CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. — Thousands have made their way to the Eastern Shore to watch Chincoteague Island’s highly-anticipated World Famous Pony Swim on Wednesday.
Watch: Drone video shows Chincoteague Island’s 99th annual pony swim
The iconic pony swim
The ponies swam from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island with help from the Saltwater Cowboys — the firemen on the Island who work in the community and take care of the ponies when they're not volunteering at the fire station.
Now that the ponies have reached Chincoteague Island, they'll parade through town. This year marks the annual tradition's 99th year.
Watch: Ponies embark on Chincoteague Island's 99th annual pony swim
Ponies who are too young or otherwise not fit are separated from the herd and didn't swim.
The adult ponies will swim back to Assateague Island on Friday where they will enjoy the wild until next year's pony swim.
The festivities don't end after Wednesday's swim: a pony auction, the Chincoteague Fireman's Carnival and more events are also happening throughout the week.
Excitement builds as organizers prepare
Crowds gathered Tuesday at a corral on Assateague Island to catch a glimpse of the wild ponies before they make their iconic swim.
News 3 caught up with onlookers who stopped in to watch, bid on foals, and even participate in the Buy Back bidding where they'll buy a pony for naming rights before the pony rejoins the herd.
Dotty Garrison, who's visited Chincoteague for the past 25 years, is part of a group that pools money for the Buy Back bidding.
"It's really exciting and then it's kinda good to know that pony goes back to the herd and lives its life out," said Garrison. "The Chincoteague cowboys and fire department take such good care of the ponies, so you know the ponies will have a great life."
Watch: Ponies in the pen before Chincoteague Island’s 99th annual pony swim
Origins of the pony swim
For 99 years, the ponies have made the swim from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July. The first official pony swim with a coinciding carnival took place in 1925, although wild horses have been swimming across the Assateague Channel since the 1800s.
The event is held each year by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company as a fundraiser to help the area's fire department and cull the herd.
News 3 has a crew at this year's Chincoteague Pony Swim. Stay with News 3 for updates.
