Featured Breyerfest - 2001

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Breyerfest! Now that Breyerfest is over, we're returning to our regularly scheduled programming. This week we're covering Breyerfest 2001, so let's get going! Notable events from the year 2001:

• Nintendo releases its much-maligned GameCube game console (I still have mine!)
• The September 11 attacks happen, kickstarting the global war on terror
• Tiznow wins the Breeder's Cup Classic for the second time in the first major post-9/11 sporting event. He remains the only horse to win the Breeder's Cup Classic twice
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is released in theaters, a major event for yours truly

And, of course, Breyerfest 2001 took place! 
Dates: July 27-29, 2001
Celebration Horse: Atlantis Bey V
Number of Celebration Models produced: 3,700
Attendance: unknown

Here's the first 2001 page from the commemorative program:

The real Atlantis Bey V was a son of Huckleberry Bey, whose famous portrait mold launched a generation of Kathleen Moody fans and still commands a hefty following to this day. On this page we can also see the aptly-named Siren raffle model, as well as Silver Fox, the other raffle model. The volunteer model was the droolworthy and rarely-seen-for-sale The Poet, the only porcelain volunteer model (so far). 

As for the special runs: the keychains finally went away, to be replaced by flocky Stablemates. There were also those bronze Hucks for sale, but since paying more than about $75 for a Breyer (other than an auction model) was a pretty laughable proposition in those days, they didn't sell too well. Some of those bronze models can still be found in the Collector Club tent at Breyerfest! Although I didn't see any this year. The "Classic Racehorse Set" kinda kills me, considering all three of those colors are either nonexistent in the TB breed or very rare. Why didn't they just call it a stock horse set instead? All three of those molds could be passed off as Quarter Horses. But I digress. I love the color on the Mesquite model, even though the bulls aren't really my thing. He's beautiful! We also had Shadow of Blue, the foal of regular run model Silky Keno, as well as the collie Jester and of course the beautiful glossy bay Silver. This was the beginning of the "use Silver as a special run or prize model every year for the better part of a decade" era. 

JAH didn't have a traditional Breyerfest recap this year - just photos instead. Here's the first page:

I feel you, Tanya. I really do. 

That's it for the JAH wrapup. Let's take a look at some auction models! 

I had to talk about this one because he's so reminiscent of High Wire that I wondered if he was a test, but High Wire has four stockings, so probably not. Similar color, though. 

This buckskin pinto Sham is absolutely beautiful. Give me this color on every mold! He's a lot like Rheverence, come to think of it. Anyway, give me that color on every mold!

There's no way I couldn't talk about the legendary Over the Rainbow! The Connoisseur line had made its debut earlier in 2001, including the new paint techniques that introduced mapping, so of course Breyer had to show off and make a rainbow version of Mosaic. I imagine he's the holy grail of many a collector, and it's no surprise why - lots of people (myself included) love rainbow models. I wonder where this guy is now? 

And lastly, I had to cover this one because (without doing any research to back it up) I think this may be the first, or one of the first, silver bays Breyer ever did? He looks a bit different than the silver bay models we see now, but I still wouldn't mind having him in my herd. What a beauty! 

That's it for this week. Check back next week for Breyerfest 2002!