The Brightside: Chincoteague’s Wild Ponies Keep Island Tradition Alive
CHINCOTEAGUE ISLAND, Va. — The Chincoteague wild ponies are a major attraction, but for locals, they’re also a key part of the island’s history. That’s the focus of the newest edition of Brightside, sponsored by Choptank Electric Cooperative.
On Chincoteague, the wild ponies are much more than a tourist attraction. They’re living history and a source of local pride.
Associate Assistant Director Cindy Faith said, “What a big deal it has made to this island. I will start off by saying the Beebe family were so devoted after this story to keep some resemblance of this ranch saved for future generations. It was not always easy for them.”
Between financial struggles and storms of the century, author Marguerite Henry told the story of some of Chincoteague’s most important traditions across four books, including the firemen’s carnival, Pony Penning, the Beebe Ranch and the legendary Misty.
Faith said, “I don’t think there’s any way to calculate, really, how it has impacted the island as far as visitation and interest and just people in general knowing about Chincoteague. It made a very big difference.”
Those books have stood the test of time, as people from around the world come to see the fifth- and sixth-generation descendants of Misty — Angel and Drizzle.
Faith said, “Angel is the matriarch of the whole group here. She’s 23, so she’s set in her ways, and she definitely is the mama bear here on the property. Drizzle is, I’m going to say, a little bit of a superstar mentality.”
Faith said that 60 years ago, the Beebe family often had run-ins with people eager to see the ponies.
“They would get up in the morning, crack of dawn, to get started, and there would be people setting up tents out here, just so excited to be a part of the Beebe story and be close to the ponies. So Ralph Beebe decided, ‘What can I do? I’ve got to post signs in the yard that say, “No tents,”‘” Faith said.
The excitement surrounding the wild ponies is enough to bring people to Chincoteague, but when visitors arrive, it’s also a chance to experience the island’s history.
“In this world where everything is so fast-paced and moving and there’s anxiety and you’re racing to the next ride or whatever, this is not that kind of place. This is a place to come back to and kind of relax and enjoy the wildlife and each other and have just a magical experience. It’s very hard not to feel it. It’s magical,” Faith said.
