Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge invites students K-12 attending public, private, or home schools to participate in the 2012 Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest.

“The competition is an art-based educational program that allows students to participate in a nationwide waterfowl arts competition. The process also exposes students to the nation’s wealth of migratory waterfowl and motivates students to take active roles in conserving these species,” said Virginia Junior Duck Stamp Program Coordinator, Aubrey Hall.

Ms. Hall also emphasized that “the program is meant to be a fun journey into the world of waterfowl. The artistic skill level of the students is not the focus of the contest. Not only do we want artwork from all children, we enjoy seeing the variety of pictures that the students produce”.

All students entering the state contest will receive a Certificate of Participation.  Entries may also receive prizes or honorable mention ribbons. The State Best of Show will represent Virginia in the national competition.  National awards include a complimentary trip to the First Day of Duck Stamp Sales Ceremony in Washington, DC and a monetary award.

Participants select a bird from a list of native North American waterfowl.  Other design guidelines include, but are not limited to: a size of 9”x12” not exceeding ¼” in total thickness; horizontal orientation; and the absence of lettering, words, or signatures on the front of the design. For more information contact refuge staff or explore the Federal Duck Stamp website (http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/).

Entries must be mailed to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 62, Chincoteague, VA 23336 and postmarked by midnight, March 15, 2010.  Judging will occur Friday March 23, 2012.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.  We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals commitment to public service.  For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce
February 2: Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow….. 6 more weeks of winter! 

February 4: Radiothon sponsored by WESR 103.3FM to benefit Riverside Shore Cancer Center–8:30 a.m. to Noon–Hear stories from patients and gain advice from healthcare professionals.  Contact Linda at 757-414-8051 r lmurphy@shs-inc.org for info.  

 February 4: Local Appreciation Day! Delmarva Discovery Center- Special savings

February 4: Winter Wonderland Gala- 1st Annual Fundraiser, Winter Wonderland Gala at Delmarva Discovery Center.  Call 410-957-9933 for info.

February 7: Pre-school Program at Island Library at 10:30 a.m. Theme is Ground Hog Day (Feb 2)

February 9: Scars on 45, Atlantic Records Recording Artist who has been featured on Grey’s Anatomy, performs LIVE at The Mar-Va Theater in Pocomoke City at 7 p.m.  www.mar-vatheater.org or 410-957-4230. 

February 11: Death By Chocolate–Join the sweet celebration on Main Street from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

February 11: Ballet Theater of MD presents Aladdin at 2 & 7 p.m. at the Mar-Va Theater in Pocomoke.   

February 14: VALENTINE’S DAY!  Remember the “sweethearts” in your life.  

February 14: Pre-school Program at Island Library for 2-5 year olds.  Theme is Valentine’s Day! 

 February 18: Twist & Shout–New York band will amaze you with a tribute to the music of the Beatles at The Chincoteague Center-7 p.m.  Visit www.ChincoteagueCenter.com for all details. 

February 18: Frozen Assets Ride sponsored by American Legion Riders to support our veterans & local children.  Contact Arnold at 757-336-1436 for more information.  

 What’s Up With You??????
This is your space to tell us your news. …..send short text to chincochamber@verizon.net by noon Wednesday.
Pony Tails–7011 Maddox Blvd.–We have what you need for the Super Bowl!  We have delicious dips, drink mixes and all of our candy is on sale, so you could make a delicious candy tray!  February 4th & 5th we will be having tastings of some of our dips.  Don’t forget we are open every day and a new item is Buy One Get One FREE every day!       
Carodan Farm Wool Shop has moved to 7151 Horseshoe Dr.  Feb. hours: W-F 10-5; Sat. 10-3.    
 Celebrate spring now through March 31 with this great Wedding Printing Package from Print & Ship.

Don’s Seafood Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner.  Come and get the free lunch card.  Buy 6 lunches and get one lunch special “FREE”.  Lunch starts at 11 a.m. with our last seating at 9 p.m.  Oysters are at their peak right now!
            
Museum of Chincoteague Island celebrates Cinco de Mayo (May 5) with a special 5×5 Art Show.  All artists are encouraged to donate a piece of artwork (must measure 5″ x 5″) to help with this unique fundraiser.  Contact the museum at 757-336-6117 or chincoteaguemuseum@verizon.net for more details.

“This is a major investment to enhance access and tourism at Chincoteague,” said Refuge Manager Lou Hinds.  “This grant will help us to work with the community to preserve public access to Assateague Island, to the recreational beach, and to the natural resources we all love.”

The funds will be used to acquire a portion of the Maddox property.  These lands will serve as a back up parking area during emergency situations, such as the loss of parking that occurred this past August when Hurricane Irene caused major damage just before the popular Labor Day weekend.  This parking area will not replace current parking at the recreational beach.

The refuge is currently developing a comprehensive conservation plan, which will evaluate the sustainable management of the beach parking lots and related infrastructure in light of the present and future effects of climate change, increasing frequency and severity of storms, and rising sea level, Mr. Hinds said.  The grant announced today does not influence the outcomes of the comprehensive conservation plan, he said.

With more than 1.4 million visitors arriving each year, beach access is critical to maintain the economic vitality of the Town of Chincoteague and the surrounding counties.

The Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program was established by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration to address the challenge of increasing vehicle congestion in and around America’s national parks, national wildlife refuges and other federal lands.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. “We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service,” according to a press release from the Refuge.

For more information visit www.fws.gov.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

February 8, 2012 1:30 p.m. at The Chincoteague Center

Join us for dessert and guest speaker Lynne Lochen, Tourism Development Specialist VTC

For planning purposes, please call chamber office at 757-336-6161 if you plan to attend.

January 28: Bowen McCauley Dance Company 8 p.m.  Nandua High School Onley, VA. Tickets at Book Bin, CD Marsh Jewelers, What’s Your Fancy, H&H Pharmacy, and Rayfield’s Pharmacy.

January 31: Pre-school Program at Island Library at 10:30 a.m. Theme is Pajama Party!

February 2: Groundhog Day! No more winter, please!

February 4: Local Appreciation Day! Delmarva Discovery Center- Special savings

February 4: Winter Wonderland Gala- 1st Annual Fundraiser, Winter Wonderland Gala at Delmarva Discovery Center.  Call 410-957-9933 for info.

February 7: Pre-school Program at Island Library at 10:30 a.m. Theme is Ground Hog Day (Feb 2)

February 11: Death By Chocolate–Join the sweet celebration on Main Street from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

February 18: Frozen Assets Ride sponsored by American Legion Riders to support our veterans & local children.  Contact Arnold at 757-336-1436 for more information.

What’s Up With You??????

     This is your space to tell us your news. …..send short text to chincochamber@verizon.net by noon Wednesday.  

Pony Tails–7011 Maddox Blvd.–will be having tastings of some of our delicious products–Fudge; Hot Apple Cider; and Ranch, Natural Lemon Cheesecake and Snickerdoodle dips on Jan. 28 & 29.   Come on out and try them all!! Don’t forget our Daily Deal–every day a new product is on sale Buy One Get One FREE!  Check us out—open every day! 

 Celebrate spring now through March 31 with this great Wedding Printing Package from Print & Ship.    Click here for all the details!  

Don’s Seafood Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner.  Come and get the free lunch card.  Buy 6 lunches and get one lunch special “FREE”.  Lunch starts at 11 a.m. with our last seating at 9 p.m.  Oysters are at their peak right now!  

BEACH ACCESS NEWS FROM THE TOWN OF CHINCOTEAGUE:

Click here for latest updates!

News Release from CNWR

By Sonora Hannah

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I would like to dedicate this, my first published work, to God, my Heavenly Father, and to my mother, Genna, and my Aunt Laure… because without them, this story never could have happened.

“I believe that in the moment God created me, He put in my soul a love and a passion for horses. It is something I was born with… a part of me that has always existed, even before I discovered it was there.”

Sonora Hannah

When I sent my application to the Feather Fund in the spring of 2010, I pretty much felt sick to my stomach. I thought that after I sent it, I’d finally be able to stop thinking about it and get some relief from the rollercoaster of emotions I’d been living with for months. That turned out to be wishful thinking because now that I didn’t have the application to work on, all I had were my thoughts.

 What made the waiting worse was that I had already applied to the Feather Fund the year before and remembered the pain of disappointment that had plagued me when I did not win. I was determined to shield myself from that kind of disappointment so to protect myself, I chose to believe in the improbability of my winning a foal. But despite everything, I kept hoping that the odds of my winning might not be so slim after all. I dreamed night and day about what it would be like to raise and train a wild Chincoteague Pony foal from the windswept island of Assateague.

 I had told the Feather Fund in my essay, “I look at all of the people around me who have their own horses; they have a chance to grow together and become permanently bonded in spirit. Sometimes I wonder if they realize just how blessed they are. My heart aches with the desire to have that strong bond of love, trust, and friendship that comes from having traveled a long road together; my heart yearns to start out on the road that will earn me the love, trust, and friendship of one special horse… my horse.”

Mid-May came… the time when I was to find out if I was or was not going to embark on that road. I checked the Feather Fund’s website daily and I tended to get rather nervous when the phone rang. But no news came either on the website or by phone. I was discouraged, but at the same time hopeful. If no winners had been posted, maybe that still meant I had a chance! Even though I tried to tell myself I very likely would not win a foal, I couldn’t seem to really believe it. There had to be a chance for me, especially because this was the last year I would be eligible to apply because of my age. I tried not to feel defeated by that thought; I knew that if I did not win, that it must mean that God had a different plan in mind for me. I wanted to have the strength of heart to trust Him that His plan was what was best for me, and that is something I had been learning to do since the first time I had applied for a foal. In my essay I had said:

“This whole Feather Fund experience has been a lesson for me in trusting God. I want it SO very badly that there are not enough words in this world to fully express the intensity of my desire. It is a feeling so deep and strong that it can only be felt, not spoken. This I can tell you: If I should be awarded a foal it would be the answer to my heart’s prayer of many years, and I would work for all I’m worth to keep that foal healthy and happy in body, mind, and spirit for all of its life. And in return, that foal would be giving me an ongoing purpose, a reason for working and living with all of my heart, and a chance for healing in my life.

“A foal of my own would mean the WORLD and beyond to me. It would be a priceless gift that I would work hard to ever deserve. I leave you in no doubt, I hope, of the sincerity of my heart’s prayer and desire and I want you to know that I would not take ownership of a foal lightly. I have waited most my whole life for the day that the miracle of my own horse would come. My heart is bursting with love to be given away to the one little horse I may call my own.”

I told Feather Fund board member Lois Szymanki, who is now one of my dearest friends, “The day you called is the day I gave up.”

It was June 7 and I had hung onto hope for several weeks past the time when I had thought the winners would be announced. But that day something inside me snapped. My pet rabbit had gone into labor and we rushed her to the emergency room when it became apparent that she was having trouble. The vet gave me a long list of procedures they might have to perform to save Jane and any unborn babies… and it wasn’t going to be cheap. The only money I had to spend on such a big vet bill was what I had been saving back for my pony. I told the vet we’d do whatever it took to save Jane. What else could I do? I said to my mom, “I’m not getting a pony anyway.”

I was pretty shocked to hear myself admitting to it, but I figured I’d better get used to the fact that it was true… I wasn’t getting a pony.

I was in pretty low spirits when I came home that evening with a stillborn baby bunny to be buried and my dream of winning a Feather Fund foal to be buried with it. I dug a grave and lined it with ferns and other spring greenery and then came up to the house to invite my mother to come for the burial. My mom was squinting at the phone when I came in. She asked me to read the missed call for her, because she couldn’t see it very well. I took the phone and read the name on the screen. My mouth dropped and I looked up at my mom, speechless. Mom says she’ll never forget my face; she knew as soon as she looked at me who the missed caller must have been.

And so it was I went to Chincoteague Island, Virginia for Pony Penning, an event I had only ever dreamed of attending! I saw the wild ponies swim the channel from their home on Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island where the foals would be auctioned off to the public to maintain a healthy number of ponies on the wildlife refuge and to benefit the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company who care for the ponies all year round. The days before the swim were spent meeting my new Feather Fund family and searching the pens on Assateague for my top favorite foals to bid on at the auction. I found three I decided to keep in mind, but I really didn’t know which of them my favorite was. I had decided I wanted a filly rather than a colt, so I chose a tall liver chestnut paint filly as my number one to bid on. But nothing really felt definite in my heart, even though I had decided it in my mind.

Auction day arrived. My calm exterior belied the intensity of my nervousness. Joy and relief consumed me when my fellow 2010 Feather Fund winner placed the winning bid on the pony of her dreams. And I realized, it would be my turn next. When the liver chestnut filly I had chosen as my favorite came out into the ring, I felt a flurry of excitement, but something about it didn’t feel real, didn’t feel right. Then it was announced that this foal was to be auctioned off as a buyback, a foal which would be sold for a high price to benefit the fire company or a charity, but would be returned to Assateague Island to live wild for the rest of its days. My Feather Fund family and my mom sympathized with me when the news came over the loudspeakers. But strangely, I didn’t feel much disappointment. Instead I felt that it was a message from God saying that this filly wasn’t the one for me. There must be another one out there with my name on it, I thought.

There were only 57 foals to be sold at the 2010 auction. By foal number 52 I was beginning to fear that I wouldn’t be getting a foal at all. I looked at each foal to come out. I watched their mannerisms; I looked into their eyes, searching for some glimmer of a connection between us. I almost bid once or twice out of fear of not getting the chance to bid at all… but I couldn’t do it. Something felt empty. It felt wrong. None of the foals spoke to my heart; none felt like they could be the pony of my dreams. Then I saw him.

He was rearing, plunging against the weight of the wranglers who held him. He was lost to sight as he dragged them along, trying to escape the prison of their arms and bodies. But I had already recognized him! He was on my list of top favorites, the first of my favorites I had seen since the paint filly early on in the auction.

The flashy pinto markings against his dark red/brown coat made him easy to identify. The boomerang marking at the top of his neck on his right side were why I had dubbed him the Boomerang Colt. Excitement welled up in my heart as he was finally escorted into the ring. Before I knew it I was in a bidding war for him. Somebody else had taken a fancy to him, too. I knew in my heart I couldn’t lose him. This was it! He was the one! I only wondered why I hadn’t seen it before. The price on his head went up and up, but I was encouraged to keep bidding. I raised my feather high and finally stood up in desperation.

“Please!! Please,” I said.

The bidding slowed. Then it stopped. It was the longest few seconds of my life before the auctioneer bellowed, “SOLD!” and pointed to me.

Sold! The Feather Fund had purchased him for me for $2,500!!!

My eyes welled up with tears of joy. In disbelief I realized that my dream had just come true. In one little fleeting moment, my dream had been fulfilled for a lifetime.

Even before the Boomerang Colt had come into sight, Lois had leaned over and said to me, “I don’t know why, but I think you are going to get the Boomerang Colt.”

More than once she said it, saying she didn’t understand why, but she felt that it was so.

I wondered at it, but I was so caught up in the auction and searching over the foals that I didn’t give it too much thought. I kept thinking about the little bay and white foal with the butterfly marking on its rump.

 Interesting story: foal number 52 was this foal, but I did not recognize it. I believe that God shielded me from recognizing it because He knew that if I had, I was feeling so desperate that I very well might have taken the plunge and jumped in on the bidding. How thankful I am that I did not get either one of those foals I had chosen for myself! What God had chosen for me was better than anything I could have imagined or dreamed of. Here’s more proof that the Boomerang Colt is God’s gift to me: one of his flashy pinto markings is in the shape of my profile!! No kidding!

The Boomerang Colt’s name is now Mincaye (Min-KY-yee). People are usually pretty curious as to where that name came from and the significance of it to me. To save time explaining, I usually just tell them it is a name that comes from a tribe in Ecuador. Truth is, there is a lot more to it than that. But that is another story…

Sonora Hannah is a high school graduate with dreams of becoming a writer, artist, and horse trainer. She resides in Washington State where she cares for her menagerie of animals which include a Chincoteague pony, a Shetland sheepdog, and a Bengal-mix cat.

Publisher, Wild Pony Tales

This is the time of year when the outstanding work of the biologists and park rangers at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and the National Park Service is showcased, helped along of course by the arrival of the snow geese and other migrating waterfowl.

I sometimes worry that the year-long fallout from the alternative beach parking controversy will overshadow all that is good about having the Refuge so close, about having a place we can go where it is quiet and we can, at least for a few hours, give our minds a break.

No matter what our views are on the future of beach parking and refuge management let’s not forget to give credit to the highly qualified and dedicated staff members who keep the place running every day of the year. I do not say this tritely or lightly.

I have taken our writers to Assateague many times to gather information for the stories on this website and I cannot recall an instance when our sources – I mean Lou Hinds, his managers, the biologists and park rangers – were not helpful and knowledgeable. Most of the people at the Refuge have degrees it took them years to obtain.

When I was teaching journalism in middle school I would sometimes have a student working on a class assignment call Amanda Daisy, the wildlife biologist, right from class, a real life interview by a 6th or 7th grader.

On a sad note I want to mention a park ranger who was especially helpful to us, Barry Brookshire. Barry was at the Refuge for 16 months until his contract ran out and then he returned to his home in Texas. But soon after he was found to have a malignant tumor in his colon. Doctors were successful in treating Barry but he has been unable to return to work. While at the Refuge he answered many questions for our young writers with all the patience of the teacher that he once was. At the Refuge Barry was what he called a “roving ranger,” moving around the pathways, talking to people, answering questions. If he didn’t know the answer he would go and find it.

Waterfowl Week is a special time at the Refuge. We have the event highlights in another story but what follows are more details, the times, places and descriptions of the activities coming up over Thanksgiving. Every single event is worth attending.

One of the big issues I have with the whole Assateague show is how easy it is to come here and never see a pony, or see them only at a great distance. When our niece, Marcy, was little I don’t think we got to see any ponies, except the ones at McDonalds for which I was thankful, until her third visit. And she only made it here once a year. We did see plenty of evidence, but few ponies.

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By Robert Boswell
Publisher, Wild Pony Tales

The three Chincoteague ponies who were rescued by Debbie Ober and her husband, Tom, from an auction barn in Pennsylvania in September are nearly back to full health. As a result of our stories some donations have come in and so have requests for adoption.

More donations are needed though. See the information at the end of the story.

The moment the three Chincoteague ponies she had rescued from near slaughter came out of the trailer Debbie had sent to get them is not a time she will ever forget. She still can’t talk about it without her voice breaking up.

Saturday, November 5, with our writer/photographers Misty Thornton and Kate White, we traveled the two hours from near Chincoteague to the Ober’s Hawkeye Stables in Ridgely, Maryland. There was more to the story, we knew, of what goes on at the Ober horse farm where Debbie cares for 20 ponies. Some of them are Misty of Chincoteague descendants and most are closely connected to the famous Chincoteague wild ponies.
The three rescues were all bought at the 2001 Chincoteague pony auction but little is known about where they spent their years until now. All three are registered Chincoteague ponies, sired by island stallions.

Debbie had earlier described what confronted her when the rescued ponies arrived at her place. There was Clipper, a small bay gelding, who had no hair from under his jaw to his chin with pus oozing from a dozen sores. When he came out of the trailer he laid down, unable to get up.

Ginger, a big chestnut mare, was very thin and weak from starvation and parasites. And Captain, a bay pinto gelding, was very thin too. He had the worst parasite problem of the three, so bad he had stopped eating.

From communicating with Debbie, we knew they were much better but we didn’t really know what to expect. Because they had all come down with strangles, a pneumonia-like illness the rescue ponies had been quarantined in their own pasture and shelter.

Upon arrival we followed Debbie from the barn area to the rescues’ pasture with her pulling a small wagon with hay, grain buckets, brushes and, if needed, halters.

As we neared the fence she asked, “Are you ready?” In a minute we had climbed through the fence and set up cameras. The ponies, however, were nowhere in sight. But with a call from Debbie, three specks in a distance, actually three pastures away, began moving toward us at a gallop. It was the three rescues, who did not slow up until they reached us.

Two things were obvious. They were ready to eat and they were glad to see Debbie.

Debbie spends several hours each day hugging and caring for her horses. She is devoted to them, spending more time with them than she does with people, more time outside with them, she says, than inside her house.

She has a routine.

“I check all of them daily from head to tail. Making sure there are no kicks, cuts, etc. Also, I make sure they eat their grain in a reasonable time. If they don’t eat, I know I have a problem. I always check noses, especially this time of year. The foals tend to get a runny nose, but unless they run a fever, my vet suggests that I let it run its course without interference to build immunity. I always check halters on the young stock. They can be fine one day and too tight the next as they seem to grow in spurts.”

Imagine this and she left out mucking stalls, driving two hours for hay every few weeks, and of course her house work.

When Captain, Ginger and Clipper arrived they were in poor shape. Debbie spent most of the next three nights with these Chincoteagues, making a bed for herself under the shelter and wrapping up in a horse blanket to stay warm. Debbie changed her clothes several times a day to keep strangles from spreading to her other horses.

Who knows what the three ponies think has happened to them, but they have to know someone now cares. Since coming to the Ober home they have not been a day without proper food, medications, and lots of hugs and kindness. They can thank Debbie and Tom, but also others who helped put up money for their rescue, including Debbie Elliott-Fisk and other members of the Buyback Babes, friends and family.

While our time with the rescues has its special memories, they were not the only ones we brought back from the Ober farm.

One pony rehabilitated by Debbie is the majestic Tornado which has sired many foals born on Assateague Island. Tornado is the sire of Prince, bought by the Buyback Babes in 2007 for $17,500, the most ever paid for a pony at the Chincoteague auction.

In 2008 Tornado was injured while on the Assateague range and the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which owns the Virginia herd, decided to remove him from the herd and arranged with the Obers to care for him the rest of his life. In an article that ran in the Caroline Review in July 2010 the Obers wrote, “Though he inhabited the sandy beaches of Assateague made famous by “Misty of Chincoteague” Tornado became a legend of his own. He is one of the most photographed stallions on the island.”

Tornado is a buckskin pinto stallion born in 1988. He might have been a wild stallion for 20 years, but around us he was just another friendly head to pat, nose to rub. Or maybe he just wanted Kate to take his picture again. She was clearly his favorite visitor on this day.

The other memory we will have forever was provided by Tornado’s newest offspring, one of four now with the Obers. She is a nine day old filly Debbie calls Freckles due to her red leopard coloring. We have video of this baby making her second trip outside her stall, trying to make up her mind how far to venture. It is precious and we will share it with you soon.

Meanwhile, Debbie is in need of financial help for these rescues and future ones. “We would be grateful for donations to go toward feed and care,” Debbie said. She said if anyone knows of a Chincoteague pony in need, she can be reached at hawkeye@goeaston.net. Her cell is 410-829-3026 and messages may be left on her Facebook page. The mailing address is P.O. Box 125, Ridgely, MD 21660.

The Obers are looking for personal and corporate sponsorships for the ponies and the rescue organization. Corporate sponsors will be listed on the horse trailer and elsewhere, she said. A new website will be chincoteagueponyrescue.org and it is expected to be up and running soon.

The writer is publisher of www.wildponytales.info, a web magazine that covers Chincoteague and Assateague Islands in Virginia. 

Editor’s note: A photo gallery and video clips will be posted with this story soon.
 

Publisher, Wild Pony Tales

See “Life Better Now for Rescued Chincoteague Ponies,” under Recent Posts

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Clipper, a small bay gelding, had no hair from under his jaw to his chin with pus oozing from a dozen sores. 

Ginger, a big chestnut mare, was very thin and weak from starvation and parasites.

Captain, a bay pinto gelding, was very thin too. He had the worst parasite problem of the three, so bad he had stopped eating.

All three ponies were several hundred pounds under weight. All had cuts on their faces from ill fitting halters. All three were covered in dry, caked on feces from laying in a dirty stall for days without clean bedding.

All three are registered Chincoteague ponies, sired by island stallions, and they were all bought at the July 2001 wild pony auction on Chincoteague Island.

The three are safe now, thanks to the kindness and courageous work of Debbie Ober who rounded up money to rescue the three ponies. She provides a home for some 15 Chincoteague ponies with her husband, Tom, on a 30 acre farm in Ridgely, Maryland.

Debbie stays on the lookout for Chincoteague ponies no longer wanted and are headed to sales barns where horses are sold only to be sent to slaughter, some for human consumption and some as dog food. She had already noticed the three ponies in a Pennsylvania holding barn, but then she got about 15 emails from people letting her know what was happening.

Friends with Debbie Elliott-Fisk from California, a member of the Buyback Babes who are known for buying ponies at the Chincoteague auction, the two women knew they had to move fast when Deb Ober discovered the three registered Chincoteagues in a “kill pen” that were going to slaughter if not purchased by that coming Saturday night, Sept. 10.

“I had the means to transport them and care for them, but not the bail money to buy them off the kill truck,” said Debbie. So with Debbie Elliott-Fisk they called some members of the Buybacks and other friends for help. “We had a dozen donations come in and we were able to save them,” said Debbie.

But all did not go smoothly.

“The three ponies were paid for on a credit card on Sept. 10, but due to hurricane Lee and flood damage, including a washed out bridge, we had to wait an additional two weeks to pick the ponies up.  They were held in a ‘holding barn’ and brought to the separate ‘pick-up’ barn the evening of Sept. 25.”  The pick-up barn is south of New Holland, PA.

For Debbie these were a very long two weeks. “I continued to make daily calls, sometimes 10 a day, and send emails to check on the status of our ponies.” Another week, then more phone calls, more emails. “My feelings during those days were like a roller coaster, elated that the ponies would not go to kill, then disappointed that we could not go get them. We were losing time to get them to safety and to get them well.”

As much as she wanted to go on the pickup, Debbie had to stay behind. “We had a new foal born the night before and I didn’t want to leave with the foal so young as the first 48 hours are the most crucial.  So my husband and a friend, who gave up his only day off that week to help the ponies left pulling a rescue trailer on September 26 and went to Pennsylvania.

“My feelings were an emotional roller coaster,” Debbie said. ” Tom got home around 6 p.m. that evening and I was elated to finally have them home and safe, but they were in dire condition. I was heart-broken. I found that one had come down with strangles and would have to be quarantined for a week or so.”

But no sick ponies have likely gotten more love and attention than these three rescues. “Two of the three were very sick upon arrival,” said Debbie. “They have all been treated for strangles, similar to human pneumonia, and parasite infestation. Not to mention cuts, scaring, etc. from their auction experience.”  We aren’t out of the woods yet, but are on our way, Debbie wrote on her Facebook  page.

On the Ober farm the new dwellers will have plenty of company.

“We now have 20 Chincoteague ponies on the farm, 10 of which are either retirees for life, have been cared for and are waiting for their forever homes and the last three that just came on September 26 for rehab due to illness and injury,” said Debbie. ” Five of our personal ponies were purchased at the auction on Chincoteague in 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2011. 

Debbie has been providing shelter and care for horses for 15 years, and exclusively Chincoteague ponies for the past 11 years. “With the current economy,” she said, “many more of our Chincoteague ponies are in trouble and I can no longer carry it alone.” She said she gets four to eight ponies a year, some of them weanlings a month after the auction on Chincoteague. “People can’t care for them or didn’t realize the expense involved.”

“If old or injured horses don’t sell, they are usually purchased by buyers who take  loads of horses to Canada and Mexico to be killed for human consumption,” Debbie said. “Very few end up in a retirement facility. A few are purchased as companion horses if someone has another horse needing a “buddy.”  We have four of those on the farm now, she said.

“The kill pen is the last stop for unpurchased horses,” said Debbie.  It is a holding area waiting for the trucks to pick them up.  The trucks come weekly to these auction barns and take any horses left.  I have been told that a facility in New Jersey has two to four tractor trailers a week hauling horses to market for human consumption and dog foods. 

The parents of the rescued ponies are well known to Chincoteague pony fans.

Clipper is the small bay gelding who’s sire was Gunner’s Moon.  Ginger, a big chestnut mare, was sired by  Surfer Dude. Captain, a bay pinto, is a gelding sired by Wild Bill.  “They are all great island stallions, two of which are still living on the island,” said Debbie. ” These are the names on their Chincoteague Pony Association registration papers which they gave the owner in 2001.”

So far little is known about these three ponies between their life on Assateague Island and now. The three  ponies will be available for adoption once they are well. 

Other well known ponies reside on the Ober farm. One is Tornado, a buckskin pinto stallion born in 1988. “He was king of his band for two decades,” said Debbie. “Though he inhabited the same island and roamed the sandy beaches of Assateague made famous by “Misty of Chincoteague,” Tornado become a legend of his own.” He has sired many foals over the years and is one of the most photographed stallions on the island. He was removed from the herd after being injured. Tornado is the sire of Prince, bought by the Buyback Babes in 2007 for $17,500, the most ever paid for a Chincoteague pony.”

Debbie has owned horses since she was 13, as a member of the local 4-H Club. She has bred, shown and raised Quarter Horses and Appaloosas since 1986. “My first Pony Penning was in 1998 and I fell in love with the Chincoteague ponies.” Like countless others, she said she was raised on the Misty stories by Marguerite Henry and in 2000 purchased her first Chincoteague pony.

Having lost her job a few months ago, the cost of caring for the ponies is becoming more than Debbie can handle. It cost nearly $1,500 to buy the three rescues off the kill truck and that was just the start of it. Vet bills so far have hit $300 and then there is hay at $5.00 a bale, feed at $11.50 per bag, wormer at $10 per tube and the ponies need a farrier every eight weeks to have their hooves trimmed.

So with the need growing to pay for the rescues Debbie and others have applied for a formal non-profit  organization to be known as Chincoteague Pony Rescue. Debbie said she thinks the rescues she has handled are only the tip of the iceberg.

 ”We would be grateful for donations to go toward feed and care,” Debbie said. She said if anyone knows of a Chincoteague pony in need, she can be reached at hawkeye@goeaston.net. Her cell is 410-829-3026 and messages may be left on her Facebook page. The mailing address is P.O. Box 125,  Ridgely, MD 21660.

She is also looking for personal and corporate sponsorships for the ponies and the rescue organization.  Corporate sponsors will be listed on the horse trailer and elsewhere, she said. A new website will be chincoteagueponyrescue.org and it is expected to be up and running in a week or so. 

Meanwhile, Debbie is supporting the herd by selling items on Ebay and she is working on a home-based business selling custom business forms, tee shirts and patches and she provides phone answering services.

“I truly love these ponies and they are worth saving,” said Debbie.

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By Jean Bonde

Well, this was Sunday afternoon, (Oct. 2, the day after the northern roundup).

Got a call from Linda & Tom Insley who were down near  Memorial Park.  They said that two horses were swimming from Assateague to Chincoteague.  They followed them while I tried to reach any cowboy.  Finally got thru to Dean Orsino who started alerting cowboys.  Linda & Tom followed the ponies, their pictures below show the two ponies going north up the middle of the street on Ridge Road, then making a turn on Bunting Road. They then darted into the old campground area at Ridge and Bunting and disappeared into the underbrush.  If they had just gone farther down Bunting, they might have got close enough to the fairgrounds to find it altho that is not the regular route for them to get there in July.

Cowboys presumably found them at the old campground which has been abandoned and is overgrown,  and took them to the fairgrounds.  Third picture shows the two mares behind the fence which is behind some of the BB foals at the fairgrounds. They all were taking turns at sniffing noses thru the fence.

The two mares are full sisters. One is Miracle’s Natural Beauty, a 2009 filly of Natural Innocence and Miracle Man.  The other filly is Wildest Dreams, a 2008 filly of Natural Innocence and Miracle Man. They are not the first horses to swim the channel (regular swim route) at an off time and will not be the last. –  Jean Bonde

The parking lots sustained damage from overwash caused by Hurricane Irene this past August.

Limited parking was restored prior to the Labor Day weekend and, since then, additional spaces have been cleared and repaired. Although reduced from the usual amount, adequate beach parking will be available through the off-season. According to Maintenance Chief Ish Ennis, approximately 350 parking spaces are ready for use, and will be kept open through the fall and winter.

“Given the susceptibility of the Toms Cove beach to winter storms, it just doesn’t make sense to repair all of the parking at this point,” said Supt. Kicklighter. “Come spring, our staff will begin work on the other damaged lots in preparation for the busy season. I’m confident we’ll have the full amount of parking ready for next summer’s beach goers.”

For more information on Assateague Island National Seashore, visit www.nps.gov/asis or phone Carl Zimmerman at 410-629-6071.