1973 Chestnut Pinto Mare
Great Granddaughter of Misty
Sire: Al-Marah Sunny Jim
Dam: Windy
Sunshine's Pedigree
Great Granddaughter of Misty
Sire: Al-Marah Sunny Jim
Dam: Windy
Sunshine's Pedigree
Sunshine was Windy's first foal and was born in 1973 on the Chincoteague Miniature Pony Farm. She was a half Arabian sired by Al-Marah Sunny Jim and a full sister to Cyclone. She was a carbon copy of her mother, both sweet and strong willed. It was written in her daughter's book Misty's Twilight that Sunshine loved to be groomed. Sunshine lived the first few years of her life on the Pony Farm with the other Misty family ponies. She was listed on the family tree in The Pictorial Life Story of Misty by Marguerite Henry and a color photo of Sunshine in Florida was also in the book. Her sire is unknown but we do know she and Cyclone share the same sire.
In 1975 Sandy Price and her family came to visit Chincoteague Island. While visiting the Pony Farm Sandy took an instant liking to Sunshine and bought her from Paul Merritt. The pregnant Sunshine and a few other island born Chincoteague Ponies went to live on Stolen Hours Farm in Ocala, Florida. Sandy's goal for Sunshine was to allow her to live free on her farm. These events were fictionalized in Misty's Twilight by Marguerite Henry. A couple illustrations of Sunshine appear in Misty's Twilight. Sandy planned to register Sunshine as a half Arabian.
Sunshine was in foal when she moved to Florida and gave birth to her first foal at barely a 3 years old. Cloudburst was born May 1976 and would be Sunshine's only full Chincoteague offspring. Two years later Sunshine had her most famous offspring, Misty's Twilight, who was sired by a Thoroughbred stallion named Big Bluffer. 1984 saw the birth of another filly, Misty's Dawn sired by the Thoroughbred Grandville. The following year, Sunshine gave birth to a filly sired by the Thoroughbred Red Wing Bold that did not live very long after birth. Sandy named her Misty's Sunset posthumously. Sunshine adopted an orphaned Thoroughbred colt after Sunset died. Sunshine was bred to the Thoroughbred stallion Hickory in 1986 but she did not get in foal.
Sandy gave Sunshine to a loving family with children in 1987. Sunshine had a filly in 1989 in her new home. The filly was described as "a beauty" in a letter to Sandy but no more is known about her at this time. The letter also said that Sunshine's new family absolutely adored her. Sandy eventually lost contact with Sunshine's new owners and no more is known about the rest of the mare's life.
In 1975 Sandy Price and her family came to visit Chincoteague Island. While visiting the Pony Farm Sandy took an instant liking to Sunshine and bought her from Paul Merritt. The pregnant Sunshine and a few other island born Chincoteague Ponies went to live on Stolen Hours Farm in Ocala, Florida. Sandy's goal for Sunshine was to allow her to live free on her farm. These events were fictionalized in Misty's Twilight by Marguerite Henry. A couple illustrations of Sunshine appear in Misty's Twilight. Sandy planned to register Sunshine as a half Arabian.
Sunshine was in foal when she moved to Florida and gave birth to her first foal at barely a 3 years old. Cloudburst was born May 1976 and would be Sunshine's only full Chincoteague offspring. Two years later Sunshine had her most famous offspring, Misty's Twilight, who was sired by a Thoroughbred stallion named Big Bluffer. 1984 saw the birth of another filly, Misty's Dawn sired by the Thoroughbred Grandville. The following year, Sunshine gave birth to a filly sired by the Thoroughbred Red Wing Bold that did not live very long after birth. Sandy named her Misty's Sunset posthumously. Sunshine adopted an orphaned Thoroughbred colt after Sunset died. Sunshine was bred to the Thoroughbred stallion Hickory in 1986 but she did not get in foal.
Sandy gave Sunshine to a loving family with children in 1987. Sunshine had a filly in 1989 in her new home. The filly was described as "a beauty" in a letter to Sandy but no more is known about her at this time. The letter also said that Sunshine's new family absolutely adored her. Sandy eventually lost contact with Sunshine's new owners and no more is known about the rest of the mare's life.
Click on the photo for more pictures of Sunshine