Featured Breyerfest - 2016

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Breyerfest! We're covering 2016 this week, so let's get going! 

Notable events of 2016:

• Harambe the gorilla is shot and killed after dragging a child who had fallen into his enclosure, causing great public outcry online
• Beloved singer/songwriter and icon David Bowie dies unexpectedly of liver cancer
• Beloved actor Alan Rickman also dies unexpectedly of cancer
• Japanese company Funai manufactures the last VCR

And in Kentucky, Breyerfest 2016 was happening! 

Dates: July 22-24, 2016
Theme: Carnival (celebrating the 2016 Olympics happening in Rio de Janeiro)
Celebration Horse: Imperador das Aguas JM
Number of Celebration Models produced: 8,000

Here's the first 2016 page from the new commemorative program:

The real Imperador das Aguas JM was (as seen above) the Celebration Horse for this Breyerfest, though he wasn't able to attend due to last-minute illness. Instead he was represented at Breyerfest by one of his sisters and other horses from Marchador Stables. I wasn't able to find any information about whether Imperador is still alive, though he would be 16 now, so...probably? He got his own brand new mold for Breyerfest, though its reception was rather lukewarm due to the mold not translating to plastic very well and various conformational issues (I wanted to like him, but he's the size of a Classic, his front legs look like toothpicks and the bumps on his muzzle make him look 30 years old). His mold went back into the "Breyer Vault" (aka "rarity" stunt) and emerged to little fanfare in 2019. 

This Breyerfest was a little different for us - it was the first time we were able to stay at the Clarion during Breyerfest due to me "borrowing" an extra room from the volunteer coordinator (I was a volunteer for the third time). It was also the first time the evening Celebration of Horses show was held on Friday and Saturday nights and also the first year the 5K run was held. 

Raffle models were the droolworthy Cinza and Areia, while the early bird model was the rarely-seen polo version of Smarty Jones as Polomar and the volunteer model was Caipirinha. Single-day Stablemates were Sao Paulo, Para, Amapa and Bahia. Para is the only one of the four that I ended up keeping - I wanted to like the mini Valegro but his feet are too tiny for my tastes.

The list of models produced for the event seems to have stopped expanding (for now). The store specials were quite nice, including Diablo DC, the Schiffeley's Ride set, Dag Dia, the pretty green Auriverde, the crystal Girl from Ipanema, the Stablemate Copacabana and the cute little plush Chiquita. 

Special runs included the much-maligned-but-then-hottest-seller-of-the-event Estrela do Carnival, Mamacita and Chico, Sheila, glossy and matte Namid (or Namib), Bozeman, another-much-maligned-release Furano, Zebu, and the Samba Surprise which turned out (to not much surprise, if I remember correctly) to be on the Esprit mold. 

I recognize at least one person in that group of people walking into Breyerfest. And the car art in the middle of the bottom row was done by a Blabber! The samba dancers were pretty popular too, as I recall. 

Now, here's the first page of the Annual JAH photojournal:

And page 2:

And page 3:

Now, let's see some on-the-ground photos from yours truly! 

People waiting in lines for various things

Diablo DC in the covered arena

Test model in the silent auction

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

I absolutely love this Weather Girl. Her gloss is luscious and her color is great. She looks a little tiny bit like the result of a breeding between Jasmine and a pinto-patterned stallion. 

This Croi is a great color, too. She looks like fire! Fire and ice? Fire and...snow? Well, whatever. I love that color and I wish they'd put it on something I collect! 

I love the dapples on this one! It's only the second time Rain has been used as an auction model. I'm pretty sure I saw this one go up for sale a while back, but I don't remember the sale price (as usual). Her feather is cute too! 

And lastly, here's a handsome Carrick with a custom tail! It's always fun with Breyer switches up the mane and tail options on the auction models (although this is just his normal tail with an added flip). I wonder what he'd look like with a loose tail from Strapless or Latigo? Inquiring minds want to know! 

That's for this week, but check back next week for Breyerfest 2017! 

2027 Vintage Club!

 Greetings, readers! Well, the 2027 Vintage Club is now open to the general public - but wait, don't join just yet! If people don't join and the club takes a long time to sell out, they'll have to reveal more of the releases! I know a lot of people are reluctant to commit to the club without seeing what they'll be buying. I'm going to sit this one out anyways, but hopefully they reveal more releases so people can see what they're buying! 

Deck the Stalls blind bags!

 Well, readers, the much-anticipated blind bags for this year were revealed today! Say hello to the Deck the Stalls blind bags! 

Whoa! So that's what that sneak peek from the newsletter was (the fighter). So these are mini versions of Neva (or Snow Goon, as I like to call him), Benasque, Zugspitze and Courchevel. The mini Courchevel is so cute! I love the purple in his mane and tail. I need three of these - all but the mini Neva, which is sad because I like the bigger Neva. I'm just not into the Fighting Stallion, though. I only bought two of them, though -a friend bought several more, so I'm hoping we get a good assortment and can mix and match for the ones we want. 

Sadly, they did sell out a few hours ago. I hope everyone can get the ones they want! 

Breckenridge selections are out!

 Hark, readers! The selections for Breckenridge have been made! If you entered for him, check your email to see if you were drawn (or go straight to the website and see if you have the option to purchase him). I didn't enter for this one, but congrats to all the winners! 

Featured Breyerfest - 2015

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Breyerfest! We've finished the original commemorative program and are now moving on to the one published in 2025, starting with 2015, so let's get started! 

Notable events of 2015:

• Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest-serving monarch (of any country) in history
• Rubella is declared eradicated in North and South America
• Liquid water is found on Mars
• Hurricane Patricia becomes the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere
  

And in Kentucky, Breyerfest 2015 took place! 

Dates: July 17-19, 2015
Theme: Vive la France! 
Celebration Horse: Simba du Pont de Tournay
Number of Celebration Models produced: 6,500

Here's the first 2015 page from the new commemorative program:

The real Simba is/was an Ardennes stallion who was one of only a handful of Ardennes horses in the USA at that time. I couldn't find any recent information about what Simba has been up to lately or whether he's still alive. I believe his hitch mate in the above photo was in foal to him at the time. I remember being relieved that I didn't want any of the raffle or prize models. I was also a volunteer this year, though I ended up selling my volunteer model afterward (the color is pretty, but I'm just not a fan of SCO). 



Importantly, 2015 was the first year of the Best Customs Contest! The prize models for the inaugural year were Anahi and Agueda - the runner-up Stablemates weren't introduced until a few years later. This has led to some amazing customs being created over the years! I love looking at the entries every year. Other store specials were the still-popular Caves of Lascaux, Frenchie the plush, Joie de Vivre the crystal, Fontainebleau the "Connoisseur" release (which didn't sell well and led to the end of that little experiment) and Art Noveau the Classic. I can't remember if this was the year the pop-up tent was introduced, or if that happened earlier, but I know Caves of Lascaux (among the other store specials) was sold in the pop-up tent, because there were a lot of references to the "Tent of Despair" due to how quickly things sold out. 

Special runs for 2015 were Giverny, La Taureau (derided at the time for his coat pattern resembling mold growth), Enchante (who was well-received when unveiled, but later some buyers were disappointed by his yellow legs), Haute Couture (the hot item for 2015), Ganache (my personal favorite of the group), Chanel and Versailles, along with the Quelle Surprise models on Lonesome Glory. I can't remember who I thought the surprise model was going to be, but it wasn't Lonesome Glory. The colors were great! I think I like the perlino the best. Side note: we went on our year-delayed honeymoon in September of 2015 and saw Oration at the Arabian and Half-Arabian Sport Horse Nationals, which was pretty cool. 

And now, here are the relevant pages from the 2015 annual JAH! 

Page 2:

And page 3:

And now, here are some of my on-the-ground photos! 

Auction models on display

Horse and rider at the evening show

Paddyngton's Mark of Distinction and Holly Armstrong

Some of the costume contest competitors, including Andrea Gurdon in light green/yellow (RIP Andrea, we miss you!)

The craziness of the Stablemate painting tent

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

Weather Girl was still in the "Breyer Vault" at this time, so it was nice to get an auction model on her. Can't help but wonder if this one ended up being the inspiration for Picante? She certainly is pretty. 

This auction model was one of the ones involved in the Great Program Fail of 2015 - Breyer released the Breyerfest program a few weeks before Breyerfest 2015, but there was a software oops - the auction model pages in the program were covered up with an easily-removed white box, revealing all of the auction models! The file was quickly edited to remove the auction models completely, but you know how it goes - once it's on the internet, it's there forever. 

I love the intricate pattern on this Carrick! And the color, too. He's so handsome! 

And lastly, look at this pretty sorrel Othello! Pretty sure I was really hoping he would turn out to be the volunteer model for 2015, but that turned out not to be the case, as the volunteer model stopped being in the live auction starting in 2014. 

And that's it for this week! Check back next week for 2016. 

Oct. Collector Club Newsletter and 2026 Retired List

 Greetings, readers! Two points of interest today: firstly, the October Collector Club newsletter is out in the wild! CC members, check your email to read it. This month's feature story explains Cryptid, there's a racehorse giveaway in honor of the Breeder's Cup, and there's this sneak peek! 

No idea what it is, although I'm thinking Five Gaiter for some reason (I'm probably wrong). I don't think it's the Longhorn Bull pictured in this year's JAH, since he's black and not glossy. I also don't think it's the Christmas model since they don't usually tease those ahead of time. Hope we find out what it is soon! 

And today's other piece of news is the 2026 Retired List! Peruse it here and see which models have been retired to make room for new releases. Brookside Pink Magnum sure got a long production run, huh? Well, now I'm excited to see the new stuff for 2027! 

2027 Vintage Club is open for renewals

 Attention, Vintage Club members! The 2027 club is now open for renewals! If you're wanting to continue your VC membership next year, log on now and renew your membership. Here's one of the releases, Lady Grey!

From the website:

One of our very special releases this year is Lady Grey. Lady Grey is the first of her kind – a factory-painted model inspired by customized models! Two of the model horse hobby’s most accomplished and foundational artists, Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig and Julie Froelich, collaborated to bring Lady Grey to life. She was inspired by “Lady Angelina,” a custom Proud Arabian Mare created by Julie Froelich and Nancy Strowger in 1981. As a nod to Breyer’s original Proud Arabian Mare gift sets, Lady Grey will include a braided black Arabian horse halter.

Lady Grey is so pretty! I love her subtle dapples. She looks really good with that black halter, too. 

Once you join the club, you'll see a welcome letter containing a hint about one of the other releases - "for example, one release completes a family nearly 70 years later!" Prevailing opinion on the Internets is that this is referring to a woodgrain Proud Arabian Stallion, which would be really exciting! Time will tell, I guess. But don't miss your chance to renew your membership - you only have until 11/5 at 10am EST.