It’s pronounced shing-kuh-teeg, and it’s the name indigenous people gave to the small barrier island off the coast of Virginia many years before European settlers arrived. Just seven miles long and a mile-and-a-half wide, Chincoteague is protected from the Atlantic by the much larger Assateague Island, which stretches nearly fifty miles up the coast. Many of my award-winning books, including Seeds of Evidence and some of my SAR books, are set there. Why?
I fell in love with Chincoteague in 1961 when my grandparents retired there, to a house they’d bought at auction. It had no indoor plumbing, no central heat, and had been neglected for quite some time. My grandparents soon set to work renovating it.
Back then Chincoteague was a fishing village with, oh by the way, wild ponies. Remember the children’s book, Misty of Chincoteague? That’s the place. As a kid, I loved the salt air, the beach, the water, fishing, crabbing, the sound of laughing gulls, and, of course, the ponies, although the outhouse at my grandparents’ was a bit of an adventure!
July is an important month on Chincoteague. The “Saltwater Cowboys,” local members and friends of the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department, round up the wild ponies on Assateague, where they live most of the year, and swim them across a narrow channel to Chincoteague. (Pregnant mares, babies, and infirm horses get a ride.) After a rest, they parade through town. The next day, the foals are auctioned off to keep the herd population at about 150.
Pony Penning is a beloved, family-friendly tradition that’s been around in some form for centuries. For many years Jon and Jane Richstein, owners of Sundial Books on Main Street, have graciously hosted book signings for me and other authors during Pony Swim Week. As I talk to book browsers, I love hearing their impressions of my favorite place. People talk about the ponies, the clean, natural beach, the village shops, fishing, crabbing, and the “hometown” feel. Toss in great seafood, ice cream, and coffee and it’s a great place to vacation.
I still visit the island frequently, enjoying the beach, the birds, and the ponies with my children and grandchildren. You can learn more at www.chincoteaguechamber.com and view lots of pony pictures on DSC Photography’s Facebook page, or their website, www.dscphotography.net.