‘Check this off my bucket list.’ Rain, mud no match for Chincoteague Pony Swim crowd
Meg Ryan
A rainy forecast didn't stop the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company's 93rd annual pony swim.
Attendees waded through the muddy marsh amidst intermittent rain storms to catch a glimpse of the foals swimming ashore. The crowd cheered them on as the ponies made their way across the Assateague Channel, earning a rest filled with plenty of grazing time afterward.
The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company puts on the annual pony swim, the big highlight of Pony Penning week. Wild ponies swim across the Assateague Channel to touch down on Chincoteague Island with the help of the Saltwater Cowboys.
Full Pony Swim coverage
- What people are saying, sharing from this year's pony swim
- Live: Chincoteague Pony Swim and Auction
- How Chincoteague Pony Swim and Penning came about
"It's been my dream since I was a kid," said Nancy Edwards of Altavista, Virginia.
Edwards brought her daughter and grandson to witness the swim. She said her children surprised her with the trip to Chincoteague as a Christmas gift.
The rainy weather didn't stop Edwards and her family who knew it was a lifelong dream come true.
"Check this off my bucket list," she said.
The Pony Swim can only occur during slack tide, when there is no current to allow for an easy swim. This year, slack tide was scheduled for anywhere between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. The flare signaled at 8:17 a.m. for the swim to begin.
About 120 ponies participated in the swim, said Denise Bowden, spokeswoman for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.
She added it takes 4-5 minutes for the ponies to make it over.
Attendees can buy $1 raffle tickets for the chance to win the first pony to hit the shore, crowned King or Queen Neptune. The winner is announced Wednesday at the Carnival Grounds.
The crowd became anxious for the ponies to land on the marsh as they made their way across the channel.
"This is what you've been waiting for," Bowden said to the crowd as the foals got closer.
The entire swim was finished when the last pony hit the marsh at 8:42 a.m. after going a bit astray from the group.
Adrienne Arnold of Hanover, Pennsylvania, said she and her husband were vacationing in Ocean City when they decided to make a trip down to Chincoteague for the swim. The couple have never been to the island, but knew about the ponies and wanted to see it first hand.
"Thought it would be something to do," Arnold said.
Following the morning swim, the Saltwater Cowboys corralled the ponies for a parade which finished on Main Street at the Carnival Grounds. The ponies will stay until the auction Thursday, July 26, starting at 8 a.m. Some ponies will head home with buyers, but others will head back into the wild Friday, during the swim back.
As the crowd got ready for the parade, families and friends began wading their way out of the muddy marsh under a cloudy sky with a little bit of sunshine peeking through.
Lori Moss of Millsboro said this was her second year attending the pony swim with a friend. The two weren't afraid of a little mud and came out of the marsh following the swim.
Moss said the two find it to be more adventurous that way, and this year got a better view of the foals swimming. And the second time around Moss said the swim was even better than last year.
"It was worth the mud," She said.
More on Pony Penning
Video:How Chincoteague Pony Swim and Penning came about
More:Chincoteague artist Kevin McBride creates 35th Pony Penning poster
More:Chincoteague pony dreams will come true for 2 young horse lovers
More from Chincoteague
Maui Jack's Waterpark opens in Chincoteague to 'fantastic' response
Chincoteague police do whatever it takes for lip sync battle video
Coffee and cake: Java House opens on Chincoteague Island
Backyard Firepit opens on Chincoteague, offers homemade smoked meats