Assateague Channel is a tidal waterway on Virginia’s Eastern Shore between Chincoteague and Assateague islands, connecting Assateague Bay with Chincoteague Inlet. It is central to Chincoteague’s best-known annual tradition, the Wild Pony Swim. Each year on the last Wednesday in July, the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department’s Salt Water Cowboys round up wild Chincoteague Ponies on Assateague Island and drive them across the channel to Chincoteague Island. The ponies are then taken to the Chincoteague Carnival Grounds, where some foals are auctioned the following day. This fundraiser in its current form dates to 1925, with roots reaching back to the 17th century.