Featured Model - 4/29/17, Black Overo Rearing Andalusian

Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a random model from my collection, provide some stats on it and give some commentary about it. This week's model is...the G3 Black Overo Rearing Andalusian!



This model was produced as part of a Mystery Foal Surprise set from 2013-2014. He's item #5883 and is on the G3 Rearing Andalusian mold sculpted by Jane Lunger.

This particular model appeals to me because of all his bat marks. Look at him! He looks like he has little white bats all over him. Or perhaps manta rays. They're a little less bat-shaped on his other side, though. So, this model's name is Bats. He looks very handsome in black, too.

I like the Rearing Andalusian a lot - he's a dynamic mold with a lot of personality. He's just a lot more fun than another sedate mold that's just standing around. And it seems like a lot of other collectors agree with me - he's a very popular mold for a Stablemate. Unless you paint it in pearly bubblegum pink, like Ricochet. That's okay - different strokes for different folks.

As mentioned above, this mold has already been used for the Stablemate Club, so I can't wistfully speculate about him showing up there (or at Breyerfest). So, I'll have to settle for hoping he's the Premier Club Stablemate this year (unlikely, since he was the VC Stablemate a couple years ago), or that he'll show up in some more regular run releases soon (this seems more likely). And I think we're due for some new Mystery Foal Surprise sets, too!

Fiona and Rory!

There's a new special run on the website - Fiona and Rory! Check them out!




From the site:

Fiona and her foal Rory are two lovely black ponies, each with four white socks.  Their inky coats shimmer with just a touch of midnight blue iridescence.  Fiona and Rory also have matching blankets in sparkling blue and silver for extra fun!

 I ordered a set, because I have no self-control. It helps that I didn't buy a Scotty, though - this is Breyer basically double-dipping on shipping. They didn't get me this time, but they probably will in the future. Let's maybe scale back on that type of behavior, eh? It tends to make people angry to pay exorbitant shipping prices, especially when the things show up with a $5 USPS label slapped on the box.

It also would have been nice if these two had qualified for the Mother's Day sale, you know, since it's a mare and foal set and there's a sale on mare and foal sets going on right now. It would have helped at least a little bit  with the shipping issue.

Anyway, I think Gretel looks really good in black, though I hope the "blue iridescence" is noticeable - otherwise Rory is going to look almost exactly like the black Hansel that's in the Heroes of the West set right now. I'll have to take some comparison photos when Fiona and Rory get here. I almost wish this set was glossy, just to differentiate them a bit more. Oh well - can't wait to see them!

Moondance and Zahrat are here!

Greetings, everyone! My Moondance and Zahrat finally arrived, so I thought I'd snap some quick photos of them. First up: Moondance!

 

This girl is really nice. She has a few small booboos, but nothing major.



Look at her queenly gaze!

I love her sassy attitude. I can't wait to see how Breyer uses this mold next!

Next: Zahrat!



This little guy is just as nice as the promo photos indicated. And he's pretty much flawless!



His dapples aren't executed quite the best, but they're subtle enough that you don't notice unless you look really close. I love him!

That's all I've got for now, except for a quick moving update: we have almost everything moved. This is how our dining room looked at one point:

 

Fortunately, the move will be over soon. Huzzah! 

Scotty is now available!

Many collectors who attended Breyerfest last year may remember seeing these models in the Collector Club tent:



These models, on the venerable Classic Swaps mold sculpted by Maureen Love, had paintjobs based on the Traditional models Jazz Fusion, Uncalled For, Burbank and Fandango. Collector Club members had the opportunity to vote on which color they liked the best, to be used in a special run at a later date. Well, that date has finally arrived - meet Scotty!







According to Breyer, the top three colors were so close together in votes that they decided to produce all three! No word on how many of each, of course, although it makes me wonder why they didn't just go ahead and use all four if they were really that close together. I almost wonder if there will be a few of the Fandango-painted ones, randomly scattered in with the other three colors? That would be fun, if frustrating for Swaps collectors.

I don't collect the Swaps mold, so I didn't vote in the poll - might as well leave that for the people who want him. I do really like those colors, though - my vote probably would have gone to Burbank's. I'm definitely in favor of mini-me versions of Trad models, though, so hopefully the next time they do this it'll be on something I'm interested in!

Collector Club members can order Scotty here.

Porcelain to Plastic

One of the things Breyer seems to like doing from time to time is debuting a mold in porcelain, resin or other material before eventually releasing it in plastic. Othello, Giselle and Gilen, and Tenacious/Sir Buckingham (among others) are all examples of this trend. In more recent examples, last year's Beautiful Breeds cob ornament is being released in plastic as one of the Breyerfest single-day Stablemates for this year.


However, there are some older porcelain sculptures that were released in the 1990s that never made it to being released in plastic, including the Shire Mare, Icelandic, Arabian Mare, Spanish Barb, Great Horse in Armor, the Circus Ponies, and others. One thing I've always wanted to ask Breyer is why these molds haven't ever been released in plastic. Not that I'm complaining about it - I'm just curious as to why.

I only have one Breyer porcelain, though I'd like to have more. I like my Adriano but I get nervous every time I have to touch or move him; I'm just too paranoid that he's going to end up broken!

There are a number of possible reasons for the porcelains never getting a plastic release; perhaps it's an issue of getting the rights to the sculptures, or Breyer doesn't think there would be much of a demand or market for releasing said sculptures in plastic, or there might be some technical issue preventing it. Rights-wise, though, I would think either Breyer already owns all rights to the sculptures, or would be able to buy said rights from Kathleen Moody if they somehow don't already own them. Which would bring us back to the demand argument - I doubt they'd put much effort into getting the plastic rights if they don't think there's a market for the sculptures (especially since most of them were released 20+ years ago, making them "old news," as it were). As for technical issues, most of those sculpts have been used multiple times, so I doubt that's the problem.

I would totally be in favor of seeing many of these molds finally released in plastic, though, even if they ended up being Classic-sized. The Classic line could definitely use more molds! The Spanish Barb is one of my favorite molds Breyer has ever released, and I'd love to see him in plastic. I'd really like to see the circus ponies in plastic, too (sans tack). I doubt they'd do anything with the Icelandic now that they have Falhofnir, although he'd probably make a nice Classic-sized Icelandic companion to Falhofnir and the Stablemate. I'd also like to see the resin Hambletonian released in plastic. And it would be interesting to see what the Arabian Mare and Great Horse in Armor look like without tack/armor.

So, I hope Breyer does focus groups at Breyerfest again soon - I participated in one at Breyerfest 2013 but stupidly didn't ask about the porcelains then. I'd love to have another opportunity to ask!

New for 2017 - Liberty!

Looks like Silver is back, with a vengeance! Check out Liberty, the newest special run from Breyer!



This guy is really similar to the centerpiece fighter from the Lone Star Event and Twill from Breyerfest 2013. I really like him! Definitely going to have to get my hands on him. And I think it's safe to say Silver's long exile is over. Where will we see him next? Dare I ask - at Breyerfest? At any rate, I can't wait until this guy arrives in my mailbox!

Featured Model - 4/22/2017, Palomino Friesian

Greetings, readers, and welcome to the latest installment of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model from my collection, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is...the Palomino G3 Friesian!

 

This handsome guy appeared in the 2008 JC Penney Parade of Breeds set, as a "Cob," a label bestowed on him fairly frequently (probably because you can only issue him in black so many times before people start to complain). He's item #410436, on the G3 Friesian mold sculpted by Jane Lunger.

I like this mold; he's got a lot of flowing hair, but he's not ridiculously hairy like various Moody molds. His face has a lot of personality. He does have the thicker legs typical of newer Stablemate molds, but considering the Friesian is a bigger breed, thick legs aren't necessarily out of place. And he has a nice animated gait that conveys plenty of action.

The mold has been used at Breyerfest at least four times and is in the current lineup in several different iterations, so I wouldn't expect him to show up at this year's Breyerfest or in the Stablemate Club. Though I wouldn't turn him down if he did.

I do wish Breyer would bring back the Parade of Breeds sets; they're fun to collect! Even though JC Penney seems to have gotten out of the Breyer game, I'm sure it could be done. Instead of having the Shadowbox Collection run for years and years with the same models, switch them out every year instead (though I suppose you'd run out of colors pretty fast). Or at least give us a new Shadowbox Collection when you change up the packaging...It doesn't seem likely to happen, but I can dream, can't I?

The Final Single-Day Stablemate - Tushar!

In another shocking middle-of-the-night reveal (they've had a few of those this week, for some reason), the fourth single-day Stablemate has been revealed! Meet Tushar!

I'll start off by saying I love that color. Breyer has been on a roll with their roans lately and this guy is no exception. From the blog:

The handsome Tushar has the distinction of being on Sommer Prosser's new Cob mold (#5730). It's a new mold for BreyerFest Gateway to India!

Tushar is a flaxen liver chestnut snowcap appaloosa. Considering the name Tushar means snow we couldn't think of a better name for this little guy.

 Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be hunting for this one. I'm always down for new molds, and I want to like this one, but there's just something weird about him. He's butt-high, and his whole front end looks completely out of proportion compared to the hind end.

My only hope is that the model is yet another victim of poor photography and he won't look so bad in person. But I'm only going to order two single-day tickets, in any case.

There's been some speculation on Blab that this mold will also be used as this year's Premier Club freebie Stablemate. I was personally hoping to see Django in that role, but since they've delayed so long in showing us what it'll be, it seems likely that Tushar will be used. Which is unfortunate (for me), but good for everyone who likes him! I just wish his front end matched his back end a little more.

Single-Day Stablemate #3 - Mishti!

The third single-day Stablemate is on the blog!



From the blog:

Mishti is a glossy buckskin overo pinto on the Thoroughbred mold (#5602) sculpted by Kathleen Moody. Mishti means ‘sweet person' and we couldn't think of a more fitting name for this sweet Stablemates model!

 I like that she's glossy- she looks like a pinto alternate of Zahrat! I don't know...that copy says she's buckskin, but she looks pretty darn similar to Zahrat. Maybe the difference will be more visible in person. I like Mishti's all-white front leg, too. I'll definitely be going for her!

Can't wait to see what the fourth Stablemate is. I'll be watching the blog tomorrow to find out!

Next Single-Day Stablemate: Anaya!

The next single-day Stablemate's full photo has been posted on the blog! Here she is:



That's an interesting pintaloosa paint job. Also noteworthy: it's not glossy. I wonder if we're looking at a two glossy, two matte scenario this year? Last year I don't think any of them were glossy, but they all were in 2015. They seem to go back and forth.

From the blog:

This horse is on Jane Lunger's Stock Horse mold (#5724) and is a Chestnut pintaloosa. Anaya is another traditional Indian name meaning ‘guardian'.

At least there aren't any embarrassing spelling errors in this one's description. Anyways, I don't collect this mold, so I won't be trying to get my hands on this one. Bring on the third one!

Breyerfest Single-Day Stablemates!

So Breyer posted the first of the single-day stablemates on the blog today, and it's on the G2 Warmblood! Behold!








From the blog:

Vivaan is a glossy silver dapple bay on Kathleen Moody's Warmbold mold (#5607). Vivaan is a traditional boy's name meaning ‘full of life'.

 Silver bay is a color I love, and I definitely collect the G2 Warmblood (not to be confused with "warmbold", see above).  This guy definitely needs to come home with me!

They also uploaded silhouettes of all four Stablemate molds being used this year, on the ticket ordering pages!



Excuse me while I pat myself on the back for successfully predicting two of the molds, and at least picking the correct generation for a third! I definitely wasn't expecting a new mold for the last one, though. I thought Django would definitely be included this year. Maybe he'll be the Premier Club Stablemate instead? Who knows. More importantly, the last one appears to be a new mold! Word on the street is that he's this ornament. Unfortunately, he's not really my cup of tea, and I don't collect the Para Dressage horse either. Which is fine; more money for other things!

We'll still have to wait and see what color the other Stablemates are, but I'm happy I'll only need two of them (that seems to be the trend for me for the past few years). I can't wait to see what they show us tomorrow!

Featured Model - 4/15/2017, Mini Joker

Hello, readers, and welcome to this week's edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model from my collection, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is...Mini Joker!


 

This model was one of 500 produced for Breyerfest 2009. He was a part of that year's Breyerfest 20th Anniversary Commemorative Set, which included Stablemate versions of all the Breyerfest Celebration Horses up to 2009. So, this guy is a miniature version of Tommie Turvey's Joker! He's item #711080 and was produced on the G3 Cantering Warmblood sculpted by Jane Lunger.

Let me start off by saying I loved the idea of the Commemorative Set, and I hope Breyer does a followup set someday! I'm a big fan of doing minis of Trad models on Stablemates, so I'd totally be down with another set of these. I thought 2014 would have been a good year for that since it was the 25th anniversary and would have been a set of 5 models - nothing too involved there. Oh well - maybe someday!

I'll admit this mold isn't my favorite of Stablemate molds, but I somehow still have more of him than almost any other Stablemate mold. Not sure how that happened. Mini Joker is certainly snazzy-looking in black and white, though. He looks like he'd be perfectly at home in a dressage arena or on trail.

Another nice color I like is Crepe Suzette from Breyerfest 2015, though I haven't managed to get my hands on one of those yet. This mold looks good in almost any color, though. Another one of my favorites is the fleabitten gray from 2006-2008, but that may be because he has a lot of metallic/pearly in his finish. I've been saying this a lot...but hopefully this is another model we'll see in the Stablemate Club!

Meet Indu!

The special run Valegro has been revealed, and he's beautiful! Feast your eyes on Indu!



Totally droolworthy! I know what I'll be trying to get from the special run line first! I love the contrast of his lighter face vs. the rest of his body. This guy was designed by Tom Bainbridge, who always does the best dapple grays. He's awesome, though I wasn't expecting to see Valegro in the lineup (what does a canter-pirouette warmblood have to do with India?).

So now we can speculate a little more about what the surprise model will be. I'm a bit surprised that we didn't get any form of Polo Smarty Jones in the lineup. So he's definitely a strong contender for the surprise, but...

...I'm still going with my original prediction of the Moody Andalusian for now. It doesn't seem like the name, "Bollywood Surprise" fits with a polo pony. Bollywood films are known for being over-the-top, larger-than-life melodramas. That suggests something wildly hairy and floofy like a Moody mold to me, and the Andy hasn't been used yet.

Goffert might also be a possibility, except I don't think they'd use a horse with a stand. Possibly Brishen as well. Another possibility would be Croi, but I don't know if they'd use her as the surprise a bare two years after using her in the regular special run line. The Moody Andy was last used in 2014, so they'd be cutting it close with him as it is.

Whatever the surprise is, we'll be able to narrow it down further in the future as more prizes and the like are announced. Then, when they start showing us auction models, we'll be able to get it down to a really short list (barring the two or three auction models they've been keeping a secret all the way up to the event like in the past couple of years; I think they do that to make it harder for us to guess the surprise.)

Moondance and Premier Club Blind Bags!

Wow, look at that - Moondance came out when Breyer said she would! Woohoo!

 

She's now available to order for Collector Club members who put down a deposit on her earlier in the year. I can't wait to get her and my Zahrat in hand! I like Forever Saige and all her sass, so the more boss mares I have in my herd, the better (although all my other Saiges are packed in a box right now, so they won't be together for a while).

In other news, it's that time of year again - Premier Club blind bags are available again!

 

If I hadn't been a member of the Premier Club since its inception, I probably would be more interested in this offer - but I already have all the Premier Club horses I want. What I'd really like to see is for these blind bag models to be glossed - we all know they'd instantly turn into hot sellers if that happened. Imagine a glossy Hermosa and Corazon, or Geronimo, or...(gasp) Forever Saige...that would be awesome! Of course, then I'd have to shell out an unimaginable amount of money to get them all, so maybe it wouldn't be such a great idea after all. It sounds really nice, though (and would really help clear out that warehouse!). 

Last Special Run Sneak Peek!

Breyer uploaded a sneak peek for the last item in the Breyerfest 2017 special run line, and it's pretty obviously Valegro! Observe:


 

Valegro is the only mold that has that kind of base, so it has to be him! Yay! Something I actually want for a change! I hope he's a pretty color - some type of chestnut or gray, perhaps? Hopefully we'll find out tomorrow! 

Well, That Was Unexpected

Wow, yesterday's hint actually was a cow. That's a head-scratcher. Here's Diwali:

 

According to the description, she's chalky in addition to being glossy. I have to say I wasn't expecting the blanket and bell, though they look nice. I don't collect the animal molds, so won't be buying her, but that glossy alabaster is something I'd love to see on a lot of other molds.

From the blog:

Diwali got her name because of what the cow symbolizes in Hinduism - wealth, strength, abundance, selfless giving, and a full life, much like the festival of Diwali is in India.

 I'm still going with the "cosmic ocean of milk" theory.

Unfortunately, we're still 2 for 6 on the number of special run line items I want. Or possibly 3 depending on what the surprise is. I'm really hoping the last special run is something I have to have - I don't remember not wanting this many of the SRs since Breyerfest 2012, the first time I attended! Oh well - that's more money to spend at the Clarion. Bring on the next special run!

Diwali

There's a new hint on the blog today - check it out!

Diwali, eh? Let's check Wikipedia!

From Wikipedia:

Diwali or Deepavali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrated every year in autumn (spring in southern hemisphere). ... One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, it spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair.

So, some type of decorator? The consensus on Blab and Facebook is that it's some type of clearware and probably on a mare mold. I'm kind of done with trying to guess these things (just tell us already!), so I'm not going to offer any speculation other than I hope it's a Weather Girl. Let's hope we find out what Diwali is soon!

Actually... now that I think about it, the hint doesn't specifically say this model is a horse, and we don't have an animal in the special run line yet. So it could be an animal. Perhaps it's a cow? From Wikipedia (emphasis mine):

The 5-day festival of Diwali begins on the day Goddess Lakshmi was born from the churning of cosmic ocean of milk by the Devas (gods) and the Asuras (demons).

Now, apparently the cosmic ocean of milk actually refers to the Milky Way, but we know Breyer doesn't always do more than skim the surface (tee hee) of whatever they're trying to reference or emulate, so I'm guessing this model is a cow. Prepare for the clearware cow! 

But seriously, a clearware Weather Girl would be super cool.

Featured Model - 4/8/2017, Horse Crazy Peruvian Paso

Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model from my collection, provide commentary about it and give some stats on it. This week's victim: the Peruvian Paso from the Horse Crazy Gift Set!



This guy was issued from 2014-2015 as part of the four-piece Horse Crazy Gift Set, with three other crazily-colored models. He's on the G3 Peruvian Paso mold sculpted by Jane Lunger and was item #5372.

Going by the packaging (lots of purple and pink), these Horse Crazy sets are aimed at girls. All the same, I like that at least not all of the horses themselves are pink or purple - they've done green, yellow and blue as well. And this guy is blue - my favorite color! He looks like a piece of delicious blue raspberry candy. Yum! And his glittery mane and tail don't hurt, either. It's always interesting to see the clear models, because it gives you a glimpse of the "inner workings" of the model, as it were. For instance, I would have thought Stablemates were solid-cast before seeing these types of models, but clearly that isn't the case.

I don't have as many of the Peruvian Paso in my collection, for some reason - it doesn't seem like he gets used as often, probably because his pose keeps him from being used as anything other than a Paso. I like him, though - he doesn't have crazy amounts of hair, but he still appeals to me. He's one of those solid, steady molds on the fringe that don't immediately jump out at you, but still manage to stay on the shelves through numerous collection purges (not that I've done much Stablemate purging, but still). Let's hope the Paso gets used again soon. Ooh, he's another one I'd like to see in the Stablemate Club! Make it happen, Breyer!

Non-Reveals

This was posted on Breyer's Facebook page today:

 

So, what you're really saying is, we're kicking off the weekend with nothing. Because there's no way they're going to reveal what the surprise is in advance. You know, because then it wouldn't be a surprise? Bleh.

I'm still sticking with my probably-wrong prediction that it's the Moody Andalusian. But at this rate it's looking more like it'll be on a mold I don't collect, to go along with all the other special runs that are (so far) on molds I don't collect. This is looking more and more like Breyerfest 2012 all over again!

Maybe I'm just grumpy, or impatient, but I'd really like to see what the rest of the special runs are without having to wait until the absolute last minute until the Early Bird deadline (4/15). Oh well. Here's something that makes me happy - a picture of our pup!

 

His name is Max, and he knows exactly how cute he is.

But I digress. Hopefully we find out the other two Breyerfest special runs soon, because I'm dying over here!

Bandera is here!

Hello, readers! Tonight's blog subject is simple: I finally got a Bandera! I got him from my husband for my birthday. I know I haven't been doing a lot of posts about new releases lately - that's because we recently sold our house and will be moving, and I've been cutting back on purchases as a result. Fear not! I should be able to blog uninterrupted (hopefully). So, on with the show! Here are some quick cell phone pics of Bandera:

At first glance, he looks pretty nice (other than the whole "somebody stole a bunch of branding irons and then went to town on this poor horse" thing). But then you look at his eyes and...yeesh.

 

 In the first photo, you can see the shading on his muzzle and other areas and the "burnished" look on his tail. Clearly the intent was to make him look like bronze (maybe they thought that would lessen the "someone please rescue this horse from the branding irons"), but they could at least have painted his eyes. It's so creepy-looking!

Well, anyway. Here's his off side.

His mane looks burnished too. But his hooves aren't; their unfinished look matches his unfinished eyes. What gives?



Quality-wise, he's mostly okay, but does have some small box rubs (grr) on his right hip. Not sure how you'd show this model anyway (other than an example of what not to do with branding irons), but the box rubs are still irritating - especially since he came with those plastic cutout things to protect his legs from the back of the box. At least it's a flaw that wouldn't be terribly difficult to have fixed, should I decide to go that route.

Conclusion: While I like the Geronimo mold, and the concept of this model, the execution left a little to be desired. Let's hope Saffron looks nice!

Namaste and Second Stablemate Club Release!

The model in Friday's blog hint has been revealed, and it's the National Show Horse!

 

From the blog:

Namaste is a lovely palomino with traditional henna designs, a pearly mane and tail, and high gloss finish. We can't forget the radiant flecks of gold in his coat. Namaste is on the National Show Horse mold (mold #479) whose majestic mane and tale accentuate the beautiful henna designs.

Darn it, Breyer! Quit putting pearly on things I don't want! It makes it harder to resist buying them!

Roughly translated, "Namaste" means "the spirit within me recognizes the spirit within you." We thought this was the perfect name for our decorator model whose bold, asymmetrical decorations, lustrous finish, and flowing mane and tail perfectly capture the romantic spirit of the horse that is such a part of our lives here at Breyer. The spirit of the horse here at Breyer recognizes the spirit of the horse within you.

That's deep, brah.

In all seriousness, Namaste is quite pretty. His (her?) color reminds me a lot of the 2008 Holiday Horse, Noelle. Unfortunately, I sold off all of my National Show Horses last year, still more victims of the dreaded shelf space shortage. So I won't be buying this pretty girl, sadly. Here's hoping the next two special runs are more to my liking.

In other exciting news, the second release in the 2017 Stablemate Club is now available! Meet Zahrat!



 
He's a delectable glossy bay on the G2 Arabian mold! I'm over the moon with this release, because it's one I can keep! Yay! I had a lot of disappointment in last year's SMC releases because most of them were on molds I didn't collect! Yay, Zahrat can stay with me! I love his chocolate/caramel goodness! Let's hope they're nice, quality-wise. The sample's gloss looks a little iffy, but it could just be the promo picture. I can't wait to get mine!

Featured Model - 4/1/2017, Moonraker

Hello and welcome to Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a random model from my collection, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is... Moonraker!

Whew, this post is late today! I was busy doing real-life things and didn't have time to get it done earlier. Oh well.

Moonraker was issued in 2012, one of four Breyerfest single-day Stablemates issued on draft molds cleverly named after beers. As item #711141, he was a run of 1,000 issued on the G2 Clydesdale mold sculpted by Kathleen Moody.

Breyerfest single-day Stablemates are usually pulled off pretty well, and this guy is no exception. He's a very handsome glossy blue roan (if somewhat similar to the original blue roan sabino release from 1998), but he's different enough that you wouldn't mistake them for each other. While I don't remember if the Stablemates from that year had flaws, this guy didn't have anything seriously wrong with him.

Unfortunately, I don't think that year's Stablemates were particularly popular - I had no trouble finding the three I wanted leftover in the Breyer store in 2013 (although that was the last year I found leftover Stablemates from the previous year, to my chagrin - still looking for an Indigo).

As for this guy's mold, I used to like him better, but on closer inspection now, his feet look a little weird. Not sure why, but they do. Otherwise he has a lot of personality (although the likelihood of seeing a real Clydesdale doing a canter seems low). He's been used a lot over the years - most recently in the four-piece Best of British series, and he's been a part of the 12-piece Shadowbox Set for the last seven years (I wish they'd change up the horses in that set). But I wouldn't protest at seeing him in this year's Stablemate Club! I'll keep my fingers crossed.