s Chincoteague (SHIN-co-teeg) Island, I learned the truth.

At the Museum of Chincoteague Island, you'll find memorabilia from the island's past, as well as an exhibit devoted to Misty (pictured), the real-life subject of the children's book Misty of Chincoteague. Photo by Sandra Friend

I’d wanted to visit ever since reading Misty of Chincoteague. Although the story is fictional, Henry based it on a real pony. Published in 1947, the book became a movie in 1961, and Henry took the real Misty on tours, to the delight of schoolchildren across America.

The phenomenon also brought fame to Chincoteague and the not-at-all-fictional Beebe family, Misty’s original owners. (Henry bought Misty from the Beebes and later returned her to their farm to have her foals.) Misty and her foal Stormy—the subject of another Henry book—lived out their lives at the Beebe Ranch; Misty died in 1972, Stormy in 1993.

“Misty and Stormy were loaned to our museum in 2011,” said Ennis Barbery Smith, the museum’s former executive director. “They are still currently on long-term loan, with no plans for the loan to end.”

“I saw Trigger once,” my husband, John, said, as we gazed at the taxidermied steeds. “So this is my second famous stuffed horse.”

Here on the Eastern Shore, we set out to find the living Chincoteague ponies.

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Searching for the Chincoteague ponies

Chincoteague and Assateague islands are 2 of the 23 barrier islands along Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Assateague Island is about 38 miles long—its northern two-thirds are in Maryland, and the southern third is in Virginia.

We left the museum on Chincoteague Island, crossed the causeway and bridge that connects with Assateague Island, and entered the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, where the ponies reside most of the year. I thought I saw a pony in the distance, along the channel.

“Isn’t that one?” I asked.

“Just shadows,” said John.

The wild ponies are believed to be descendants of Moorish ponies that escaped a Spanish galleon that ran underground 400 years ago. Photo by Cameron Davidson/Virginia Tourism Corporation

Told it was uncertain we’d see ponies along the nature trails, we headed to the beach at Tom’s Cove. I’d imagined the ponies dashing through the surf. After all, the legend—amplified by the book—was that the ponies were descendants of Moorish ponies that escaped a Spanish galleon that ran aground 4 centuries ago. And why was Misty called Misty? She came up out of the sea.

Tom’s Cove provided a view of oyster beds and the rocket launch towers at NASA’s nearby Wallops Island facility, but no ponies.

We took a slow drive along the Wildlife Loop. The first cluster of cars off to the side of the road got us excited. Then we discovered they were watching an eagle. The refuge is a prime birding spot, but that wasn’t why we were here.

We came around a curve. “There they are!”

People were piling out on the edge of the road to see ponies grazing along the vast flats of saltgrass marsh on the southern end of Assateague Island. There were only a few, but I stood mesmerized. Finally, I’d found Misty’s herd.

We watched for a while, but they didn’t move much. No galloping across the landscape, no dramatic toss of the mane, just nuzzling the grass for another mouthful of salt hay. Daylight was fading, and the refuge would close at dusk. We left the ponies for the day to find our hotel.

As the mist lifted the next morning, we walked Chincoteague Island’s shoreline. We looked across the Assateague Channel and saw more of the herd gathered along Assateague Island’s shoreline, grazing within sight of kayakers.

The stout steeds appeared in shades of chestnut, bay, black, and brown. One moment, all was calm. Their heads were down as they grazed. The next, tails flying, the horses wheeled about with whinnies and snorts, nudging the others in the herd into a trot through the marsh.

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Preparing the herd to swim

“Misty put us on the map back in the 1940s,” said Denise Bowden of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company (VFC) that evening at Don’s Seafood Restaurant in downtown Chincoteague. “We’re pretty proud of our traditions here.”

Such as the annual Pony Penning and Swim.

“It’s the oldest continuous roundup east of the Rockies,” Bowden said, explaining that while the modern tradition dates to 1925, locals were penning the ponies for population control a century earlier.

Although the ponies are wild, the VFC owns and cares for the herd that live on the Virginia side of Assateague Island (the Maryland herd is managed by the National Park Service). The Virginia herd isn’t permitted to grow above 150, according to an agreement between the refuge and the VFC.

Volunteers leading the herd to the water

Every July, volunteers drive the ponies from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island. Courtesy Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce

To help with population control, each year on the last Monday of July, Saltwater Cowboys—cowboys and firefighters with years of experience riding through the salt marshes—round up about 150 adult wild ponies and their foals. They walk them down the beach to a corral, where they’re joined by about 50 more adult ponies and their foals who live on the southern end of the island.

The herd spends 2 days here—and can be visited by the public—before swimming with the cowboys across the channel to Chincoteague Island, where several ponies are auctioned off.

A veterinarian checks the ponies to determine which are healthy enough to make the 200-yard swim (pregnant mares, ponies with injuries, and the youngest foals and their mothers are taken across by trailer). On Wednesday morning, tens of thousands of spectators gather to watch the swim, which happens during the slack tide when the water is calmest. Don’t wear your best clothes—for a good view, you’ll be tromping in marsh mud.

The annual auction takes place at the Chincoteague Carnival Grounds on Thursday morning during the Volunteer Firemen’s Carnival. The first foal to come ashore is gifted to the holder of a raffle ticket, and the ponies that aren’t auctioned off swim back to Assateague Island on Friday.

A pony of your own

The brightly painted Carnival Grounds on Main Street are about a half-mile from the fire company, which uses the annual auction to raise funds for the fire department, local charities, and veterinary care of the herd.

“The carnival is nice, with all these people and the ponies that are being auctioned,” said Tommy Clark, owner of Don’s Seafood. “Our first summer here, this old black pony comes up [for auction] and my wife raises her hand, and not another damn soul raises a hand. I had gone 40 years without a pony, never had a desire for one, and here it is: I’ve got a new wife and a pony.”

Walking away with a pony, though, is what little girls dream of. The highest bid in recent years was $32,000. That’s a bit steep for an eager youngster, but miracles—like Misty—still happen.

“It’s not all about the money,” said Bowden.

“One of my favorite stories is about a little girl who saved $300. That’s all she had, and $300 is not going to buy you a pony now, and she kept getting outbid. Finally, one of our spotters caught on to that. The buzz went right up to the auction stand. The last pony came out of the chute, and the auctioneer says, ‘All right, we’re going to start this one at $300.’ The little girl put her hand up, and he goes, ‘Sold!’ And the girl went home with her pony. It meant something to us to be able to do that.”

The public can visit the ponies in their corral on Assateague Island until the Pony Swim. Photo by Bill Crabtree Jr./Virginia Tourism Corporation

There’s also the Feather Fund, founded by family and friends of Carollynn Suplee, an auction regular who passed away in 2003. Although she was fighting cancer, she helped several children buy ponies.

“Every year, the Feather Fund helps 2 kids buy a pony in memory of Carollynn,” said Bowden. “The kids sit there at the auction with their feathers in their hands. And these kids who get these ponies, it’s like you’ve handed them everything in the whole wide world.”

You can also change a pony’s life without ever taking it home. “Our buyback program allows people to bid for a certain pony and name it, and then it returns to Assateague to live out its natural life without ever being sold again,” said Bowden. “You’re welcome to visit your pony during the roundups, too!”

I liked that idea—“owning” a pony without having to brush it, saddle it, buy hay for it, or get stomped on. Perhaps there’ll be another Micki in my future. At a safe distance.

Orlando-based Sandra Friend and her husband, John Keatley, explore the great outdoors and write books. Follow their adventures at floridahikes.com.

If you go to the Chincoteague Pony Swim

People watching from boats as the ponies swim

Spectators watch the annual Pony Swim, which this year takes place on July 26. Courtesy Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce

The annual Chincoteague Pony Swim will take place on Wednesday, July 26. You can also visit during 2 other yearly roundups (in April and October) conducted for health checkups.

Ask at the gate at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge what the season’s best locations are before hiking, biking, or driving to viewing spots on Assateague Island.

Kayakers can spot ponies along the shoreline of the Assateague Channel. Assateague Explorer offers kayak tours and cruises from April through October and November, respectively.

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Where to eat

Chincoteague ‘‘salt’’ oysters are a must at Don's Seafood Restaurant. Photo by John Gaffen / Alamy Stock Photo

At Don’s Seafood Restaurant, we met owner Tommy Clark, who also runs Tom’s Cove Aquafarms. Chincoteague “salt” oysters, with a distinct briny taste, are a must.
Try the seasonal Wallops Rocket Fuel at the Island Creamery. Chocolate, cinnamon, and chile pepper make a potent mix with a serious afterburn.
Casual fare on the waterfront makes Mallards inside the 1842 Hopkin Bros. General Store the place to dine in Onancock.
Next to the old railroad docks, The Shanty offers views of Chesapeake Bay from the deck. Grab the fresh local blue crab cakes here.
Brunch is special at Cape Charles Coffee House, where fresh fruit comes with most breakfast choices, even the bacon and eggs.

Where to stay

From our breezy balcony at the Waterside Inn, we watched watermen putter in and out along the marshy channels. It’s a family-run hotel along Main Street within walking distance of the carnival grounds. Rates start at $108 ($282 during July’s penning week).
A smart renovation of a classic, the Hotel Cape Charles features some spacious rooms with an artsy, urban vibe. Rates start at $199 ($275 during July’s penning week).

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More things to do on Virginia’s Eastern Shore

The first European settlers arrived here in the early 1600s. US Route 13 forms a 74-mile backbone up the middle of the peninsula from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to the Maryland state line. Taking the back roads off US 13, you’ll discover this rural peninsula steeped in history.

Eastern Shore Artisan Trail. Follow these signs throughout the Eastern Shore to discover art galleries, museums, and unique shops.
Barrier Islands Center. Along US Route 13 in Machipongo, this regional history museum orients you to the region’s deep roots. Hidden in the attic is an unusual twisted chimney. Free admission.
Eastern Shore Maritime Museum. This small museum in Onancock offers up compelling stories of the history of watermen on Chesapeake Bay. Free admission.

Close up of peonies in bloom at Eyre Hall Gardens

Visit nearby Eyre Hall Gardens, an original colonial home with English gardens that were established in the early 1800s. Photo by Sandra Friend

Eyre Hall Gardens. This original colonial home is on a land grant that has been in the same family since 1623. An understated sign off US Route 13 in Cheriton points you up a long cedar-lined lane. Established in the early 1800s, the English gardens have ancient boxwood hedges forming deeply shaded outdoor rooms. In May, peonies (pictured) provide a colorful foreground for the view of Cherrystone Creek. Free admission.
Ker Place. This Georgian-style home was built in 1799 in Onancock. Renovated to its 1806 look, it’s the headquarters of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Historical Society. Period items and reproductions dress up rooms with hand-painted floor coverings and faux marble trim. Donation-based admission.
Museum of Chincoteague Island. Beyond the exhibit devoted to Misty, Stormy, and the Beebe Ranch, you’ll find memorabilia from the island’s past. Decoys, hand-carved by local watermen, are an art form still practiced today. Adults, $7; children 12 and younger are free.
NASA Visitors Center at Wallops Flight Facility. The nearby NASA Visitors Center holds star parties and other public programs. Free admission.