From Williamsburg without traffic back-ups its about a three hour drive to Chincoteague on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
As a child you most likely read the book by Marguerite Henry Misty of Chincoteague, or watched the movie called "Misty" which featured the Chincoteague Pony Swim and many residents of Chincoteague Island.
The book is based on a true story that tells of a young brother and sister that grew up on Chincoteague Island , VA. . They attended the pony swim event and purchased an Assateague wild pony they referred to as "Misty".
To raise enough money to buy Misty the children harvested clams, which is still a source of income for Chincoteague residents today.
Today you can join some 40,000 people who will watch the annual Chincoteague pony swim in the US, which is about to take place.
A popular and longstanding tradition in Accomack County, in Virginia, it is a key part of the strategy to manage the wild horse population on Assateague Island.
The Chincoteague Pony swim has occurred since 1925. It takes the horses only three minutes or so to swim across the channel from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island.
The event was established when Chincoteague found itself in need of fire equipment in order to protect itself.
Several devastating fires had occurred during the early 1900s, and since Chincoteague Island was isolated from the mainland with no bridges, the town needed protection.
Today, most of the proceeds go to the fire department for new equipment. The annual pony swim at Chincoteague has now become a national treasure. Many visitors as well residents of Chincoteague return to the swim year after year to take part in this island tradition.
You can read more about it here
Location Map of Chincoteague
Filed under: virginia
