Misty of Chincoteague

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Misty of Chincoteague is the title of a 1947 children's book by American author Marguerite Henry, based on the true story of a Chincoteague Pony named Misty. Set on the coastal island of that name, the book tells the story of the Beebe family and their efforts to raise a pony born to a wild horse. The book won the Newbery Honor.

The pony on which the book was based was foaled in 1946 on Chincoteague Island, sired by Pied Piper, out of a dam called Phantom. Misty was a pinto pony whose coloration included a large patch of white on her side, shaped like the United States. Her hoof prints are in the sidewalk outside the Roxy Movie Theatre in Chincoteague. Misty died in 1972. Her body and that of her foal Stormy have been preserved via taxidermy and can be seen at the Beebes' home[1][2].

1 Legacy
2 Sequels
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Legacy

In 1961 the book was adapted as a family film called Misty, shot on location at Chincoteague and featuring many local citizens as characters. It brought national attention to the area.

The following year, a major Nor'easter winter storm, the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962, struck Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. The real Misty survived by being brought inside the Beebe family's house during the worst of the storm, then taken to a Veterinary Hospital on the mainland where she gave birth to a foal named "Stormy". Stormy was Misty's third and last foal, and was named after the devastating storm during which she was born.

Following the film and the storm, most of Assateague Island was protected from development by the National Park Service, becoming Assateague Island National Seashore in 1965.

Henry's books brought a new life to the small obscure islands off the coast of Virginia and Maryland. Thousands of people make the trip every year to see the now-famous "Pony Penning". This includes the swim across Assateague Channel and the auction, helping the community financially and maintaining the population stability of the wild herd.

The Chincoteague pony is a recognized breed; the Chincoteague Pony Association was formed in 1994 to maintain and promote it.