2025 SESSION

INTRODUCED

25106886D

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 361

Offered February 11, 2025

Commending the Chincoteague Island Pony Swim.

—————

Patrons—DeSteph; Delegate: Bloxom

—————

WHEREAS, the Chincoteague Island Pony Swim, a beloved local tradition in Accomack County, has delighted visitors from across the United States and around the world for 100 years; and

WHEREAS, the Chincoteague Pony, the official pony of the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a breed of feral or semi-feral pony that lives within the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia; and

WHEREAS, the Chincoteague Island Pony Swim, also known as the Pony Penning or Pony Penning Days, is a yearly event that dates back to the 1880s and features Chincoteague Ponies swimming across the Assateague Channel during a slack tide; and

WHEREAS, the Chincoteague Island Pony Swim is hosted by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company and typically takes place on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July, with other events, including the Chincoteague Fireman's Carnival, occurring throughout the week; and

WHEREAS, the Chincoteague Island Pony Swim consists of the pony swim on Wednesday, during which time the Saltwater Cowboys of Chincoteague round up feral ponies from Assateague Island, Virginia, and herd them across the channel into pens on the Chincoteague Carnival Grounds; and

WHEREAS, on Thursday, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company hosts an auction of the foals and the event concludes on Friday when the remaining ponies swim back across the Assateague Channel; and

WHEREAS, over the course of its history, the Chincoteague Island Pony Swim has welcomed countless guests from around the world, boosting the region's tourism economy and maintaining a strong link to the Commonwealth's heritage; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Chincoteague Island Pony Swim on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Chincoteague Island Pony Swim as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the longevity and ongoing success of this unique event.