Reflections of Chincoteague and Angelique’s Tigress Warrior.
How my favorite childhood book led me on a journey to live out a dream, witness the power of community, and one woman’s healing from loss.
While likely not statistically documented, I believe most all young people go through a “horse phase.” In my youth, I certainly went through mine. I collected figurines, went to horse shows, read every available horse-themed book, and faithfully watched Mr. Ed– I even had the pleasure of owning my own pony for a few years!
One of the many books that I read was a Newbery Honor Book called Misty of Chincoteague, written by Marguerite Henry in 1947. I fell in love with this book and its sequels. As I grew older and the world grew smaller, I came to learn that this book was based on a true story: Misty was real, and her legacy was alive in Chincoteague Island, VA!
As I explored further, I discovered that the pony swim (a big moment in the book) had been an annual event since 1925. Each year, young people lived out their dream by purchasing Chincoteague pony at the auction and taking the foal home as the newest family member. While my heart certainly felt the tug at the auction with money in hand, my brain engaged and reminded me that I was not set up with a life equipped to welcome a Chincoteague pony into my every day. I COULD, however, take a journey to the annual spectacle on my bucket list. Of course, I wanted to see the ponies with my own eyes– but ultimately, learned there is a much bigger story to be told.
I’ve now made the trek twice. I’ve chartered boats at ungodly early hours to be perfectly situated in the Assateague channel and await the “slack tide.” Before sunrise, I have witnessed 150 wild, beautiful horses swim from Assateague Island to Chincoteague. These animals are celebrated by locals. For some new foals, they are swimming to a new life in a new town. Many of the horses will return to Assateague to live out their days on the island.
Each time I met other women, like me, who were reliving a sweet childhood memory vividly laid out for us through Marguerite Henry’s words. After the swim, I enjoyed the auction, the carnival, the Chincoteague Museum, the Chincoteague pony center and of course, ice cream from the Island Creamery.
While this vacationer’s view was fun and tugged at my heartstrings, I found myself intrigued by the periphery of activities and the real meaning behind the event. As a professional fundraiser, I was captivated by the actual fundraising aspect – by volunteers - and the impact this annual event has on the city's economy. I’ve seen a lot of fundraising efforts, but none quite like this one.
A century of tradition.
In the 1920s, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company needed new equipment. To raise money, they capture wild ponies and invested the profits. 2022 marked the 97th annual event and raised a record $450,200.
The Volunteer Fire Company has developed an exceptional model of fundraising: not only do they drive tourism, but they are also practicing meaningful stewardship of the Chincoteague pony herds found on Assateague Island. Today, the fire company owns the Chincoteague ponies and is proactive in managing the care and the population of this unique breed.
If you make your own visit, you may hear the sound of whips cracking. The Saltwater cowboys and cowgirls never the ponies– this is the sound of whips cracking on water. They use a method called “gentling” the ponies instead of “breaking” them. You will also be inclined to give to the fire company, which makes many dreams come true for those who ‘want to be’ pony owners!
Along the way, the fire company learned a new fundraising trick. In fundraising terms, they learned to “endow” a pony. A buyback program was established, allowing a donor to buy a foal, name it, and send it back to Assateague to live forever and replenish the herd. The gifts are used to pay for their care for the duration of their lives. These foals have become some of the best sellers. Like the foals that are purchased by private owners, they can become quite special to their buyback donors. Such as the case of the 2022 buyback, “Angelique’s Tigress Warrior.”
AngeliquE & Loree’s Story.
Angelique Detamore passed away in 2020 from breast cancer at the age of 44. A lifelong resident of Ruckersville, VA, she enjoyed living the Chincoteague Island life with her devoted mother, Loree Sole. Loree would often hike the northern Assateague Island shore, lunch among the ponies, and take pictures to show Angelique. Angelique especially admired the buckskin ponies.
As the 2022 Pony Penning Week approached, Loree created a pony buyback campaign to memorialize Angelique. Buybacks typically sell for $20,000+, so she knew this was an ambitious task. Loree created a Facebook page named “Angelique’s Buyback – a Tigress Warrior,” – a name befitting Angelique’s courage as she fought 13 bouts of cancer over a six-year period. Scores of friends joined the campaign by donating local gift cards, artwork, boat rentals, and matching gift offers. Over the course of seven months, Loree raised $15,000, which she hoped would be enough for a buyback foal.
The buyback ponies were announced. Loree was elated to learn that the only solid buckskin foal in this year’s round-up was listed as a buyback! When Loree’s research revealed that this buyback foal was born on her own mother’s birthday, she knew that this was the right pony to buy as Angelina’s buyback.
But would $15,000 be enough?
As the Thursday auction progressed, the trend showed this would be another record-breaking year. The first public event since 2019, online bidding had been added. The ponies were selling for more than ever. One buyback had already sold for a record $32,000! With decorated breast cancer logo paddles, Loree staked her spot. She anxiously waited for the buckskin foal (the daughter of Daisy and the famous Chief) to be brought into the ring, #38. The bidding began. Loree’s heart raced as she raised the paddle from one-hundred-dollar bill to the next. She met the auctioneer’s $10,000 request and nervously wondered if this foal would be another record-breaker and leave her out of the running. After all, she did not know the motives of the other bidders. The auction seemed to take forever yet flew by in a flurry of seconds. But just as her anxiety was mounting, the auctioneer asked for a $10,000+ bid one more time, two more times, three more times – SOLD to Loree Sole!
Exhilarated, Loree was overwhelmed with gratitude. Grateful for the perfect buyback opportunity to honor Angelique’s memory. Grateful that the campaign had raised $15,000 to be able to do so. Grateful that for this particular buyback foal, no one raised the bid past $10,000 – a true miracle! But the lower price was no coincidence: the Chincoteague community had become invested in Loree’s efforts. Together, they collectively understood the buckskin belonged back on Assateague where she could live out a long life – one that was denied to Angelique.
Amid an ambitious fundraiser, where every dollar was needed for worthy goals, this was a community that valued each other more than winning a coveted opportunity to be a piece of Chincoteague pony history. Loree was touched by the bidding halt that allowed her bid to buy the buckskin. She felt an immediate connection to the foal, and it was no surprise that she named the foal “Angelique’s Tigress Warrior,” or “Tigress” for short.
Healing from loss.
While Angelique is the heart of the new buyback story, Loree made this buyback in honor of the fighters, survivors, and angels of cancer. Losing a child is unbearable – but Loree has not only made a large philanthropic impact on the island, but now she has a special pony to visit on her Assateague northern shore hikes and in future pony penning events.
Loree will donate the remaining $5,000 to the Chincoteague Fire Company for Tigress’s benefit. Some people look for a red cardinal to remember their loved ones – but Loree’s angel is firmly planted in a little buckskin foal. Loree cherishes the words from a friend that Angelique’s spirit is now “roaming the shore, close to you, free and strong.”
And for me, the Chincoteague community has become more than the home of the beautiful wild ponies – it’s a place of generosity, stewardship, and love. It’s a place where philanthropy is used to do good and to be good, not only to the special Chincoteague ponies but to the wonderful people of the island who are ready to welcome us again the last week of July.
