Thousands watch Chincoteague wild ponies complete 99th annual swim in Virginia

CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. (AP) — Thousands of people gathered in Virginia to watch the Chincoteague wild ponies make their annual swim across the Assateague Channel, the 99th year of the tradition. The ponies made the short swim across the channel Wednesday as the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Foal No. 6 was crowned “Queen Neptune,” the title given each year to the first to complete the swim, according to WAVY-TV. The horses were made famous in the 1947 classic children’s novel “Misty of Chincoteague” by author Marguerite Henry. The tradition began in 1925 as a way to raise money for Chincoteague’s volunteer fire company.