2024 mid-years or Salvino II: Electric Boogaloo

 Good news, everyone! Breyer finally revealed this year's mid-year releases! I'll start with Salvino:

Yes, this is the same Salvino that got his own portrait on Salinero for Ponies & Palm Trees a couple years ago. The model is pretty (actually really pretty, must have one!), but I'm a little confused as to why they're doing another portrait of Salvino when there have to be other prominent dressage horses they could have chosen instead. Especially since it's an Olympics year. Maybe I'm just being crotchety. For the record, I don't own (or want) the Salinero version of him, so I don't really have a dog in the fight. He is pretty though. Calling it now: he'll be one of the Breyerfest glossy prizes next year. 

Next, we have Quietway Spinabbey:

This one is a portrait of one of Guy McLean's horses, with a custom roached mane! I wonder if Breyer is trying to step up their game and compete with Stone a little more with all these factory custom releases they've been doing lately (roached Mirado, Newport and now this). This guy isn't anything I need, but he looks nice without his mane. 

Next we have a unicorn set, Cyrus and Solana! 

Ooh, I really like these! I'm sensing a "brown" pattern with these releases, but this set is so pretty I don't mind! Selene has been a unicorn before, but Duende makes a good addition to the unicorn herd. So, since Breyer usually does the unicorn set during the holidays, I wonder if there are going to be two this year? Or if the yearly set just got pushed forward a bit? Maybe they thought it would sell better. 

There's also a new Freedom Series playset and some new Collectas. All new releases can be seen here! I hope they have these releases at Breyerfest so I can get a close look at them! 

Llywellyn update!

 Well, we finally have some news on this year's first Premier Club release, and a reveal! Huzzah! Say hello to Llywellyn! 

He's kind of awkward-looking, but maybe it's Breyer's terrible promo photos striking again. Here's his other side:

He's such a chonk, he needs to go on a diet! Haha. I'm not sure if I want to keep him or not - I'll have to wait until I see him in person. But who knows when that's going to happen, since Breyer is estimating a late June/early July ship date. 

I'm still guessing Llywellyn will also be used as one of this year's Breyerfest raffle models - he'll technically be available to Premier Club members beforehand, so it seems likely. 

So, since it looks like it's going to be a while until this guy is released, I went ahead and completed my order for Newport. Looking forward to seeing her soon! 

Breyerfest preference forms!

 Good news, everyone! The preference forms for Breyerfest 2024 are finally available! That means we can finally enter our choices of special run models for our tickets (online and in-person). Get your choices in now so you can have a modicum of control over the special run models you’re assigned. 

I went back and forth on how I wanted to do my tickets - my gut instinct is to get wild cards for everything, and I may still do that - I haven’t quite decided. I definitely want to get a surprise model with every ticket (this year I have 11), and a healthy selection of tickets for all the other models I want (last year I got stuck with a ton of Jump & Drive tickets I didn’t need), but I’m afraid if I go with the wild card option, things will start selling out before I can get all the models I want. I could probably avoid this if I redeemed all my tickets at once, but I’d rather spread it out over all three days (especially if there are variations and micro runs). If I have all wild cards, though, I can adjust my choices on the fly if I get all the variations I want on any particular release. So I’ll have to think about it some more…but not for too long, because we only have until Wednesday to get our preferences in. If you don’t submit a list, you’ll be randomly assigned two models per ticket. Guess I’ll have to do some more thinking! 

In the meantime, here’s hoping we start seeing some auction models this week! The countdown is on - a month from now, we’ll all be gathering for Breyerfest yet again!

Featured JAH - 6/8/2024, Nov/Dec 2000

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured JAH! This week we're covering Nov/Dec 2000, so let's get started! 

On the front cover, David O'Connor and Custom Made take their victory gallop at the 2000 Olympics. On the back cover, a rootin' tootin' Breyer cowboy takes a ride on a new Classics-scale bull. Also, the famous 50th Fanfare MFTs make their debut! 

In the Editor's Column, Stephanie poses with the fanfare MFT set (all four of which I had at one point, since sold off), and talks about Breyer's 50th anniversary and JAH's 25th. She gives some subscription numbers for JAH (15,000). One can presume that that was more-or-less the size of the collector base in 2000. I wonder how much it's changed now? They don't really ever give us any indication of how big the collector group really is. Anyway, on page 3 is the first part of the 2000 Olympics wrap-up. 

On page 4-5 is more of the Olympics wrap-up. 

On page 6-7 is an article about Breyer portrait horse AA Omner, and a reveal of his Breyer model. AA Omner eventually retired to the National Ability Center in Park City, UT. At 20 years old in 2000, he has to have passed on by now, but I haven't been able to find a date of death for him. 

After skipping the retired list for 2000, on page 10-11 is the story of Breyer portrait model Comanche, only survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn and another entry in the Horses in History series. 

On page 12-13 we have an article about rare buckskin Morgan Montana Harvest, another Breyer portrait horse. I wanted Montana Harvest when he first came out, despite Breyer's somewhat strange-looking interpretation of his coat. I wanted Tri-Mi Boot Scootin' Boogie too, so maybe I have a soft spot for the Justin Morgan mold. Not enough to buy any of them, though. 

After skipping an article about professional rodeo and another judge's clinic, this week's centerfold features glorious full-color photos of all four Fanfare MFTs, complete with festive backdrops! I love it. Is this the first time they did a gambler's choice? It was fun and exciting then, but now everything is gambler's choice and it's getting really old. Okay, I'll admit it's still fun and exciting to open surprise models at Breyerfest and see what you got, but the advantage there is that there are usually a ton of people around looking to trade, so it's easier and faster (not to mention cheaper) to trade for the colors you want. 

On page 22-23 is this week's anniversary article, this week covering the 1990s. 

The anniversary article continues on page 24-25. 

On page 26 we have the conclusion of the anniversary article, and on page 27 is the conclusion to the Comanche article. 

After skipping the rest of the rodeo article, Horse Trader, Breyer jr. and a Breyer scrapbook, on page 38 is the conclusion to the Olympics article, and on page 39 is the first page of Vintage Point, this week featuring the Western Prancing Horse. 

The Vintage Point article concludes on page 40 (I had Ranger, the cow pony, as a kid) and that brings us to the end of this week's article. We're done with another year! Check back next week for Jan/Feb 2001. 

Also, I forgot to mention this earlier, but Breyerfest special run preference lists will be sent out on Monday. We only have two days to submit them, so don't waste any time! If you don't put in any preferences, you'll be randomly assigned two models per ticket (a change from past years, where you got wild card tickets), so make sure you get those preferences in! 

Newport!

 Wow, something new to post about! Feels like things have been kinda slow lately. Still no sign of this year's first Premier Club model, but the next Stablemates Club model is available to order! 

From the website:

Our third release for the 2024 Stablemates Club is here! Does something about this gal look a bit familiar? The G2 Thoroughbred got a polo makeover! Customized by Franceyn Dare, she now sports a tucked head, roached mane, and braided tail.

So did they make an entire new mold from Franceyn Dare's customized model? Seems like a lot of expense to go to for one release. Guess we'll be seeing a lot more of the new polo pony G2 Thoroughbred in the future! I'm excited to get mine and see what she looks like in person. And then I'll get to have fun putting her on the shelf next to my other G2 Thoroughbreds, probably after standing them all back up after falling over for the billionth time. 

I almost ordered mine, but then I remembered the first Premier Club release. I wouldn't be surprised if that one becomes available after the deadline for ordering this one passes, but you never know. We have until 6/24 to order and I'm not sure they'd make us wait that long, but you never know. I think I'll wait a few days before order Newport, just in case. 

Pride giveaway!

 Good news, everyone! Well, it’s not quite as good as last year’s Pollock giveaway, but Breyer is giving away three Jewels models (plus matching pins/notebooks) in celebration of Pride month! Enter here. Good luck, everyone!

Featured JAH - 6/1/2024, Sept/Oct 2000

 Hello and welcome to another edition of Featured JAH! This week's issue is Sept/Oct 2000, so let's get going! 

On the front cover, Cedarfarm Wixom struts her stuff. On the back cover, a little girl poses with Miss Resistance Free (real and Breyer) at Breyerfest 2000. 

In the Editor's Column, Stephanie celebrates her 7th anniversary of working for Breyer. Seven years, man. Seven long years...but anyway. On page 3 is the first part of the Breyerfest 2000 wrap-up. A monumental change this year - it was the first year the live show wasn't held on the floor of the Covered Arena! It was held in a tent instead, which I seem to recall hearing from showers who were there at the time wasn't all that much of an improvement from the arena floor. But I digress. 

On page 4-5 is more of the Breyerfest wrapup, including an appealing photo of Leahs Fancy Chick and Leahs Fancy Breyer with owner Anita Horn. There's also a mildly humorous photo of Pay N Go looking slightly perturbed about having to pose with Pal O Mine. Like he's on the alert, ready for any shenanigans Pal O Mine may get up to. 

After skipping the Breyerfest live show results, an article about live show props, and another article about the 2000 US Olympic team, on page 14-15, the Breyer history series of articles continues with the 1980s. 

The 1980s article continues on page 16-17.

On page 18-19 is an article about a series of giant statues of horses painted in various colors and then set up around Lexington. Some of these horses can still be seen around Lexington. There are several at the KHP, including Orion and some horses not pictured in the article. 

On page 20-21, the Wixom mold makes her debut! She's a beauty, but too much of a shelf hog for me. Maybe I'll collect them again someday in the future. As for the real Wixom, I haven't been able to find much information about her, but her owner John Leekley passed away in 2020 after a battle with cancer. According to this article, Wixom was sold in a dispersal sale at some point, but that's all I was able to find about her. 

On page 22 we have a listing of the Breyerfest 2000 live auction models and their sale prices, and photos of a few of them. I wonder where that Lonesome Glory ended up? The Fruit Stripe zebra was also in this auction. Is the owner reading this blog? If so, is that zebra for sale? Just, uh, asking for a friend. We're going straight to page 27 from here thanks to the magic of computers, skipping an article about model horse stadium jumping in the process. On page 27 we have a feature about Quarter Horse stallion Easy Jet, the latest entry in the AQHA series. Fortunately, they branched out a little bit with this release and used the Ranch Horse rather than the Ideal American Quarter Horse. Baby steps! 

After skipping Horse Trader, on page 34 is the rest of the Breyerfest wrap-up. On page 35 is a listing of remaining events from the 2000 Breyer Tour, and a Blast From the Past featuring the Breyer Large Poodle. Not to be confused with the Small Poodle. 

After skipping the Carpe Diem contest winners, on page 38 is Collector's Corner featuring a model horse club and Breyer assistant Kerstin Chalupa, since retired. On page 39 is the first page of this week's Vintage Point, this time featuring the Trakehner. 

On page 40-41 is the rest of the Trakehner article, and that brings us to the end of this issue! Check back next week for Nov/Dec 2000! Can't believe we're almost to the end of another year. I figure all of the remaining JAH issues I have will give me another couple years' worth of content to cover, but fear not - I do have an idea for additional programming once Featured JAH ends: Featured Breyerfest! More to come later on.