The Annual Chincoteague Pony Penning and Foal Auction - 2020 Version - Part One

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company decided to try to prevent the spread of this viral infection by cancelling all annual Pony Penning events on Assateague and Chincoteague.  However, as the town of Chincoteague does not have a fire tax, the CVFC receives its income from donations, sales, promoted events (like Pony Penning and food events), the Fireman's Carnival and a large amount comes from the annual sale of the foals at the Pony Penning Auction.  Normally, this year's auction would have taken place on Thursday, 30 July, beginning at 8 am on the Carnival Grounds between Main and Willow Streets.  This year, the Auction will be a "virtual, on-line" auction, that will be run by the usual auctioneering company used by the CVFC.

The 2019 Pony Penning Auction, with foal 19 being bid on

   To see a lot of photos of the foals born so far - 72 of them - I suggest visiting the website of DSC Photography.  Darcie and Steve Cole of Greenbackville hike, boat, and kayak Assateague Island almost every day during foaling season.  Photos of all foals born this year can be viewed at:  https://www.dscphotography.net/2020/2020-Foals   

  Three foals are NOT available for sale.  Foal 13 was offered by the CVFC to a family as a replacement for their BuyBack filly who was lost to equine pythiosis ("swamp cancer") less than a year after her purchase; the family accepted this filly.  Foal 15 was lost due to a catastrophic accident; she was found badly injured and could not be saved.  Foal 23 was born prematurely and had medical problems; a family too k her in and bottle-fed her.  She has been adopted by that family, as she will continue to need medical care for some time.

   If you'd like to purchase a foal via the on-line auction, or watch the bidding, or just look at how the whole virtual auction is set up, go to:  https://internethorseauctions.com/auction.php?aucid=383

   As of this day, 72 foals have been born.  The Auction lists 69 lots for sale.  

  There are 10 BuyBack fillies included in this year's auction.  BuyBacks usually bring  the highest prices in the auction.  You ask:"What is a BuyBack pony?"  

 First:  The CVFC owns the pony herds outright.  They have a contract with the US government Fish & Wildlife Service allowing them to keep up to 150 ponies on the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on the Virginia end of Assateague Island.  The contract calls for an annual payment for grazing rights for the CVFC, and it also stipulates that an equine veterinarian be on-call 24 hours of every day in every year to care for any ponies who are ill or injured.  There is a Pony Committee made up of CVFC members who make visual checks on the ponies nearly every day throughout the year.

  BuyBacks - A BuyBack pony is one that has been chosen by the Pony Committee as breeding stock to continue to replenish the herd in its normal life and breeding cycle.  Unfortunately, ponies do die every year due to natural causes (old age or heart attacks), accidents (lightning strikes or fights or nasty kicks or even falling trees), birthing problems, and occasionally quick sand/quagmires.  We have lost three mares this year - two older mares to natural causes, and a 5-year-old to a catastrophic accident.  A few of the older stallions haven't sired foals in recent years, apparently due to impotency, even though they breed their mares.  

My 2015 BuyBack, in 2015

   A BuyBack is chosen by the Pony Committee and with a recommendation by the veterinarian.  The foals chosen have good conformation, and coloring  that the CVFC desires.  Their bloodlines are also considered, so there is not an over-abundance of just a line.  

   If you choose to purchase a BuyBack, you get to name the pony anything (as long as it's not a profanity) - it can be a long or short name, and if you want to give it a "call name" or nickname instead of using a long registered name, you can do that.  Normally, you would be bale to have your photo taken at the Carnival Grounds with your BuyBack pony.  Since the auction is "virtual" this year, you don't get that option.  But you can see the pony you buy on the Carnival Grounds during the winter of its weanling year (late October through early April of 2010 and 2021 this time around).  And see your pony and it's foals every year to come throughout its normal life.

   (I believe that the purchase of a BuyBack is also a tax deduction, as you are, essentially donating money to the CVFC by giving the pony back to them...)

  If you wish to purchase a pony this year, BuyBack or take home, you must be registered with the auction company for bidding.  All bids begin at $500 this year, for each and every foal.  If you purchase a foal for yourself, to take home and train, you must have arrangements in place to pick up your foal at the designated time and place listed in the Auction.  Some of the foals that were born at later dates have the "Fall Pickup" notice attached.  This means you must have arrangements in place for a Fall Round-Up pick up in October, as the foals are too young to separate from their mothers at this time.

  Part Two of this blog will include photos and information regarding each foal...

My 2015 BuyBack with her 2020 filly