Pony Shows Resume at the Pony Centre

Starting Saturday, June 18, the Chincoteague Pony Show starts its full summer schedule, being presented six nights a week at the Chincoteague Pony Centre.

Starting at 8 p.m., the hour-long show held in the indoor ring features both Misty family descendents and veterans of the swim showcasing the talents of the Chincoteague pony breed.

Teaguer, the official pony of the Pony Centre, is back this year, with his act of tricks wowing the audience. The pony portrays a wild pony that comes to visit a tourist who is lounging on the beach in a story set to music for the audience. Teaguer loves to act and looks forward to his nightly chance to show off.

This year new in the show is the Chincoteague Pony Drill team doing a special four pony maypole drill. Doing drill while holding on to a rope gives the team a whole new idea of concentration while trying to coordinate drill moves at the same time. It gives the drill a whole new dimension and look.
The show gives the audience a chance to meet the Chincoteague pony up close and personal as the ponies are introduced. Most of the ponies at the Pony Centre are fully gentled to ride and have show careers beyond their work at the centre.

Two of the ponies, Chincoteague Cowboy and Misty's RainDrop are competing in nationally ranked eventing competitions, where they perform doing dressage, stadium jumping, and cross country jumping. Both hope to make it to the national championships in Georgia in September. It would be the first time a Chincoteague pony has done so.

The show also features the new foals born at the Pony Centre. Right now, the Centre is graced with the first foal of Misty s Icicle, the only known Misty cremello In the world, who had a bright yellow palomino colt this spring. The two of them can be seen scampering in their paddock during the day and are part of the show at night.

And the Extreme Chincoteague Pony Race, an obstacle course that is timed, is also part of the show. Three contestants per night race around the ring, trying to show how good they and their ponies can be. Fastest time wins the event. You never know what may happen in the Pony Race.
Full season also means that pony rides, riding lessons, and pony day camps are also offered six days a week now. Rides are offered for children, with riding lessons given to anyone under 150 pounds who would like to have a chance to ride a Chincoteague pony. With qualified instructors, both English and Western lessons are offered, beginner to intermediate, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

Pony Day Camps, a favorite among the pre teen crowd, are now offered six days a week. Each morning horse care activities, learning activities, a horse related craft, and fun are packed into the camp. Each day is different and campers can sign up for any combination of days.

The Pony Centre Gift Shoppe continues to be a place loved by both the horse enthusiast and the non-horse visitor. With a wide variety to choose from, items can be found for every age and taste.

Starting Saturday, the Pony Centre will be open six days a week, from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. The center is closed on Sundays. The Pony Centre is located on Chicken City Road, one half block south of Maddox Boulevard. For more information about the Pony Centre and its activities, please visit their web site at www.chincoteague.com/ponycentre/.

Spring Brings New Foals To Assateague Island

For hundreds of years on Assateague Island the arrival of Spring has also meant the arrival of new born foals.  Its estimated that the Wild Ponies have lived on Assateague between 300 and 400 years!  The majority of the mares on the Island will have one foal each year.  With an 11 month gestational cycle, many of them are pregnant almost year around.  Today there are on average between 60 and 70 foals born on the Virginia portion of Assateague Island each year.  The first foals will begin to be born in April. Foals can be born as late in the summer as July.  In past there have even been foals born on Chincoteague, during 'Pony Penning' in late July.  The foals born in the Spring will be auctioned off during Pony Penning.

There are approximately 150 adult ponies in the herd on the Virginia side of Assateague Island.  These ponies are owned and managed by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.  The auction during Pony Penning not only provides a source of revenue for the fire company, but it also serves to trim the herd's numbers. To retain the permit to graze on the refuge, the herd must not exceed 150 horses. 

Each year the Fire Company designates a few ponies (usually between 3 to 5) as "Buy Backs". A Buy Back Pony is a foal that is designated by the Fire Company to return to Assateague Island to live out its life there. The Buy Back Pony will be auctioned with the rest of the foals. The winner of a Buy Back Pony will get to name the Pony before it is returned to Assateague. Buy Back Ponies replenish the herd on Assateague. Buy Back Ponies have actually become some of the highest priced ponies sold at the auction.