Meet the teen Chincoteague ponies champion who led in making them Virginia's official pony

Sophia Gallivan has been riding horses for as long as she can remember. In fact, she was told her very first ride took place when she was still in her mother’s womb.

“I think (my mom) actually rode a horse pregnant with me,” said Gallivan, a 17-year-old student at Broadwater Academy in Exmore.

It was Gallivan's longstanding passion for horses and the horse industry that led her to become an advocate for the bill that has been passed into law to make the Chincoteague Pony the official state pony of the Commonwealth of Virginia as of Saturday, July 1.

Growing up on a horse

Gallivan began riding horses when she was about 5 years old, fostering her riding skills on her horse, Beamer. It wasn’t until she grew older that she then began to compete.

Today, Gallivan competes in the discipline of eventing, which is comprised of three phases: dressage, show jumping and cross country. The high school student is also a member of the Chincoteague Pony Drill Team, led by Kendy Allen, and a 4-H Virginia Horse Ambassador.

“I really enjoy it,” she said.

Gallivan rides a Chincoteague pony, Misty’s Red Dawn, for drill team. Misty’s Red Dawn has a lot of energy and is very curious, she shared. The descendant of Misty is a flashy red chestnut with four white socks and a blaze down her face.

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“She is very, very spirited. She’s a more difficult ride, but it makes it more validating when you have a great ride on her. She’s a little greener, which means she’s younger. But she’s amazing. I give her so much credit for inspiring me," Gallivan said.

Misty’s Red Dawn, the great-great-great-granddaughter of Misty of Chincoteague and Morning Glory's second foal, deeply inspired Gallivan to advocate for the Chincoteague Pony.

Since becoming a member of the drill team, Gallivan has participated in numerous events during the Chincoteague Island Pony Swim Week, when hordes of onlookers make the trek to rekindle, reconnect, and recharge with family and friends during the island’s traditional celebration.

“It’s such a wholesome, but historic thing for Virginia,” Gallivan said of the historic event.

“That group, the Chincoteague Pony Drill Team, really inspired me,” she added. “It was so eye-opening, as a drill team member, to be in the streets of Chincoteague with our Chincoteague ponies and our coach.”

Gallivan said her parents are her biggest supporters. Her father was the first person to truly believe in her, later encouraging her to take action after realizing the Chincoteague Pony was not getting the recognition it deserved.

She was most honored by the support of the First Lady of Virginia, Suzanne Youngkin, whom she corresponded with via email and received a letter from in the mail.

“I had a really strong feeling that she would be in support of this,” Gallivan said. “Interacting with her was amazing.”

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Most, if not all, Virginia legislators were also very supportive of the cause, she said.

“In the back of my head, I had a little bit of hesitation. I had to be prepared for them to be like, ‘Oh, it’s just some silly pony.’ But everyone was just in full support, and I felt so respected,” she shared.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin officially signed off on bills making the official pony designation official on March 27, Delmarva Now previously reported. Sen. Lynwood Lewis' bill SB1478 passed unanimously while a companion bill — HB 1951 — cleared the House of Delegates with a 93-7 vote during the 2023 General Assembly session.

According to the State Symbols USA website, Virginia is now the 18th state in the country to have an equine member as its state symbol.

Horses take center stage in Virginia

Vice President of Strategic Planning for the Virginia Equine Alliance Jill Byrne can attest to Gallivan’s passion and conviction.

“Her knowledge of how to grab onto something that she believes in strongly and then focus on being able to promote that, not only with her passion but with facts and data, is quite an amazing accomplishment,” she said of Gallivan.

The purpose of the Virginia Equine Alliance is to sustain, promote and expand the horse breeding and horse racing industries in the Commonwealth of Virginia, according to the nonprofit’s website.

“The horse is at the center of it all,” Byrne said.

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The non-profit also seeks to support legislation, regulations and rules beneficial to the breeders, owners and trainers of horses in Virginia.

“The Virginia Equine Alliance is a strong voice and supporter within the legislature in Virginia. But (Gallivan) gets all the credit for this one,” Byrne said.

As a rising high school senior, Gallivan’s dream school is the University of Virginia. She is looking to ride collegiately but is unsure if she will pursue a career in the horse industry. However, the recent opportunity to work closely with her state legislators has also sparked her interest in politics and law, she said.

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Virginia will always be considered home for Gallivan.

“I always want to keep horses in my life,” she said. “I would love to stay in Virginia, too.”

To other youth looking to pursue their passions and make a difference in the world, Gallivan says, simply, “Go for it.”

Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Descendent of Misty of Chincoteague inspires teen to be pony advocate