Chincoteague Pony History has moved!

Hi folks! I've created a fancy new website for this project. You can find many more articles and blog posts here: Chincoteague Pony History.

I will no longer update this blog and will be focusing on the website!

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Surfer Dude: The Pony, the Myth, the Legend

For well over a hundred years, people have argued over the true origins of the Chincoteague ponies, so it's appropriate that the origins of the most famous wild pony are not completely known. The wild Chincoteague pony stallion Surfer Dude captured the hearts of thousands with his distinctive looks: his deep chocolate-brown coloring, his blonde mane, his partial blue eye, and the spot of gray below his '92 hip brand. Surfer Dude in 2010. Photo by Sarah Boudreau. Surfer Dude was born in 1992. The CVFC started freezebranding with the year of the pony's birth in 1991, which allowed for easier recognition and record-keeping. Two years after Surfer Dude was born, the Chincoteague Pony Association was formed. The CPA was organized by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department, and it was the primary pony registry for many years, keeping track of which foals were born to which parents. It is difficult to verify information on many of the ponies born before the CPA, because ...

The Half Arabians of Assateague: Stanley White, Grandeur Arabians, and Premierre

Arabian stallions have been introduced into the herd several times—like Al Marah Sunny Jim, who lived on Assateague in the 70s, and Skowreym, an endurance racer who was leased to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department for two years in the 60s. Plenty of other stallions and their donors have been erased by time, but Stanley White’s contributions have left a very clear mark upon the breed. Stanley White got his start with Chincoteagues at a young age, as he grew up attending Pony Penning. In fact, his first horse was a Chincoteague: when he was seven, his foster father brought him a black mare named Doll Baby and told him that if he could ride her, he could keep her. White grew up to work for Al-Marah Arabian Horses, then he moved on to Lancer Arabians in Ocala. Eventually, he started his own operation, Grandeur Arabians, in Citra, Florida. It was a family affair on the 200-acre farm, as his children were heavily involved in training and showing. Though he built his career on th...

FAQ: Wild Chincoteague Ponies and Pony Penning

It’s almost Pony Penning week! If you’re bound for Chincoteague for the first time, or simply want to brush up on your wild pony facts, this is the blog post for you. This blog covers the history of the Chincoteague pony, but today, we're going to talk about the present. Since newcomers to Pony Penning tend to have a lot of questions, I’ve put together a FAQ about the ponies and Pony Penning at large. Full disclaimer, I’m not associated with the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department and I'm not speaking in any official capacity–I’m just a pony nerd who’s attended every Pony Penning since 2004 and has heard a lot of the same questions asked around the corrals. Who owns the wild ponies? The wild Chincoteague ponies are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department (CVFC), who have a permit from the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge to keep ponies on Assateague Island. The wild foals are auctioned to benefit the CVFC. The auction provides the money for firefigh...

Chincoteague Pony Breed History

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