Wild ponies on Assateague Island will splash into the water to make the annual swim to Chincoteague on Wednesday.
It's the 91st year of the roundup of wild ponies, which are led by a team called the Saltwater Cowboys for the brief morning swim across the Assateague Channel to Chincoteague Island. The swim was made famous by Marguerite Henry's 1947 children's book "Misty of Chincoteague," which was later made into a movie.
The tradition began in 1925 as a fundraiser for the volunteer fire company. After experiencing a series of fires, and the town of Chincoteague let the fire company host a carnival and auctioned 15 ponies to raise funds.
The swim takes place at "slack tide," Wednesday, when there is no current. Slack tide varies each year, but is generally between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Those planning to watch the swim should go to the Chincoteague Combined School at 4586 Main St. Chincoteague Island to catch the free shuttle. The ponies swim to just south of Memorial Park on the east side of Chincoteague Island.
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