Swimming of the Ponies

"During slack calm tide, wild horses swim across the 75-yard Assateague Channel during the 87th annual Chincoteague Island Pony Swim on July 25, 2012, in Chincoteague, Va."

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The drive was almost four hours, the hotel ranked as one of the grimiest I ever stayed and I had to be up before the sun. But it was all worth it getting the opportunity to photograph the 87th annual Chincoteague Island Pony Swim.

I made a list of Maryland related stories I wanted to document when I moved back to Maryland, and while I've got the opportunity to shoot most, the pony swim was one I missed last year.

This summer, on the last Wednesday of July, I didn't miss it.

In short, saltwater cowboys round up wild horses, and then they swim across the 75-yard Assateague Channel.

Without pecking at the keyboard longer than I need to, it was a lot of fun.

I started the day in the mud as the sun rose, trekked around in the brush and water to make features, waited patiently on the beach for the swim, had my heart race as horses kicked and bucked feet from me, and sweated as I chased them down the more than two mile walk down the street. Yet, totally worth it, and had some friends shooting the event that made it twice as exciting.

Would love to bring longer glass and possibly get on a boat if I ever shoot the event again, but until then, I can scratch this off my list.