Featured Model - 5/14/2022, Hunter Hayes

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model I don't own but may have an interesting story behind it, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is...the Hunter Hayes model! 

This model was a OOAK produced on the Latigo mold sculpted by Sommer Prosser. He was presented to the country singer Hunter Hayes by Breyer shortly before his concert at the KHP in 2016. 

I remember we were all a bit bewildered by this release, because Hunter Hayes isn't exactly a household name - but clearly somebody at Breyer likes him, because now he has this (very handsome) model horse. I wonder if he has any idea how much it would be worth if he were to sell it? Let's hope somebody clued him in when they gave it to him. Maybe it was intended to be a regular run release that was later canceled? Those little HH logos couldn't have been easy to apply - maybe it just didn't work out for a mass production run. 

As for Latigo, he's had a healthy number of releases over the years, in a variety of hairdos, so it's hard to predict where he'll show up next. He was the Holiday Horse in 2019, the Breyerfest surprise model in 2017, and a Breyerfest prize in 2020, among other things...but it doesn't look like he's been a TSC special run, surprisingly enough. Maybe he'll show up there this year? That or a web special would be my guesses. 

Kingfisher, at last!

 Good news, everyone! Months after the accidental tease of Kingfisher through erroneous belly stamps on Cooper, we finally have a reveal! Say hello to the long-awaited newest web special! 

Look at that glossy goodness! He must be mine, despite his noodly legs. This is the first time this combination of legs and hair have been used on this model since Novelisto back in 2014! The entry deadline is 5/12 at 11:59PM EST, so don't wait too long to get your entries in. He's a beauty! 

In other news, the Stablemate runners-up prize for the Best Custom Contest has been revealed: it's a Highland Pony! Observe: 

I gotta wince at that bent ear...there's only going to be like 11 of these things, so how do you miss that? Kinda nondescript otherwise - it's a black version of one of the Iris releases in the Stablemate Club a couple of years ago, but like...why that? Seems like one of those choices they made that's clearly only done to keep us from guessing everything in advance. Also can't help but notice one of those front legs isn't touching the ground. Well, let's hope this one is just a sample and the ones they actually give out will be a little better in the quality department! 

Featured Model - 5/7/2022, Medalist Mangalarga Marchadors

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model I don't own but may have an interesting story behind it, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's models are...the 2016 Medalist Mangalarga Marchadors! (Try saying that three times fast!)

These three test models were produced for the 2016 Breyerfest Silent Auction in celebration of Rio Carnaval and the Olympics. They were produced on the Marchador mold sculpted by Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig.

This photo does a good job of showing off those (IMO) toothpick front legs, and the reason I decided not to collect Marchadors. Well, that and his tiny size - he's about the same size as a Classics model, but is presented as a Traditional. That said, these colors do look nice on him, despite the fact that he's just kind of awkward-looking. Having a lower headset would probably help with that, and the scuttlebutt in the hobby is that he indeed did have a lower headset during the sculpting process, but Breyer asked Sarah to raise his head up for some reason. I haven't seen the photos of the original headset, but it sounds like another one of those head-scratcher Breyer requests (along with lengthening the neck on Forever Saige). 

The Marchador hasn't had the greatest reception in the hobby - his only RR appearance, Enzo, was discontinued fairly quickly and the glossy Enzo didn't really set the world on fire either. It probably didn't help (or maybe it did? Who knows) that his mold sat in the "Breyer vault" until 2019, for no apparent reason, other than to maybe drive up Breyerfest ticket sales. So it remains to be seen where we'll see him next - his gait makes it hard to present him as anything other than a Marchador, but these molds do represent a significant investment on Breyer's part, so I'm sure he'll have another release eventually. Maybe a web special? I can't see him as a Holiday Horse or TSC special run. Maybe a Breyerfest prize model or something? Or they might try another regular run. I guess we'll see eventually!  

Another sneak peek!

 Huh, I thought I posted this yesterday, but forgot to hit publish. Oh well! We've got another sneak peek on the Breyerfest blog for our Friday! Check it out: 

My only guess is that it's the Stablemate runners-up prize for the Best Customs Contest, which is supported by the fact that it's black. No idea which mold it is, as it doesn't seem to fit Lyric or Mini Fireheart. For some reason my mind keeps going to the G3 Cantering Warmblood, but I don't think it's him either. Interesting...well, I guess we'll find out soon enough! 

Breyerfest ticket changes!

 Good news, everyone - there's been an update on how the special run model sales at Breyerfest will work! You can check it out here, but here's a TLDR on the subject:
-Models will no longer need to be paid for in advance
-Ticket books for your special run selections will be mailed out with the rest of your ticket packet, eliminating the need to stand in line to get your ticket books
-Ticket sales have been extended indefinitely, and all tickets purchased on or after May 23 will not have SR models selected in advance; instead those ticket holders will make their selections from whatever isn't already spoken for at the event

I see this as a good thing, as I didn't like the idea of having to pay for everything so far ahead of time, and especially didn't like the idea of standing in line for a ticket book when there's no reason they couldn't be mailed out beforehand. But yeah - if you haven't gotten tickets yet and want to be able to submit a preference list, definitely buy your tickets by May 22. 

We Don't Talk About Brandenburg

 Oops, I totally forgot to make a post about the Brandenburg reveal. Well, better late than never, I guess - say hello to the Best Customs Contest prize model! 

As many people suspected, he's a black version of the original Dundee release. Stunning! Another model I'll have to drool over from afar. I wonder what the Stablemate prize is...and hope it's not a black mini Georg. Perish the thought! I hope we get more fun reveals soon, though, or we're all going to end up like that guy with the stick, poking Breyer to, "C'mon...do something...!" I guess I do a lot of that anyway, but still. 

Featured Model - 5/1/2022, Prism Smarty Jones

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured Model, the weekly blog event where I pick a model I don't own but has an interesting story behind it, give some stats on it and provide commentary about it. This week's model is...the Prism Smarty Jones auction model! 

This model was one of the lots in the Breyerfest 2006 Live Auction. He was produced on the Smarty Jones mold sculpted by Sue Sifton. 

I wanted to talk about this model because he's one of the first (maybe only?) examples of a Breyer factory OF holographic paint job. After the holographic Uffington was released last year, I remember seeing a Facebook post from Karen Williams (former prototype designer for Breyer) saying that she remembered producing this holographic prototype for Breyer when she worked for them, but they could only make one because the paint was too expensive. Of course I can't find that post now, but I swear it was there at some point. So I wonder if we'll see other holographic models in the future? The cost of the paint must have come down some (presumably) if they were able to produce 200 of them for Breyerfest. Something to hope for in the future, I guess. 

Smarty Jones has been a fairly popular mold since his release in 2004, with many releases over the years. His most recent release was the glossy 70th Anniversary chase piece as part of the Collector Club Appreciation event last year, but he's had a lot of releases over the years, so it's anyone's guess where he'll show up next. He hasn't had a web special release for a while, so maybe as part of the Birds of a Feather series, as a really fast bird or something? Falcons are pretty fast - I suggest a Gyrfalcon. He'd also make a decent Holiday Horse, but they seem to be using newer molds for that nowadays, so probably not.