CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. (AP) — Thousands of people gathered Wednesday to watch the Chincoteague wild ponies make their annual trek across the Assateague Channel. The tradition in its 98th year includes Wednesday's swim and an auction Thursday, the biggest annual fundraiser for the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company, which manages the wild pony herd. The horses were made famous in the 1947 classic children’s novel “Misty of Chincoteague” by author Marguerite Henry.