The Feather Fund

Many of us are acquainted with the wonderful Marguerite Henry books, including Misty of Chincoteague, about the yearly round up of ponies from Assateague Island. And I imagine many of you dreamed of owning a pony like Misty at one point in your lives.

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I'd like to introduce you to The Feather Fund, an organization that makes such dreams possible for deserving young girls and boys that might not otherwise be able to afford one.

Pony-penning still takes place each year, with the herds being rounded up and swam across the channel by a group of volunteer firemen/cowboys. The resulting auction of the foals serves two purposes, to keep the herds at a reasonable number and to finance the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department. The Chincoteague ponies are now so popular, and the auction has become so famous that prices often rise into the thousands of dollars for each foal, more than even a hardworking youngster could save on her own.





Enter The Feather Fund - a charitable organization whose fundraising activities help a child or youngster with the cost of acquiring a pony. Formed to carry on the work of Carollynn Suplee, whose original good deed started the whole process in 1995, each year a committee helps several children bid on, and obtain a colt or filly of their dreams.

Carrie Olson and Chincoteague Sweetie

What a wonderful idea! Because the responsibility of owning and caring for a horse or pony is good for the soul and character of any young human, agreed? To learn more about The Feather Fund or the round-up of Chincoteague Ponies, here are some sites to visit:

The Feather Fund http://featherfund.org/

Official Pony Penning page and Auction info http://www.chincoteaguechamber.com/pony-events/ev-pony.html

History of the Chincoteague Pony Swim http://www.chincoteague.com/pony/ponies.html

How many of you grew up with Marguerite Henry's books, or dreamed of owning a Chincoteague pony of your own?