. Ponies from the famous Chincoteague wild pony herd splash their way into the holding area off Woodland Trail during one of the three roundups held each year. Photo by Wild Pony Tales.
After the Swim. Foals and adults get a rest and a chance to dine on marsh grass after the famous swim from Assateague to Chincoteague. It is a chance for some of the many visitors that come to Pony Week to see the ponies up close. This year the Swim is Wednesday, July 24 and the Auction is Thursday, July 25. Photo by Wild Pony Tales.
Chincoteague Swing Bridge operational from 1939 to 2010.
4,000 Early Spectators Cheer Ponies on Beach
By Robert Boswell This story was first posted in July 2011. Dawn was just breaking over the Atlantic Ocean on Assateague Beach on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Yet, up to 4,000 people were up and waiting as the waves lapped the sand on this warm morning near the end of July. It was not […]
A Rhode Islander in Chincoteague: Not Every Dream Comes True
By Amy Lynn Richard Whoever gave me that first “My Little Pony” was probably not aware they had forever sealed my fate as a lover of horses. For as long as I can remember, these magnificent creatures have captivated me with their beauty and grace. But, as everyone who has been bitten by the horse […]
By the Time Most People Arrive, the Cowboys are Already Riding
Pony Penning in 2013 will be held the week of July 22-July 26. The Swim will be Wednesday, July 24 and the Auction, the following day, Thursday, July 26. For full schedule go to http://www.chincoteaguechamber.com/ By Misty Thornton and Robert Boswell Once again visitors from across the nation are making plans to head […]
Museum of Chincoteague Opens with Heritage Day Celebration
The Museum is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Closed Mondays and on July 4) For more information, visit the site here. By Misty Thornton Editor, Wild Pony Tales When you step into the doorway of the Museum of Chincoteague you have gone through a […]
Early Visitors to Assateague Island
By Wilma Young About the writer: Wilma Young served as a senior volunteer at several national parks, coming to the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge three times. Her last stay at the Chincoteague refuge was just before her 80th birthday in 1997-98. On this third stay she served as an environmental education teacher for the Chincoteague […]
A Few Moments with a Dancing Otter
By Elizabeth Fread The first time I ever saw the river otter, I was pretty sure it was a muskrat or maybe a beaver. I was watching the bank side for birds to photograph, when I heard a faint splash. I looked out into the water and saw a smooth body that was brown and […]
As Spring Arrives, Pace Picks Up for History Association
By Misty Thornton Editor, Wild Pony Tales Beth Hanback is a bundle of energy and she needs to be. She’s the epicenter of a moving whirlwind with a dozen decisions an hour to make. Beth is the backbone and executive director of the Chincoteague Natural History Association, a group of supporters the Chincoteague National Wildlife […]
Mother Nature Needed Lots of Help with Colt Named Lucky
By Robert Boswell Publisher, Wild Pony Tales Updated August 30, 2012 Editor’s Update: Lucky, who will be four months old September 3, has found a new home at The Refuge Inn, in the corral between the Inn and McDonalds. “He does not like to socialize with the other ponies and seems to stay off to […]
Rain, Cold Doesn’t Slow Cowboys
By Wild Pony Tales For the Saltwater Cowboys October came, it seems, right on the heels of the July 2008 Chincoteague pony swim that brought thousands of people to this Island on the Virginia coast. Three times a year the cowboys load their mounts into trailers and leave homes in North Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia […]