The Epoch Times won a prestigious national award for a story that touched readers, impressed contest judges, and connected with the childhood memories of the three journalists who worked on the piece.

The Society of Professional Journalists recently named Nanette Holt, Natasha Holt, and Richard Moore winners of a 2024 Sigma Delta Chi Award for excellence in journalism.

Their story, “Pony Round-Up in Virginia Captures Hearts of Horse Lovers for 100 Years,” won the society’s Travel Journalism category. The award is given for “outstanding work in focusing on travel, including destination reports, industry and trend pieces, and personal travel accounts,” the awards webpage states.

The feature article tells how “residents of tiny Chincoteague Island fund their volunteer fire company by auctioning foals from their famous wild herd,” according to a summary.

“So touching. ... Still have tears in my eyes,” one reader of the story said in an online comment, mentioning that she had read “Misty of Chincoteague,” a children’s storybook that drew worldwide attention to the community’s annual pony roundup.

All three award-winning journalists said they, too, read that 1947 classic by Marguerite Henry during their childhoods—background that helped inspire their work on the Epoch Times package: a more than 3,500-word story illustrated with a dozen photographs.

“The piece stood out for its deep research and reporting, providing historical context on a unique place and tradition,” the society stated in a video announcing the award—the third national honor for Epoch Times journalists this year.

In April, the Religion Communicators Council recognized reporter Eva Fu for exposing China’s human rights abuses and reporter Dan Berger for his work chronicling efforts to support Jews in war-torn Israel.

Commenting about the latest award, Jasper Fakkert, The Epoch Times’ editor-in-chief, said: “We’re proud and excited to receive this award from this prestigious organization. It is recognition of the impactful work our reporters carry out every day. It also affirms our promise to readers to deliver meaningful content through independent reporting.”

He said the newspaper plans to republish the award-winning travel story, which first ran online in October 2024, to mark this year’s 100th Annual Chincoteague Pony Roundup, Swim & Auction. The event runs July 26–31 in Chincoteague, Virginia.

Wading Into Mud

The Holts, a mother-and-daughter team, spent many days researching, writing, and polishing their work—and Moore, an assistant national editor, waded into muddy waters to shoot photographs.

While the Holts commended his perseverance and his photography skills, Moore said he simply did what was needed; he has faced all manner of challenges during a journalism career that spans 47 years in five countries.

But Moore, a native of Australia who now lives in New York, did admit the Chincoteague assignment made him fret over possibly losing his cameras in the water. And, as the ponies surged, this thought did cross his mind: “Crikey, I’m gonna get stampeded!”

He noted that his wife, Leslie Moore, chipped in and shot some pictures. In fact, he opined that she snapped “the best photograph of the entire event.” His wife’s picture, published with credit to her, shows dozens of ponies swimming across Assateague Channel. “Saltwater cowboys” guide the ponies on a 100-yard swim from the unspoiled refuge of Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island, where the animals are sold at auction.

Although Moore has worked as a writer, editor, and photographer for many years, he said: “My passion is photography, and I am out taking images five or six days a week. My cameras go with me everywhere.”

He has produced major photo essays on “The Troubles in Belfast” and “The Fall of the Berlin Wall.”

Moore, 64, has won other journalism awards, but the Sigma Delta Chi award is his first one in America. He has lived in the United States for five years and has worked for The Epoch Times for four years.

Accolades for Young Journalist

Moore said 23-year-old Natasha Holt earned his respect.

He called her “one of the best young journalists” he has ever worked with and said that “she’s a true professional.”

“To look at the way she approaches things—her writing, her dedication to getting things right, and also to getting things done in style—would make a lot of older journalists blush with embarrassment,” Moore said.

He also said he admires Natasha Holt’s co-author and mother, Nanette Holt, “for the heart with which she approaches every story.”

A senior features editor for The Epoch Times, Nanette Holt is known for mentoring young journalists, in addition to her daughter.

Natasha Holt worked on the Chincoteague story as an intern while completing her studies at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications.

Going to Chincoteague for the story fulfilled a longtime dream for the two women; they’re both lifelong equestrians.

Last year, a social media post about the pony penning came across Natasha Holt’s cellphone and reignited her childhood memories of reading the book “Misty.” That motivated her to set up the trip and to cover the event for The Epoch Times.

“I thought: ‘Wow, this is so heartwarming. I think people would enjoy reading about this,’” Natasha Holt said in an interview.

She recalls encountering “Misty” when she was about 5.

“It was probably read to me,” Natasha Holt said. “I just grew up with it and really loved the story. ... So to be able to report about that was very special.”

Her sister, Liberty Holt, took photos that appeared in “American Essence” magazine, an Epoch Times publication, in a related story about the Chincoteague pony round-up.

Considering that Moore and his wife also worked on the story, the assignment “really became a family affair,” Nanette Holt said.

‘Pinnacle’ of Long Career

Nanette Holt, a journalist for state and national publications since 1991, co-authored the award-winning story with Natasha Holt. She called the Chincoteague assignment “the most emotional” of her career.

That was because of her connection to the animals, to the people of Chincoteague, and to her daughter.

“It was even more powerful than we realized, seeing that history come to life,” Nanette Holt said in an interview. “Getting to experience that with my daughter was so special ... and there just were so many powerful and special elements to all of it.”

The two women spoke to dozens of people for the story.

“It seemed like everybody talked about reading the Misty book,” Natasha Holt said, giving those people the same connection to the Chincoteague roundup that she shared with her mother, Moore, and Moore’s wife.

Nanette Holt, 57, said winning the award represented “the pinnacle” of her journalistic endeavors; she had never entered a journalism contest before. She was too busy writing and editing stories—or preparing entries on behalf of colleagues at The Epoch Times.

It was “a surprise, a shock, an honor” to win, she said.

For the 100th Chincoteague swim later this month, the entire Holt family—including Nanette Holt’s husband, son, and two daughters—intends to go to Chincoteague together and be able to enjoy the events as spectators, not working journalists.

While an intern for The Epoch Times, Natasha Holt worked as an anchor and reporter for WUFT News, a public television station that her college owns. She also did an internship at NTD, a sister outlet of The Epoch Times.

Two of the young journalist’s NTD reports were singled out in this year’s SPJ Sunshine State Awards. One was the video version of the Chincoteague pony roundup. The other focused on researchers preparing for hurricane-season effects on endangered sea turtles.

While the sea turtles story won the “multimedia feature” category in the college student division, both stories were chosen as finalists in the video category.

Finalists for the state awards will receive certificates—and winners will be announced—at a Sept. 6 awards ceremony at the Nova Southeastern University Art Museum Fort Lauderdale.

The young journalist said it was a privilege to work with a pair of seasoned journalists on the Chincoteague story—Moore and her mother.

She said she learned that the story was really about “people getting together, working for things that they want to protect and conserve—so the next generation will be able to experience that.”