This is Pony Penning Week in Chincoteague. On Wednesday, the herd of ‘wild’ horses will swim across the channel from Assateague Island to Chincoteague. On Thursday, it’s the famous auction of the foals, and on Friday, the remainder of the herd swims back to the island and another year of the free life.

The question everyone asks is “Where did the ponies come from?” The romantic version is that the ponies are survivors of a shipwrecked Spanish Galleon. Most locals roll their eyes or bristle at that legend. The herd's origin is purely practical. One theory is that the herd is the result of some wily tax dodgers. When the Colonial version of the IRS showed up to check out how much property the islanders owned and would be taxed on, the Chincoteaguers moved some of their horses out to the island. Once the tax collectors left, the islanders retrieved their ponies. Inevitably, some of them wandered off and weren’t found or decided that they liked beach life and refused to be caught.

The least romantic, but most likely, story is that the early settlers turned their horses, sheep, cattle, and hogs loose on the island to graze. Once a year, the settlers rounded up all of their livestock. Apparently, it was as much a party as it was serious work. In this version, the herd formed from horses that weren't collected. There's a lot of scrub and isolated terrain on Assateague and the settlers were only willing and able to explore so much of it.

There is some validity to the Spanish Galleon story, though. John Amrheim, Jr. found a large body of evidence that there was a galleon that ran aground on Assateague in 1750. He’s pretty sure he knows where it is, but various state, federal, and international complications prevent anyone from proving it one way or the other. (The Hidden Galleon, New Maritia Press).

Even if he’s right and there were horses that survived the wreck, the ponies we now know aren’t their progeny. A few decades later, a massive hurricane swept across Delmarva. The period accounts make Andrew, Katrina, and Rita sound like summer showers. What sounds like the storm surge flowed through the streets of Berlin, which is 8 miles inland now and was further inland back then.  Damage was devastating and total. The barrier islands were completely inundated. Any ponies or any other wildlife was swept away. Assateague was pony-less until the settlers needed to hide their assets.

The pony swim is Wednesday, July 28. The ponies make the crossing sometime between 10-11AM, depending on the tide and the winds. Get to the island early to find a place on shore to watch. Boating rules are very strict. The auction is Thursday, July 29, from 8-Noon. The swim back on Friday is also in the morning. The time depends on the tides. For complete information:

http://www.chincoteaguechamber.com/pony-events/ev-pony.html