The wild ponies of Chincoteague
This year marked the 88th annual Pony Swim and auction. The auction of ponies helps to control the size of the wild horse herd on Assateague, and is also a fundraiser for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which cares for the herd.
Ponies that are not sold will be brought back to the national wildlife refuge on Assateague for another year. Those horses that are purchased and then donated back to the fire department will be allowed to roam the refuge for the rest of their lives.
Visitors from around the world come to watch the annual crossing, a tradition made famous by Marguerite Henry's 1947 novel, "Misty of Chincoteague."
