Legendary Chincoteague pony Surfer Dude dies

He is being called “the most famous Chincoteague Pony since Misty”. Surfer Dude, the dark chocolate colored stallion with blond mane and tail (a striking color combination that earned him his name), was found deceased in mid May 2015. He was 23 years old.

Surfer Dude had a bold appearance and a personality to match. The wild Ponies on Assateague Island are fenced into large areas, keeping them off the roads and beach. Surfer Dude was famous for escaping through the fence. He was loved and adored by thousands of fans.

In his prime he was the most dominate stallion on Assateague Island, evidenced by his extraordinarily large harem of mares. Every wild stallion on Assateague has his own group of mares that he breeds with. Each small group is called a “band”. The more dominate the stallion, the more mares he has in his band. Surfer Dude was known to have well over twenty mares in his band during his peak years.

Surfer Dude left a legacy on Assateague through the many foals he sired over the years. One in particular, a colt born in 2009 named Riptide, shares his dad’s distinctive coloring. Since Surfer Dude’s passing Riptide has taken over his dad's band of nearly a dozen mares. This year's Pony Penning auction will be the last opportunity for buyers to purchase a Surfer Dude foal.