Current:Home > reviewsThousands watch Chincoteague wild ponies complete 99th annual swim in Virginia -MacroWatch
Thousands watch Chincoteague wild ponies complete 99th annual swim in Virginia
View
Date:2025-04-16 21:05:57
CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. (AP) — Thousands of people gathered in Virginia to watch the Chincoteague wild ponies make their annual swim across the Assateague Channel, the 99th year of the popular tradition.
The ponies made the short swim across the channel Wednesday as the crowd erupted in cheers. Foal No. 6 was crowned “Queen Neptune,” the title given each year to the first to complete the swim, according to WAVY-TV.
The horses were made famous in the 1947 classic children’s novel “Misty of Chincoteague” by author Marguerite Henry.
“Saltwater Cowboys” on horseback round up the ponies, who then swim the channel and come ashore on the east side of Chincoteague Island. The event hosted by the Chincoteague Fire Department includes an auction of some of the foals are sold to help control the size of the herd and help maintain a healthy pony population on Assateague, where the ponies live most of the year. The auction is also the biggest annual fundraiser for the fire department, which manages the wild pony herd.
The tradition began in 1925 as a way to raise money for Chincoteague’s volunteer fire company. Interest in the pony swim grew and visitors began coming from across the country for the annual event. “Misty of Chincoteague” made the event famous around the world.
veryGood! (8446)
Related
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Alaska Airlines grounds flights at Seattle briefly due to tech outage
- The Path to Financial Freedom for Hedge Fund Managers: An Exclusive Interview with Theron Vale, Co-Founder of Peak Hedge Strategies
- Search underway for suspects in Alabama mass shooting that killed 4 and injured 17
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- Caitlin Clark makes playoff debut: How to watch Fever vs. Sun on Sunday
- Josh Gad opens up about anxiety, 'Frozen' and new children's book 'PictureFace Lizzy'
- Jerry Jones after Ravens run over Cowboys: 'We couldn't afford Derrick Henry'
- New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
- How many points did Caitlin Clark score in WNBA playoff debut with Indiana Fever?
Ranking
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Josh Heupel shows Oklahoma football what it's missing as Tennessee smashes Sooners
- One more curtain call? Mets' Pete Alonso hopes this isn't a farewell to Queens
- Breaking Through in the Crypto Market: How COINFEEAI Stands Out in a Competitive Landscape
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Lady Gaga Details Her Harley Quinn Transformation for Joker: Folie à Deux
- Tia Mowry talks about relationship with her twin Tamera in new docuseries
- Unique Advantages of NAS Community — Unlock Your Path to Wealth
Recommendation
The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
DeVonta Smith injury: Eagles WR takes brutal hit vs. Saints, leads to concussion
Milton Reese: Stock options notes 1
Boy abducted from Oakland park in 1951 reportedly found 70 years later living on East Coast
The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
Review: It's way too much fun to watch Kathy Bates in CBS' 'Matlock' reboot
'I like when the deals are spread out': Why holiday shoppers are starting early this year
New York's sidewalk fish pond is still going strong. Never heard of it? What to know.