The 89th annual Pony Swim at Chincoteague gets underway today with the Saltwater Cowboys saddling up to take the herd of around 100 across the channel from Assateague Island.
The event is expected to attract some 40-thousand visitors and the swim is set to occur sometime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The town has been preparing for weeks for an event that a number of businesses see as better than Memorial Day Weekend.
The ponies will be auctioned off tomorrow with the proceeds going to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company which owns and takes care of the ponies.
The swim was made famous by the 1947 book “Misty of Chincoteague” by Marguerite Henry which was made into a film.
