Carollynn's Story
God works in mysterious ways. He brought together a wonderful woman, a pony foal and two young girls. But the story doesn’t stop there. Everything fell into place, as if it was planned in Carollynn Suplee’s story. That’s why we’ve started a special nonprofit organization, called The Feather Fund, in Carollynn’s name. And children continue to be gifted each year, in her name.
In 1995, I traveled with my husband and two young daughters to Chincoteague Island, Virginia for the Wild Pony Swim & Round-up, an event made famous by the Newbery Award winning book, Misty of Chincoteague. We’d been going for several years, but 1995 was different for two reasons. This was the first time my eleven year old, Ashley would be singing at the Misty Museum in town. She’d been singing for shows since she was nine years old, but singing at Chincoteague Island was special. There was another thing, too… my daughters, Shannon and Ashley wanted to buy a pony. They sprung it on the drive down. “We’ve saved all our money from working at carnivals this summer. We have $500. Can we buy a pony?” Shannon asked.
For years we had talked about buying a pony, but they went for high prices and we were a struggling medium income family. A pony could teach them things that we could not. My husband, Dan and I knew they wouldn’t get a pony for $500. Still, we thought it would be a good lesson in perseverance. If they didn’t get a pony, they would learn to save another year. So we went to the auction with two children who had high hopes and $500 in their pockets.
When we arrived at the Chincoteague Carnival grounds and took our seats, we realized something was wrong. The firemen were scurrying around as if upset. Then we heard that their public address system was not working. My husband stood up. “I have Ashley’s cordless microphone, amps, speakers, anything they need in the car,” he said. “Maybe we can help.” When he went to talk to the fireman Ashley tagged along. Ashley is not one bit shy, and in no time at all she had struck up a conversation with fireman David Savage. “We came to buy a pony,” she told him proudly. “Do you think we can get one for $500?” David Savage shook his head. “They usually go much higher,” he said, “but you never know.” Dan hooked up Ashley’s cordless microphone and amp for the firemen, and the auction was ready to go.
Ashley stood up to yell, “$500!” each time a foal came into the auction ring. The auctioneer would laugh at her and say, “There’s that gal starting us off at $500, who will bid six?” and someone always did. By pony # 40 both of my girls were in tears. “We’re not going to get a pony,” Shannon, my shy one, said. “Maybe next year,” I promised her.
Then we saw David Savage walking toward us. He was pointing and making his way through the crowd with a young woman and her husband. The woman was smiling. When they reached us, the fireman introduced Carollynn and Ed Suplee. Carolynn’s enthusiasm was infectious. She practically bubbled when she said, “We want to help your girls buy a pony!” She nodded and the brim of the floppy hat on her head bobbed.
My husband shook his head. “No. Thank you so much, but we can’t let you do that.” How could we take money from a stranger? We didn’t even want to borrow from family, let alone a stranger. It was just wrong!
Carollynn persisted. “We came to Pony Penning to buy a pony to donate back to the island, but we arrived too late. The firemen told us all the ones to be donated back had been sold.” She smiled. “We came because I have to give something back. Then, Mr. Savage told us about you.” She smiled again. “We want to help buy your pony.”
We continued to shake our heads and say, Thanks, but no thanks. By now the crowd was listening. “I have to do this,” Carollynn insisted. “I know God wants me to do this.”
My husband and I were confused. Then, Carollynn took off her hat. Her hair was thin, just growing back in. “You don’t understand. I had cancer, a brain tumor. I didn’t think I would live through surgery. But God sent me a sign that I would be okay. During those weeks before surgery, I started finding feathers. Everywhere I went I found feathers, even in odd places. I began thinking that He was trying to tell me something. One day, we were visiting the Grotto of the Lourdes in Thurmont, MD. I stepped up to read the bible in the garden. It was open to Psalm 91 and marked at verse four. It told me that the Lord would cover me with feathers and protect me. Then, I understood what he was telling me. I was safe in his care.”
The crowd around us was quiet, still listening. “When you get something in life, you have to give something back,” she said. “I want to give back to you.”
“I don’t know.” My husband was practically speechless. People around us were reaching for tissues. I wiped tears from my eyes.
“When Mr. Savage pointed you out, I looked over and a seagull feather drifted down in front of me. Then I saw your daughter’s shirt, and I knew. I am supposed to do this.” I looked at Shannon’s shirt. It was an Indian design, with feathers on the front.
The crowd started to shout, “Let her buy it. Let her buy it!” My husband and I relented, and suddenly this lady who I was hugging, and her husband, and my children were bidding on a tiny brown pony foal with four white stockings!
After it was over, we hugged. We’d purchased foal # 42. We walked over to the pens to see the colt. Ashley said, “I want to name him Ocean Feather, or Sea Feather.” We were all smiling and crying. Then we saw the colt. He turned and Ed put his arm around Carollynn. “He has a feather on his neck,” he said. We all looked. The colt we thought was solid brown had one white body marking, shaped like a jagged feather!
Everything had fallen into place as if planned by God: The microphone not working, so Ashley could talk to the fireman; Carolynn and Ed arriving too late to purchase a turn-back pony; Carollynn talking to the same fireman that Ashley spoke to; and the feathers…. the feathers. It was meant to be. The story inspired me so much I wrote a book called, Sea Feather. It came out with Avon Books, then in German with a German publisher. It is now out of print.
But the story doesn’t stop there. Carollynn and Ed continued to return to the island to buy other ponies for children. Carollynn would pray for direction, and somehow she always chose a child who had a need… a child who would learn so much from a pony, like my children did. On those years that Carollynn didn’t feel directed, she and Ed purchased a turn-back pony for the fire department.
Two summers ago, Carollynn did not feel directed toward any child in need, so they did not purchase a pony for a child. After the auction, she headed to the car to get carrots for the ponies. She ran into a young girl, crying, her arms around her mother. Carollynn stopped to talk.
“Did you want a pony?” she asked the little girl.
“The child, Alissa Swenson, nodded. “We came here to get a pony. My dad and mom and I planned the trip, but…” She was sobbing. Alissa’s mother, Lexy broke in. “Ron, her dad, got cancer and died before we could get here. I promised her we would still come. I found Chincoteague on the map, flew in to Norfolk and rented a car and got us here, but we live in Wisconsin and I can’t afford to ship a pony home.”
“I guess you learned about Chincoteague from reading the Misty books?” Carollynn asked.
“No,” Alissa said. “I read a book you probably never heard of, called Sea Feather.” 
Carollynn’s face lit up. “You know Carollynn in the book?” she asked. Alissa nodded. “That’s me,” Carollynn said. “They call me the pony fairy.” she said. “I’ve been praying for you.”
Carollynn told Alissa she would get a pony foal the following year. She said to go home and prepare a place for it and they would meet again at the 2003 auction. What are the odds that Carollynn would run into Alissa? 50,000 people attend Pony Penning, yet Carollynn ran into the one child who had come from Wisconsin after reading a story with Carollynn in it!
Carollynn’s cancer came back in March of 2003. By then, Animal Planet had heard about the story. They decided to come to Pony Penning and film Alissa getting her pony. Carolynn was in a wheelchair and not doing well at all, but she was there at Alissa’s side as she purchased the pony she named Chincoteague Miracle. She nicknamed him Lucky.
My dear friend, Carollynn died in October of 2003. We are all reeling from her loss. Over the years our friendship grew strong. Ashley and Shannon grew up. Ashley and her band sang every year from 1995 on at the American Cancer Society events that Carollynn organized, (for Carollynn was active in many charitable organizations). She was my friend. She had so many. She had affected so many lives.
Before she passed Carollynn and Ed allowed me to visit with her two more times. Ed and I talked to her about starting The Feather Fund, a nonprofit organization to carry on her work. She was pleased with the idea, and we are forming the Feather Fund at this time.
Our hope is to continue to purchase a pony for a special child each year. We’ve joined forces with The Community Foundation of Carroll County, and they are helping us. Pony Penning 2004 will be our first purchase in her name. There will be a reunion of close to 100 people gathering in her name. She was a true angel, one I just had to tell you about. I thought you might like to share her inspirational story. It is proof that someone is watching over us here on earth.
Carollynn says hello to Sea Feather's first son, Moonchaser (Chase).
Carollynn with Sea Feather and many of their friends.
PSALM 91 vs. 4: "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler."
Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all. - Emily Dickinson