December 8,  2009

The storied Outer Banks ponies can be found on Ocracoke in the Park Service pony pens or in Corolla’s wild horse area, but you seldom hear about their presence on Hatteras anymore.

But that doesn’t mean the Banker ponies are not still here. Every year during Hatteras village’s Christmas parade, the descendants of the famed Spanish mustangs ride again.  Decorated in ribbons and bows, Ginger and Honey Bee trot down the streets of Hatteras village for all to see. 

Sue Garrett, who now owns Ginger and Honeybee and cares for them, took the time to explain their unique heritage one December morning a few weeks before the parade. 

The Outer Banks’ wild ponies are known to be descended from Spanish mustangs.  The legends tell us that these ponies swam ashore onto the islands from early shipwrecks and made these banks their home.  They adapted to the salty environment and survived for centuries, both on their own and in partnership with humans.

The sturdy, shaggy horses had the freedom to roam until the National Park Service ordered they, and all other island livestock, be penned in the mid-1900s.  With the arrival of roads and cars, the ponies no longer were needed by islanders for work and transportation. 

The Burrus family of Hatteras village took many Banker ponies in and provided them a home on the edge of the marshes they love. 

Bill Burrus and his son, Dale, truly loved the Banker ponies.  Dale Burrus fought hard to have the Banker ponies recognized as a legitimate American horse breed and succeeded in doing so. 

While in Dale’s care, the pony Virginia Dare, also known as Ginger, was the first Banker pony born into the protected herd.  Her sire was a stallion called Sailor, and her dam was a mare named Ocracoke Missy.  Ginger later had her own foal, Honey Bee, and the two of them are now the last of the herd on Hatteras Island. 

Sue Garrett developed a passion for these sturdy little horses and began helping the Burrus family to care for them 20 years or so ago. 

Now Sue cares for the two of them on her own and loves them as Dale Burrus, who died in 2007, did.  She is there twice a day to check on their needs and wants and to occasionally go for a ride. 

Ginger is starting to get gray streaks in her dark brown coat and is slowing down a bit, but at 34 years old, she is still ready for a treat and greeting.  Honey Bee, who has been called “The Brat” in her time, is aptly named on both fronts, her coat is the color of wildflower honey and her attitude is a bit pert and sassy.  They are charming, and it is easy to see why Sue loves them so much. 

Once a year at Christmastime, Ginger and Honey Bee join fellow Hatteras villagers in the celebration of the season by prancing down Highway 12 during the Christmas Parade.  They have participated in every Hatteras Christmas Parade but one, where their absence was not their fault as Sue had a broken hand and could not ride.  But every other year, Sue rides Honey Bee and either her sister, Bonnie Koehler, or her friend, Christian Dunville, rides Ginger amongst decorated boat trailers and wailing fire trucks down the winding village road. 

Ginger and Honey Bee take this celebration very seriously and prepare the night before by finding the muckiest mud bath they can and immersing themselves in it.  Sue can only surmise that they think it must make their coats extra shiny for their starring roles. 

Sue and friends spend the morning hours before the afternoon parade bathing and brushing the mud-soaked mares. They generally gussy up their manes and tails with Christmas bows and ribbons. 

Ginger thinks this is a lovely way to spend the morning, but Honey Bee thinks not so much of it.  They both are good sports about the new apparel, though, and ride off to the parade’s beginning mark. 

They don’t like waiting for the parade to begin, but once it gets going, they do their jobs well.  They bring up the rear of the parade, but really that is saving the best for last!  They usually can be found prancing on the pavement just before the big man himself, Santa Claus, makes his appearance on the back of the Hatteras Village Volunteer Fire Department engine.

After the parade is over, Ginger and Honey Bee are surrounded by admirers of all ages.  They graciously accept this attention and do everything but sign autographs in return!  Then they are loaded up in the trailer and head back to their pens. 

They sometimes insist on having their decorations removed, but some years they wear their Christmas finery for a few extra days for fun.  Extra special treats and yummies are doled out for a post-parade snack and then things go back to normal for the ponies until next year. 

The Hatteras Village Christmas Parade is on Saturday, Dec. 12, this year, beginning at 2 p.m. along Highway 12. Many islanders come out to celebrate the season. And if you are there, give an extra cheer for the little Banker ponies as they go by.  You will know them by their shaggy coats and stocky build.  After all, they are true Hatteras originals!

Comments are always welcomed!      Subject :      Name :  (required)      Email :  (required, will not be published)      City :   (required)    State :   (required)      Your Comments: May be posted on the Letters to the Editor page at the discretion of the editor.