The 91st Pony Penning is over, leaving memories
The 91st annual Pony Penning week was brought to a close for another year with the return of the herd of wild ponies to their home on Assateague by the "Saltwater Cowboys." The herd left the carnival ground corral around 11:35 a.m. and were led by members of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company and the cowboys to Pony Swim Lane and down to the water where a cheering crowd awaited their arrival in the marshes. The ponies hit the water at about 12:02 p.m. and landed on Assateague at 12:09 p.m.
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Kristin Rizzo watched from the fire company's dock with tears in her eyes. The best part of the week's festivities, for her, was watching the ponies return to their home on the barrier island.
"It's my first swim. It's just emotional to me," said Rizzo.
Diane McCann lingered in the marsh after the ponies had crossed to Assateague, marveling over the raw power of the herd. It was her first Pony Penning, too.
"What they do here on this island is an incredibly wonderful, wonderful thing," she said.
"It makes you feel good seeing all these wild animals that are allowed to run free and be free and be exactly who they are, exactly what God made them to be. Nothing more, nothing less," said McCann. "The whole trip has been very fruitful."
