Chincoteague Ponies Now on Carnival Grounds

Slack tide occurred about 9 a.m. (EDT) this morning, and the US Coast Guard Cutter in the Assateague Channel sent up a red flare.  Seeing this, the Saltwater Cowboys of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company began to drive the combined herds of Chincoteague ponies into the Channel, to swim the 1/8 mile of water between the islands.  Taking approximately 3 minutes, all of the stallions, mares and foals that swam this year made it across safely.  After a rest on the east side of Chincoteague, near Memorial Park, the ponies were then herded down the streets of the island to the Carnival Grounds on south Main Street.  The ponies will stay in the pens at the Carnival until Friday morning, when they will swim back to Assateague. 
  Tomorrow morning, starting at 8 a.m. (EDT), the annual auction of foals will begin.  Normally, only foals born this year, and a few yearlings (late arriving foals from last year), are auctioned.  Most of the ponies go home with their new families Thursday afternoon or Friday.  A few very young foals will return to Assateague with their herds until the fall round-up, when they can be safely weaned from their mothers milk.  (Buyers of these foals will have to return in October to take their ponies home.)  Some of the ponies will be designated as "buy back" ponies - these are ponies with excellent bloodlines, confirmation, and, sometimes, unusual markings, that the Pony Committee wishes to keep as bloodstock (for breeding purposes).  If you purchase a "buy back" pony tomorrow, you can name it and have your photo taken with it, but then it is returned to roam free on Assateague ...

    Here are some photos of my favorite foals this year:

This colt is impressive from both sides:

He's from one of the northern herds.

I also like this splashy paint...

I'd take this bay with a star in a heartbeat...

This snazzy colt will probably get a lot of bidding - he'll be dark brown, almost black, with those white splashes

This little heart-breaker will a a dark-tipped tail

Any takers for a chestnut or sorrel?

Besides the nice buckskin and the chestnut paint foal, this palomino pinto is sure to draw heavy bidding, as most children (and grown-ups, too) will say that it's Misty reborn...

Rumors have it that 67 foals will be auctioned off tomorrow....