New Bill Makes Chincoteague Wild Ponies the Official VA Horse
The Chincoteague ponies are a beloved piece of local Virginian lore, but are they good enough to be an official symbol?
Bonnie U. Gruenberg, CC BY-SA 3.0
The wild ponies of Chincoteague Island, soon to become an official symbol of the state of Virginia.
No matter who you ask, almost any native Virginian would be able to tell you about the wild ponies of Chincoteague Island. Whether they tell the story of the Spanish shipwreck or the pirates who abandoned their loyal steeds, the horses of Assateague are a well-known bit of local lore. Now, these beloved creatures might not only be a cultural symbol of Virginia’s history, but quite possibly an official one as well.
Recently, a bill was introduced to the Senate by Delegate Robert Bloxom (R) and Senator Lynwood Lewis (D) with the idea to give the Chincoteague ponies their recognition and make them the official state horse, maybe the first time Republicans and Democrats have agreed on anything. According to the Chesapeake Bay Magazine, if the bill is passed, the pony would join the cardinal, brook trout, and foxhound as Virginian fauna symbols.
Besides representing the state, the official recognition of these horses would also raise awareness for conservation needs and sanctuaries. In 1989, the Corolla Wild Horse Fund was founded to create a safe haven for the horses to graze with the rise of traffic and highways. There is also an annual horse swim and auction to help raise money for the island’s fire department and environmental conservation.
However, despite this tradition going back nearly a century, beginning in 1925, it wasn’t until 1994 that the horses were officially recognized as a breed.
The movement to officialize the ponies of Chincoteague as a state symbol began with Chincoteague firefighter Hunter Leonard, who learned about North Carolina’s Corolla beach horses and how they were the official horse of the state. Leonard gained traction with his fondness towards the ponies, and even reached the Executive Director of the Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce, Evelyn Shotwell, who quoted in the CBM: “Last fall, I mentioned to Senator Lewis at his Town Hall meeting here in Chincoteague that the
Commonwealth of VA needed a state equine—most states have a state flower, tree, bird … Since the Chincoteague ponies are so famous already, it only makes sense to name them the state pony.” She then referenced the Senator and Delegate that had also shared the affections: “Senator Lewis and Delegate Bloxom are now making our dream come true.”
Lewis and Bloxom introduced the pair of bills in late January 2023, and according to Fox News, during discussion about the bills, Delegate Tony Wilt (R) asked if a person wanted to vote against the measure, would the response be “neigh?” Other jokes were tossed around the room until Delegate William C. Wampler III (R) stated his belief that the state pony should fall to the horses of the mountainous Grayson County. When asked if anyone agreed with him, the room fell silent.
On Tuesday, February 7th, the delegates of the House of Representatives voted on the bill, legalizing the efforts of recognizing the Chincoteague ponies with a whopping vote of 93-7, the former in favor.
“Chincoteague is the town the ponies built, it’s like Babe Ruth and the Yankees to New York. We don’t exist here without the ponies,” says Hunter Leonard, “they’re as much a piece of the island as the oysters, the beach or anything else here.”
