Featured Breyerfest - 2011

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Breyerfest! Next up is Breyerfest 2011, so let's get going! 

Notable events of 2011:

• Prince William marries Kate Middleton
• An EF5 tornado strikes Joplin, Missouri, and kills 158 people
• The NASA space shuttle program ends with the completion of STS-135 with the shuttle Atlantis
• The video game Minecraft is released, and eventually becomes the best-selling video game of all time (I've never played it)

And in Kentucky, Breyerfest 2011 happened! 

Dates: July 15-17, 2011
Theme: FairyTails
Celebration Horse: Pecos
Number of Celebration Models produced: 4,400

Here's the first 2011 page from the commemorative program:

The real Pecos is an Andalusian owned by Matt McLaughlin. As the program states, Pecos does dressage and is a descendant of Legionario III - if he's still alive; the website says he was born in 1996 and doesn't look like it's been updated lately, so he'd be 30 years old if still alive. Anyway, other equine guests that year were Sato, TS Black Tie Affaire, Kripton Seni II, Kong, and Grand Central (son of Prince Jester). 

The number of single-day Stablemates increased to four this year, and that's where it's stayed ever since. The surprise model was brought back as the "Spun Gold Surprise" this year, and this was the first year that everything about it was a surprise. At the event it was revealed to be three standard colors on the Ethereal mold, with a rare variant (29 distributed in the special run line and one sold in the live auction). Other special runs included Aurora the porcelain, Gruff the goat, Hansel and Gretel (New molds! And this might be the last time a Classic has appeared in the special run line rather than as a store special/Limited Edition), Jasmine, Once Upon a Time, Under the Sea and Wish on a Star. Store specials were Dusty and the three resins - Avalon, Prince Charming and Sorcerer's Apprentice. I seem to remember that those three were announced at the last minute, and then when Breyerfest actually took place, they were all stocked in the store on the first day and sold out pretty much immediately, much to the consternation of people that couldn't get there in time (I wasn't there, so anything I've heard is secondhand). Those resins are still a bit of a mystery - I don't think it was ever announced who sculpted them, what the story was behind them (if any) and Prince Charming is the only mold that's been used since then, as a Stablemate. Sorcerer's Apprentice is still a pretty hot commodity on the secondary market. 

On the third page we can see some prize models, including Tom Thumb. Be still, my heart. 

Here's page 1 of the JAH recap:

And page 2:

On to page 3:

And page 4:

And here are more on-the-ground photos, courtesy of Lea R.! 

Pecos with a smol friend.

TS Black Tie Affaire in his stall

Sato

Now, let's look at some auction models! 

This legendary Esprit was one of the most expensive models sold that day, but it's not hard to see why; his color is beautiful. The color made an appearance as Arosa on the MFT later on.

I love the color on this Zebra! I wish they'd use the Zebra for a wider release, although I guess they did use it for Breyerfest 2024. We need another one, though! 

Here we have the PAM and PAF in the Appaloosa Performance Horse color scheme, which begs the question; is there a matching PAS? I'm reasonably sure there's a photo of one on the Breyer History Diva blog, but I'm not going to search through every post to find it. But it looks nice on this set! They were the high sellers of the auction at $5,000. 

I wish I had a better photo of this one, but it represents a missed opportunity (in my opinion). I always thought Swirling Sky (one of the last Connoisseur releases) should have been on the Weather Girl, since it was 2011 and she was going back into the "Breyer Vault" at the end of the year. And it's not like they couldn't have done it, since this auction model exists! Sheesh. It would have made that Connoisseur release way more desirable than it was (the reaction to him was pretty ho-hum at the time, though prices seem to have recovered since then). So it just seems like a huge missed opportunity to me. Oh well. 

That's it for this week! Check back next week for Breyerfest 2012! 

Featured Breyerfest - 2010

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured JAH! We're moving right along and covering Breyerfest 2010 this week, so let's get going! 

Notable events of 2010:

• The first iPad is released, spawning many feminine hygiene-related jokes
• The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explodes and sinks, leading to the largest oil spill in US history
• Christchurch, NZ is hit by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, a precursor to the 2011 quake that would kill 185 people
• The Hale-Bopp comet is discovered and becomes the most-observed comet of all time

And in Kentucky, Breyerfest 2010 rolled out the red carpet! 

Dates: July 23-25, 2010
Theme: Lights, Camera, Breyerfest!
Celebration Horse: All Glory
Number of Celebration Models produced: 4,800

Here's the first 2010 page from the commemorative program:

The real All Glory is a Standardbred owned by William Shatner (or at least formerly owned by William Shatner - I couldn't find any information about whether All Glory is still alive or if Shatner still owns him). All Glory appeared at Breyerfest with Shatner's then-wife Elizabeth Shatner, but Bill himself did make an appearance on day 3 that year! Other guests included Priscilla Presley, the Priefert Hitch, Radar, O'Leary's Irish Diamond, Fleetstreet Max, Isadora-Cruce and more. The KHP was finishing up major construction to facilitate hosting the 2010 World Equestrian Games, leading to many changes around the park and to various Breyerfest activities. 

Special runs this year were Beethoven the Saint Bernard, Dances with Wolves the porcelain, Stage Mom and Child Star, Star-Studded (Silver's last appearance for a few years), Technicolor, Tinseltown, Red Carpet Royalty and Stunt Double (a particularly clever design/name - the pattern and color are the same as the earlier Hidalgo model). Prize models were Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, along with Cameo, glossy All Glories awarded to the costume contest winners, the beautiful Hollywood Glamour and You Oughta Be in Pictures raffle models, Opening Night the early bird raffle, and Quiet on the Set, the volunteer model. 

William Shatner himself appears on page 3 above! I wish I'd been there to see it. 

Here's the first page of the JAH recap (more of a photo album):

And page 2:

Notice the costume contest participant in white in the bottom right corner - that's Andrea Gurdon, the Breyer History Diva! Gone but not forgotten.

Here's page 3:

And page 4:

Here's a bonus photo of All Glory from Lea R.: 

Now, let's take a look at some auction models! 

This Hanoverian is so handsome! He reminds me of Art Deco, one of my favorite childhood models. I wouldn't mind getting that one back, honestly. 

This Gem Twist has a customized mane and tail, and I feel like I should recognize them, but I don't. Is the tail from a Huck? And the mane from the Cleveland Bay? 

This is the first Esprit auction model, following his 2010 debut as the official WEG model. So pretty! 

I love this Western Horse! Usually I'm not crazy about the molded on/plastic tack, but it's great when Breyer paints the tack fun colors. The Western Horse looks great in wedgewood blue and white! I love the silver accents, too. 

That's all I've got for today - check back next week for Breyerfest 2011! 

September Collector Club newsletter and holiday collection!

 Exciting news, readers! The September Collector Club newsletter is now available! If you’re a club member, check your email to read it. There’s a feature story about Breyer rider dolls, a doll giveaway and this sneak peek!

No idea what it is, though there’s speculation that it’s the holiday animal web special. Hope we find out soon! 

In other news, this year’s holiday special runs (that hadn’t already been revealed) made their debut today! They all can be found here, but here’s the Classic, Snowcap:

That color is so pretty! I love it. But I don’t collect the mold, so I won’t be buying it, sadly. 

Here’s the Pony for Christmas, Marley:

The blanket is cute, but I don’t need this one either. 

Here’s the holiday plush!

What a cutie! He reminds me of the Abominable Snowman from the old Rudolph movie. 

It doesn’t look like they’re doing a mare and foal set this year, sadly. The one from last year (Freya and Annika) is still available, so they must not have sold very well. Maybe it’ll be revealed later? Who knows. 

Guillermo is now available!

 Attention, Collector Club members! This year's second CC special run, Guillermo, is now ready to order! 

From the website:

Our fall Collector Club special run is Guillermo, a fine Criollo stallion! A breed that originated in the Pampas region of South America from descendants of Spanish horses, the Criollo is prized for its endurance and hardiness. Not surprisingly, they quickly became an integral part of working estancias, or cattle ranches.

Guillermo has a warm grullo coat with rich shading. A unique color featuring primitive markings, grullos often display leg barring and a dorsal stripe. Poised mid-action with his mane and tail flying behind him, it’s not hard to picture athletic Guillermo partnered with a gaucho and working cattle, or as a reliable trail horse! He features “Collector Club 2026” printed on his belly in gold.

Nothing I need, but that color sure is pretty! He's $90 though...that seems kinda steep for a collector club special run. Yikes...

Phoebe is available!

 Attention, Vintage Club members! The last release of the year, Phoebe, is now available to order! 

She's being shipped with this year's bonus Stablemate, the cute little flocked Fighting Stallion:

Orders must be completed by 10/7, so you have some time. I'm not in the Vintage Club, but I hope everyone enjoys their lamps! That little flocky is just adorable. And that's it for required purchases for this year, but I feel like there's probably still a bonus model to come? Maybe not. Guess we'll have to wait and see! 

Desert Horse Park event model revealed!

 Greetings, readers! The event model for the upcoming Breyer pop-up event at the Desert Horse Park has been revealed - behold! 

Uh oh, it's Belesema Sapphire! That means I have to get one...anyone want to pick one up for me? Pretty please? 

It remains to be seen if this event is replacing BreyerMidwest, but I kinda think they'd have called it BreyerWest if it was, so I'm going to assume BreyerMidwest will proceed as normal next year. Maybe the glossy Belesema Sapphire will be the event model for BreyerMidwest as well? 

Featured Breyerfest - 2009

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Breyerfest! We're covering 2009 this week, so let's get going! 

Notable events of 2009:

• Miracle on the Hudson: US Airways Flight 1549 glides to a successful emergency landing in the Hudson River after hitting a flock of geese on takeoff
• Michael Jackson dies of propofol intoxication two weeks before his "This is It" series of concerts was supposed to begin
• Jenson Button wins the Formula 1 World Championship for the first time
• The Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes its first flight

And in Kentucky, the 20th Breyerfest took place! 

Dates: July 17-19, 2009
Theme: Birthday Bash (celebrating 20 years)
Celebration Horse: Whizard's Baby Doll aka Roxy
Number of Celebration Models produced: 5,000

Here's the first 2009 page from the commemorative program:

Roxy, of course, was the mount of Stacy Westfall for this legendary performance at All-American Quarter Horse Congress, after Stacy was the first woman to compete in and win the Road to the Horse competition. Roxy got her own portrait mold for Breyerfest and sadly died in 2012 after becoming cast in her stall. Another guest horse was Bold Heart, a nephew of previous Celebration Horse Bold, along with owner Darlene Geiser. The cast of the Saddle Club TV show was also in attendance, along with Templeton Thompson, "Blue Jeans" from Hannah Montana and Lizzy Traband and her horse Toby. 

Raffle models were this year were the beautiful Red Velvet and Tiramisu, while the special runs were Buttercream, Cotton Candy, Cupcake (I'm sensing a theme here), Gala, Make a Wish (on the new Arabian Mare mold), Party Time, Sprinkles and the brand-new surprise model. Many of these special runs, including the surprise, were suggested to Breyer via a thread on Model Horse Blab soliciting suggestions for special runs. I'll note that this was only an early iteration of the surprise model; the mold and colors were known ahead of time. The "surprise" was the gambler's choice-style distribution and the rare variation colors (silver filigree, smoke and charcoal). Sprinkles, Gala and Make a Wish are all still pretty highly-sought-after, as is the 20th Anniversary Commemorative Set, a set of 20 mini version of the first 20 Celebration Horses. Single-day Stablemates this year were the Funfetti G3 TWH models - the only time (that I remember) that they've done five colors for the single-day models. 

Prize models this year were Devil's Food and German Chocolate for live show grand and reserve prizes, as well as Carrot Cake, glossy Roxy and an assortment of glossed regular runs for the sectional prizes as usual. 

And now for the super-long JAH recap! 

The recap continues...

And continues...

And continues...

And continues...

And finally ends! 

Now, here are more on-the-ground photos from Lea R.! 

Roxy in her stall

Bold Heart. 

Now, let's take a look at some auction models! 

This SJW is so beautiful! Look at all those dapples. I wonder if he's a Bainbridge piece. 

This Lady Phase is a very pretty lavender version of Jade. So pretty! 

I like this Semi-Rearing Mustang because he's so whimsical and fun! He looks like a stormy sky and then the little umbrellas floating away, it's perfect. 

And lastly, this Nokota has the same pattern as Viajero! Well, at least they got their money's worth out of it. He's pretty in this color! 

And that's all I've got for this week. Check back next week for Breyerfest 2010!