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The Chincoteague Pony Centre on Chincoteague Island showcases the Chincoteague Pony. It's located on Chicken City Road between Maddox Boulevard and Church Street. The Centre was started in 2000 by Richard and Carolyn Conklin. After the Chincoteague Miniature Pony Farm had closed they realized there was no longer a place that showed off the talents of Chincoteague Ponies.
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Richard Conklin at Misty II's grave
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The Pony Centre was made up of a large building that contained a lavish gift shop at the front and a museum and working stable at that back. The gift shop offered many treasures for tourists that included clothing, souvenirs, a huge selection of Breyer model horses, photography prints, and local goods. The museum hosted memorabilia from the Misty movie, display cases of the complete collection of Marguerite Henry’s literary works and Breyer models of Misty and other characters from Marguerite Henry’s books, an impressive display of vintage carriages, and a tiny theater that played a short documentary about Chincoteague Island.
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The stable part of the Pony Centre was comprised of five stalls, a tack room, a feed room, and a small riding ring. Visitors could participate in riding lessons on actual Chincoteague Ponies. Lessons were available for brand new beginners as well as seasoned riders, all taught by certified riding instructors. Pony rides on Chincoteague Ponies were available for young children in an outside paddock. Pony camps were also offered for children who were enjoying a lengthy stay on the island with their families. Many of the ponies to ride and interact with were Misty descendants.
Misty II in her Pony Centre stall
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Misty's Desert Sun giving a pony ride. The Eastern Shore Post.
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The Pony Centre held a renown nightly pony show Monday through Saturday. The show was hosted by Kendy Allen and began with a performance by the Chincoteague Pony Drill Team. This was followed by showcasing different Chincoteague Ponies. First were “Veterans of the Swim”, which were Chincoteague ponies that had made the famous pony swim and were sold at auction. Then came the Misty family ponies and would often showcase a new Misty foal and its mother. After that, the riders of the show would often participate in mounted games with audience involvement. This included “Diving for Dollars”, “Musical Mounting”, and the “Extreme Cowboy Race”. At the end of each show, the riders and ponies held meet and greets with the audience. Visit our Youtube channel to see many performances at the Pony Centre.
Kendy Allen in the Pony Centre ring
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Misty's Heat Wave in the Extreme Pony Race. Photo courtesy of Barbara Livingston.
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From 2000 to 2017, most of the Centre's ponies were from the herd of Kendy Allen. The official pony of the Pony Centre was Chincoteague Teaguer, a 1998 swim veteran. A cartoon Teaguer adorns the front of the building and was on the logo. The Painting Pony named Chincoteague Minnow showcased his talents during the pony show for several years during Pony Penning week. Misty's last grandfoal, Misty II, spent her last summer at the Centre and is buried on the property. The Pony Centre also offered training for foals purchased from the auction, and those foals could sometimes take part in the show as part of their training which was very successful.
Chincoteague Teaguer
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Chincoteague Minnow
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Foals at the Pony Centre
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The Pony Centre was sold after the Conklins decided to retire and has been open since 2018 under various management groups. Visit the Facebook page to see what the The Chincoteague Pony Centre currently offers.
Click on the photo for media about the Chincoteague Pony Centre
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Click on the photo to see pictures from the Chincoteague Pony Centre
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