2009 Chincoteague Pony Swim Update

2009 Chincoteague Pony Swim Update

Wow, the excitement on Chincoteague Island is palpable. My friend and partner just called me from the Chincoteague Firemen’s Carnival and the inside buzz is that the Pony Swim is estimated to happen between 9am and 10am. That means that if you want to be in position to see this amazing event, you need to get there early.

The Insider’s partner Larry Warwick is nestled in his beautiful and strategically located vacation rental house complete with a pier to video the Pony Swim. Insider readers will be notified when the edited video will be up on www.ChincoteagueOutlook.com.

So far the weather looks optimal. Have a great day at the Annual Chincoteague Pony Swim!

Chincoteague Pony Swim Tomorrow

Chincoteague Pony Swim Tomorrow
by S. Serio

The following is an article the Insider wrote for an internet article bank called www.EzineArticles.com. The article serves as a good basic introduction to the premier annual event on Chincoteague Island. The Insider has said it before and I’ll now say it again, “every family should experience the Chincoteague Pony Swim at least once in a lifetime.” The Pony Swim, pony penning and pony auction together will form a memory that never fades. It’s that amazing!

If you go to Chincoteague Island during the last week of July, you're probably there for the Pony Penning and Auction, like approximately 50,000 other visitors. You'll be in for an exciting time, but what you won't see is the sort of round-up which takes place on Federal grazing lands in the Western United States. There'll be no helicopters herding exhausted mustangs into waiting trucks from far above.

The 150 ponies of the Chincoteague Island herd are such old hands at being rounded up (they are gathered twice a year for veterinary checkups) that on the Wednesday of the annual four hundred yard Chincoteague Pony Swim from Assateague Island to the Firemen's Carnival grounds, most of them take the exercise "in stride."

The Chincoteague Island Pony Swim has been taking place since 1925, when the first was held to raise funds for the Chincoteague Island Fire Department. Two disastrous fires in the preceding five years had destroyed much of Chincoteague Island's business district, and the Fire Department desperately needed better equipment. They held a Firemen's Carnival that July, featuring the first Pony Swim and Auction. Fifteen pony foals were sold.

Word of the Pony Swim soon reached Virginia's Eastern Shore, and by 1947, when Marguerite Henry published her classic children's book Misty of Chincoteague, the Fire Department had taken ownership of the wild Chincoteague ponies at the southern end of Assateague Island. They assumed responsibility for the ponies' well-being, and still make sure that only the adults and foals strong enough to manage the Chincoteague Pony Swim are herded across the shallows each year.

One condition which can affect the Chincoteague Island mares with foals is hypocalcemia. Hypocalcemia causes mares which are nursing older foals to lose muscular control, and in hot weather the condition is aggravated. It's easily preventable, and in some years up to twelve mares have been treated for it and made the Chincoteague Island Pony Swim in perfect health.

Before every Pony Swim the herd is examined by a veterinarian so that both mares in the late stages of pregnancy and those with very young foals are trailered to the carnival grounds. The rest of the herd is rounded up by Chincoteague Island's famous Salt Water Cowboys, who must time their efforts so that the Chincoteague Pony Swim occurs when the tide is lowest.

Occasionally a foal will become separated from its mother during the Chincoteague Pony Swim, but that's a rare occurrence and any stragglers are picked up by patrolling boats. When the entire herd has made it safely to shore, the Salt Water Cowboys drive them to corrals on the Carnival grounds to be examined once more before the next day's auction.

The second leg of the Chincoteague Pony Swim occurs on Friday, when the Salt Water Cowboys herd the stallions and mares whose foals were sold back across the channel to their home on Assateague. Mares with foals too young for the auction are kept on Chincoteague until the fall. In October the Salt Water Cowboys return them to Assateague during the fall roundup when the entire herd receives pre-winter veterinary treatment.

The Chincoteague Pony Swim and Pony Penning are at the heart of life on Chincoteague Island, and those small horses carry that weight with remarkable willingness! http://chincoteagueislandvacations.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=S_Serio http://EzineArticles.com/?Chincoteague-Pony-Swim&id=2057999

Chincoteague Kicks Off the Big Week

Greetings from the Chincoteague Insider!

The Insider has been busy the past two days setting up the 22nd Annual Chincoteague Island Blueberry Festival and I can tell you it's going to be a Great One!

Once again, I'm going to enlist the support of the "always-on-top-of the-situation" Evelyn Shotwell of the Chincoteague Chamber to brief my readers on this weeks happenings. As it happens that the Insider is smack in the middle of one of those fantastic "happenings" on the beautiful Chincoteague Island and a little bit overwhelmed. So, take it away Evelyn!


From: Evelyn Shotwell
Date: 7/23/2009 4:06:43 PM
To: Evelyn Shotwell
Subject: OUT & ABOUT


Good Afternoon all,

It’s here!!!! 84th Annual Pony Penning is upon us! I hope the list of events and activities below and attached will help you steer your guests and customers to all the fun stuff we have to offer during the next week while out & about. There is something to do at every turn. Stay calm, be nice, and enjoy our visitors as they experience the wonder of the Pony Swim and Auction.



OUT & ABOUT



July 24 & 25: CARNIVAL—7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Food, rides, games, raffles…….

July 27-August 1: CARNIVAL



July 23: CCA Summer Cinema Series—“Step Into Liquid” --9 pm at the Robert Reed Waterfront Park. Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy a fun evening with family, friends and visitors.



July 24-26: 22nd Annual Chincoteague Island Blueberry Festival at the Chincoteague Center. Call 757-824-3868 for more information. Go to www.chincoteagueblueberryfestival.com for coupons.



July 24: Story by the Sea—1 pm—Meet at Toms Cove Visitor Center on front deck for a story and craft about an animal that calls Assateague home.



July 25: Experience the Lost Village of Assateague Island with Matt Heim—Visit the Assateague Lighthouse from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm, then meet at the Herbert H. Bateman Center auditorium for the presentation at 7:00 pm. Refreshments provided by the Oyster & Maritime Museum.



July 25 & 28: Farmer’s Market behind Don’s Seafood Restaurant



July 26: Dinner & A Cruise—Delmarva Discovery Center—Enjoy a true summertime crab feast aboard the Bay Queen cruising along the Pocomoke River. Call 410-957-9933 or email events@delmarvadiscoverycenter.org for more information or to purchase tickets.



July 28: Local musician Bill Troxler in concert at Sundial Books—6 pm-8 pm--Free concert of standard, contemporary and original tunes on hammered dulcimer.



July 28:Hospice Grief Support Program—Hospice Resource Center 6309 Church St.—1:30 pm to 3:00 pm



July 29: ANNUAL PONY SWIM—ESTIMATED TIME FROM THE FIRE COMPANY---AROUND 9:00 AM Carnival opens immediately after swim.



July 29: Chincoteague Island Library hosts Chico the mind-Reading Monkey and Princess the Magic Bunny at 7 pm. Join the free show at the Robert Reed Waterfront Park.



July 30: ANNUAL PONY AUCTION—8 am at Carnival Grounds

Carnival Opens immediately after auction.



July 31: PONIES SWIM BACK TO ASSATEAGUE—Time to be announced Wednesday or Thursday at the carnival grounds



August 1: Chincoteague Island Family Benefit Sunset Cruise aboard Tortuga—Call 757-894-3616 or 757-336-1884 for more info.





*SPECIAL PONY PENNING WEEK DOINGS: SEE THE BEACON FOR MORE

Pony Penning Art by Jan Eichfield, Mark Z, and Joyce Umphlett Reed at Threadgoodes 4211 Main St.

Meet the authors of local books at Sundial Books 4071-4073 Main St.

Book signings at Oyster Museum at 7125 Maddox Blvd. Call 757-336-6117 for times.

Artist Chris Holmes will be at Island Butterfly at 4107 Main St. to sign his latest releases

July 28-31. Call 757-336-6990 for times.

Book Signings and live music at Kite Koop Book Store Pony Penning Week

Equine Extremist Tommie Turvey, professional stuntman and horse trainer, to appear

at Beebe Ranch (3062 Ridge Rd.) on July 28-30.



*ASSATEAGUE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE TOURS: Thursday-Monday --9am to 3pm



*ISLAND HISTORY TROLLEY TOURS: Every Tuesday & Thursday at 2:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. Ticket sales and tour departures are at the Chincoteague Center, 6155 Community Drive off Deep Hole



*STORY/CRAFT HOUR AT THE ISLAND LIBRARY: Every Thursday thru August 15 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am for 4-8 year olds (except July 30, it will be held 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm).



*NASA VISITOR CENTER ACTIVITIES:

Saturdays & Sundays—“Puppets in Space”--11:00 a.m.

Sundays—“Humans in Space” – 30 minute program looks at living and working in space.

Wednesdays—“Virginia Space Flight Academy Rocket Launch”—2:30 p.m. Cancelled if raining or winds exceed 18 mph. Rain date: Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.



*PROGRAM SCHEDULE FOR ASSATEAGUE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE: Follow the links below for activities including bird and nature walks, kayaking, surf rescue demonstrations, beach campfires and night hikes. Find schedules on http://www.nps.gov/asis/upload/July%2019-25.pdf.



*CHINCOTEAGUE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ACTIVITIES—check at the Herbert H. Bateman Educational Center for a list of summer events.



*REFUGE WILDLIFE BUS TOURS: Thursday-Sunday 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Call 757-336-3696 or visit www.piping-plover.org.



*“RIDE THE PONY EXPRESS”. We have schedules in the chamber office and you will find it on www.chincoteaguechamber.com.







Evelyn

Evelyn Shotwell

Office Manager

Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce
757-336-6161

Chincoteague and Assateague Ponies Rock

Chincoteague and Assateague Ponies Rock

Chincoteague (pronounced chin-kuh-teeg) ponies come from an island off the coast of Virginia. According to legend, long ago a Spanish galleon got shipwrecked during a storm off the coast of Assateague Island. The ponies escaped and swam ashore. The truth isn't half as interesting. Colonists living in Virginia probably turned horses loose on the island. It doesn't matter how they got on the island, really. Today they are a wonderful American pony breed. They are well-known for flashy colors, lots of personality and intelligence.

The ponies on Assateague Island are actually divided into two different herds. The Virginia herd is in the south. These are the ponies known as Chincoteague ponies. The northern herd are called Assateague ponies. They are taken care of by the National Park Service.

Every year on the last Monday in July, the Saltwater Cowboys round up all the wild ponies. On Wednesday, the ponies swim across the channel for Pony Penning Day. Hundreds of people line the shores to watch the ponies swim. It takes them five to ten minutes to swim across. It is amazing that even the small foals can make the swim safely!

The wet ponies are then paraded to the carnival grounds. The ponies rest and those who will be in the auction the next day are tagged.

At the auction on Thursday, the foals are sold to people who have come from all over the country. The money raised from the auction helps the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. While it may seem sad to sell the foals, it keeps the herd on Assateague to around 150 ponies. This is an amount the island can support in good health. The foals that are sold get to go to loving homes with the lucky people who bought them.

On Friday, the older ponies are returned to Assateague for another year. The wild ponies are checked twice a year to see if they are healthy. They have their hooves trimmed, they get shots to prevent contagious diseases and they get wormed.

Pony Penning Day used to be the only place you could get a Chincoteague pony. Now there are small herds of these rare ponies being raised in other parts of the country. Now it's easier for those of us who are crazy about Chincoteague ponies to get one of our own!

Chincoteague ponies are on the large side for a pony. They can range from 12 hands to 13 hands high. A full grown pony can easily carry a person up to 150 pounds.

The most famous Chincoteague pony was Misty. She was made famous by the book "Misty of Chincoteague" by Marguerite Henry. The book was written in 1947, and remains a favorite of children everywhere. Like almost every other girl who read Misty's story, I've always wanted to go to Pony Penning Day to get a pony.

Misty even had a movie made about her in 1961. She toured schools around the world for awhile. Misty then retired back to Chincoteague to have babies of her own. Misty died on October 16, 1972. If you're lucky enough to visit Chincoteague, you can see her hoof prints in the cement in downtown Chincoteague. She has a statue honoring her as Chincoteague's most famous pony, too.

Chincoteague ponies have their own registry now, like other horse breeds. It began in 1994. It is known as the [http://www.pony-chincoteague.com/]Chincoteague Pony Association. Since Chincoteague ponies were bred by natural selection, there is quite a range of characteristics. Some ponies look more like Arabians, while others look like small Mustangs. Their heads should be expressive, with a wide forehead. Their eyes should be large and soft. Their nose should be short, and can be either dished or straight. It should end in a firm, tapered muzzle. They weigh about 750 pounds and you can find them in almost any color. Pintos are very common.

The Chincoteague ponies are smart. They do well in horse shows. They learn quickly and are fun to ride. They can be a wonderful breed to add to your stable.

Sydney Rose is a nine-year old girl who is crazy about ponies and horses. Together with her mom, she has created [http://www.HorseCrazyGirls.com]http://www.HorseCrazyGirls.com, a fun and safe place for girls to find online horse games and printables, learn about their favorite horse breeds discuss their favorite horse books and lots more. She is hoping to get a pony or horse for her tenth birthday.

Ducks Among Us

Ducks Among Us

Today the Insider was delivering some Program Guides for the Chincoteague Blueberry Festival to one of the family operated Cabin Rental businesses here on Chincoteague when all of a sudden the owner said, "look out, I have to herd these geese." Well, sure enough right down the middle of his entranceway drive came a couple of hundred large geese. He jumped right in front of them and lead them to the pond at the other end of his property. These geese had to cross a very busy street before they got to his property. I shouted to the owner,"are these your's?" He said, ""no they belong to all of us"! I thought, wow, that is so Chincoteague! We live with the natural world more than any place I have ever lived. Before it was chic, before Government mandates... we do it by nature.



The ducks and other waterfowl of Chincoteague are honored with their own annual celebration in late November, during National Waterfowl Week. The celebration actually continues for 9 days, beginning the Saturday before Thanksgiving and ending on the Sunday following it.

Top billing for National Waterfowl Week belongs to the thousands of snow geese who stop in to rest on their journey to their winter feeding grounds along the Gulf of Mexico. The Wildlife Refuge, in fact, was established in 1943 primarily to provide the snow geese with a pit stop. It was originally paid for, however, by proceeds from the sale of Duck Stamps!

The snow geese are joined in their migrations by many species of ducks, including Goldeneyes, Mergansers, Northern Shovelers, Green-winged Teals, and Ring-Necks. The prime waterfowl-viewing real estate in the Wildlife Refuge is along the lagoon-encircling half-mile Wildlife Loop. Bring along your camera, and time your visit to include sunset for some once-in-a.-lifetime photographic opportunities!

Chincoteague has its ducks even during the winter. The distinctive “Ow, ow, owal-ow” call of male long-tailed ducks often sounds in the shoals off Chincoteague’s coast, as large flocks of these very social birds spend hours happily diving for fish, clams, and crabs.

If you were a wild duck, the fresh seafood alone would make it worth your while to visit Chincoteague Island each year!

And Remember, on Chincoteague we stop for Ducks!

A Little Help From a Friend

Greetings from Chincoteague Island!

Once again, Evelyn Shotwell of the Chincoteague Chamber has assembled the Ultimate Chincoteague Island Weekend 'to do' list. It's so "spot on" I have decided to enlist her help for the Chincoteague Insider Post When you visit Chincoteague, please be sure to stop by the Chincoteague Chamber and say Hello!





From: Evelyn Shotwell
Date: 7/16/2009 3:35:10 PM
To: Evelyn Shotwell
Subject: OUT & ABOUT




Happy Middle of July Weekend to all,

We’re gearing up now for the big week!!! Lots of phone calls and emails from folks who are making last minute preparations for the 84th Annual Pony Swim & Auction. The carnival has been a lot of fun….I hope you have taken time to enjoy it. Thank you to all the volunteer workers for providing such a wonderful source of entertainment and great food. The weather continues to be ideal and thankfully the mosquitoes are behaving themselves…at least we are not getting complaints in the chamber office. What more could you ask for in July!!!





OUT & ABOUT



July 17 & 18: CARNIVAL—7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Food, rides, games, raffles…….

July 24 & 25: CARNIVAL



July 16: LIGHTHOUSE RE-OPENS FOR TOURS—Thursday-Monday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.



July 18 & 19: FEE FREE WEEKEND to Assateague Island National Seashore. Entrance fees will be waived.



July 18 & 22: Farmer’s Market behind Don’s Seafood Restaurant.



July 20-24: Children in the Woods Day Camp. Call Michael Dixon at 757-336-6122 ext 336 to register your 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader.



July 22: Dante Bucci Concert at the Senior Center on Church St. at 8:00 p.m. Dante Bucci was born in The Netherlands and trained in voice, guitar piano but found his real love in percussion. Call 757-336-5825 or 757-336-3399 for ticket information.



July 23: CCA Summer Cinema Series continues at the Robert Reed Park with “Step Into Liquid” at 9:00 p.m. Called the best surfing documentary ever made.



July 24-26: 22nd Annual Chincoteague Island Blueberry Festival at the Chincoteague Center. Call 757-824-3868 for more information. Go to www.chincoteagueblueberryfestival.com for coupons.



*ISLAND HISTORY TROLLEY TOURS: Every Tuesday & Thursday at 2:45 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. Ticket sales and tour departures are at the Chincoteague Center, 6155 Community Drive off Deep Hole



*STORY/CRAFT HOUR AT THE ISLAND LIBRARY: Every Thursday thru August 15 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am for 4-8 year olds (except July 30, it will be held 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm).



*NASA Visitor Center Events

Saturdays & Sundays—“Puppets in Space”--11:00 a.m.

Sundays—“Humans in Space” – 30 minute program looks at living and working in space.

Wednesdays—“Virginia Space Flight Academy Rocket Launch”—2:30 p.m. Cancelled if raining or winds exceed 18 mph. Rain date: Thursdays at 2:30 p.m.



*Program Schedule for Assateague National Seashore: Follow the links below for activities including bird and nature walks, kayaking, surf rescue demonstrations, beach campfires and night hikes. Find schedules on http://www.nps.gov/asis/upload/July%2012-18.pdf .



*Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge Activities—check at the Herbert H. Bateman Educational Center for a list of summer events.



*Refuge Wildlife Bus Tours: Thursday-Sunday 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Call 757-336-3696 or

visit www.piping-plover.org.



*“RIDE THE PONY EXPRESS”. We have schedules in the chamber office and you will find it on www.chincoteaguechamber.com.





Evelyn

Evelyn Shotwell

Office Manager

Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce