April 2023 Issue

The News East Coast Horse Owners Need To Know OUR TH YEAR 199 - PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT 280 LANC., PA 17604 Vol. 30 No. 3 April 2023 (Continued on page 7) By Lois Szymanski In the children’s book “Misty of Chincoteague,” sib- lings Paul and Maureen Beebe live out the dream of every horse-crazy kid in America. Now, after 100 years in the Beebe family, the iconic Beebe Ranch is for sale and the Museum of Chincoteague is asking YOU to help them preserve this piece of history, so visitors can come and relive the dream. Newbury Award winning author Marguerite Henry wove fact and fiction together to share the story of sister and brother working side by side to make the dream of buying a wild pony come true. Children across the country devoured the book. They became Maureen or Paul, dream- ing of the Beebe Ranch and the island of wild ponies. Released in 1947, the book catapulted Henry to the best seller list, bringing fame to Chincoteague Island and the Beebe Ranch. Misty died in 1972, but people still flock to the island to see the ranch, to feel the warm marsh winds and to cross the bay to Assateague Island to meet the wild Chin- coteague Ponies. While the 10.3-acre ranch lost its original barn to a tragic fire in 2019, the original home still stands. It’s where the fam- ily stashed a pregnant Misty to keep her safe when the island was evacuated during the 1962 Ash Wednesday storm, one of the most damaging extratrop- ical cyclones to hit the United States coastline. Although many Assateague ponies died in that storm, Misty survived in the Beebe kitchen, a story that is told in Henry’s sequel book, “Stormy, Misty’s Foal.” The museum has only a short time to raise $625,000 to save the ranch. Home of Misty of Chincoteague Threatened with Development When the museum’s execu- tive director, Cindy Faith heard the ranch was for sale, she scram- bled to begin fundraising. “They need to sell the ranch, and it can’t wait two or three years. They have to sell now,” Faith said. “We cannot let this piece of history go to develop- ers.” Billy Beebe and his wife moved to the ranch about 10 years ago, after he retired. They have offered summer Misty tours there off and on since 1999. He and his sister Barbara Beebe Massey Gray own the property. “Grandpa and Grandma Bee- be were my grandparents,” Beebe said. (Grandpa and Grandma Beebe in the book are Clarence and Ida Beebe. They raised their grandchildren, Paul and Maureen Beebe, who are the children in the book.) “My father, Ralph M. Bee- be, was one of Grandpa Beebe's many children. When the barn burned a few years ago, it liter- ally left a huge hole in our tour, and we questioned whether we should continue the Misty walk- ing tours, but even without the barn, history was still there. We really want this part of Chincote- ague to be preserved for future generations of Misty lovers, and we believe the museum would be the very best steward of this history.” Beebe spoke of how his father Ralph took over care of the ponies when Grandpa Beebe passed. “At the young age of six, I can still remember filling the wa- ter troughs for the wild ponies, “ he said. “When I was about 10, I remember a family coming to see Misty who visited from Japan, but the most exciting memory was the Ash Wednesday Storm Equine Healthcare Issue! Angel (left) and Drizzle are Misty of Chincoteague descendants who call the Beebe Ranch home. Developers have offered $625,000 for the historic farm, made famous by Marguerite Henry’s award winning 1947 book, Misty of Chincoteague. The Museum of Chincoteague is fundraising to preserve the ranch and the Misty descendants who live there. Photo credit: Darcy and Steve Cole, DSC Photography Inside... America’s first female race announcer takes the mic at Parx … pg. 4 HISA took effect March 27. Now what? … pg. 6 … and much more! The latest equine health care news…pgs. 8-23