Optical Soundtrack from Chicoteague Pony Film (1970s)

[Music] these are the famous wild shinka ponies made Popular by the series of children's stories called Misty of shinka and this is their home aaig Island the Chesapeake Bay separates the coast of Virginia from a narrow Peninsula called the Eastern shore on the Atlantic Ocean Side of the EAS Shore are two small Islands shinka Island and aeig Island these islands are known as Barrier Islands because they form a barrier between the mainland and the ocean atig which is a wildlife refuge is home for the ponies now the origin of the ponies is a mystery one theory is that they were washed ashore when a Spanish gallion sank off the Eastern Shore and the ponies that were able to swim ashore took up residence here on acad island the ponies are left pretty much to themselves most of the year they must weather the storms of the Atlantic coast find their own food and care for their young by themselves as wild animals have done for hundreds of years [Music] today the ponies are owned by the fire department on neighboring shaig Island once a year the ponies are rounded up and sold at auction to provide funds to help provide fire protection for the island of shinka several days before the auction firemen begin arriving on the island for the annual Roundup my name is WX BL B take Volunteer Fire Company I've been fooling with the ponies ever since about 12 13 year old this is a 59 anniversary swimming horses across the channel well we start out on a Sunday and get done by Tuesday we have our own horses and we have to go from up the beach up what it called po on work on D [Music] the drive which will take several days begins at the far end of the island near the Maryland state line and works back South toward the [Music] lighthouse as the various herds are found they are started moving south to toward the first holding area near the center of the island we got about 11 between 11 12 stud horses they're all separate in each each band they're pretty well same place you go about every year they gra they graze a certain place up the beach D the beach but we don't get that one day we go by the next day and uh pick them up when the majority of the ponies have been rounded up the drive begins to the lighthouse Corral this drive is often made along the beach through the surf few visitors see the Roundup because these areas of the island are accessible only by foot after coming through the surf for several miles the drive turns Inland toward what is called the big horse pound the lighthouse Corral is the the last stop before the annual swim to shinka TIG Island and auction at the fireman's Carnival while the Roundup continues on atig visitors begin pouring into the town of shinka on shinka island where the carnival and auction will take place the accessed road to the island crosses several miles of salt marsh the smell and the feel of Salt Air become increasingly strong as the Island Town becomes visible across the last Channel separating shink from the mainland here on shinka everything revolves around the sea the seafood industry provides most of the work for the Islanders numerous oceangoing trollers are based on the island seafood processing houses are numerous around the [Music] island Recreation provided by the water also draws many visitors and provides to sizable income for the [Music] area while shaig is a modern Community it still retains much of its past in its architecture and custom and in the ways of its people which giv shaig its character today acet island is protected by the federal government's National Park Service as a wildlife refuge and the Atlantic Beach has been designated a National Seashore administered by the department of the Interior the island affords visitors an opportunity to see wildlife and water foul in their natural [Music] setting here in the hseep near the lighthouse visitors get a good look at this year's ponies firemen make a last check of the ponies in preparation for the long awaited swim the crowd begins to gather early on the day of the pony swim most of these Spectators probably never have seen a swim however a surprising number of pony enthusiasts return year after year after the firemen release the ponies from the Corral it will still be an hour or or so until they cross the marshy area of the island and arrive at the channel the proper tide is also taken into account so as to provide maximum safety for the ponies as slack tide approaches the crowd grows on the land in the trees and on the water the time has arrived that thousands of people have waited for as the ponies are put overboard as the Islanders say a cheer goes up from the assembled throng of pony Watchers on the far side of the channel the actual swim is surprisingly short but everyone who has gotten close enough to see seems to feel it was worthwhile and doubtless many will return another year the first Pony to hit the beach is crowned king or queen Queen of the [Music] carnival after after the short rest the ponies are driven through the streets of chinka te at this point almost everything on the island seems to be moving toward the carnival grounds [Applause] [Applause] the ponies arrive to a wild [Music] welcome the rest of the day is a time to see the ponies close up and to enjoy the fireman's Carnival we have call at the information stand [Music] Shane this is truly a community effort all of the activities are run by the fire department firemen operate most of the rides [Music] Thursday morning is devoted to the auction of the ponies as the crowd gets caught up in the excitement Pony after Pony finds a new home some go to people that came to buy and others to people who never thought of owning a pony that is until now [Music] [Music] the wild pony rides are also great crowd Pleasers anyone can step out of the crowd and try a hand at taming a wild pony and for some unknown reason many do [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the food and rides continue at the carnival through the afternoon and into the evening the crowd is much smaller at the end of the week for the return swim to atig some times called the swim to [Music] Freedom back home on aigue island the ponies that were not sold begin dividing up into their individual bands as soon as they arrive on the island thus another year in the wild has begun for the wild ponies of shinka [Music]