The Most Popular Horse Coming To Kentucky In July by Candice C. Curtis It is the most popular equine, found in catalogs and tack stores, at horse shows and co-ops from Maine to Montana and across the world. Enthusiasts of every event and activity in either English or stock seat are enamored of them, and even drivers of both sulky and steel plow find homes for them. These horses come in every color and pattern imaginable, in a variety of sizes to fit even the most shoestring budget. They require only the most basic maintenance and expenses are non-existent. They are made in the USA in a mysterious factory in Pequannock, New Jersey. What is this super-equine? A Breyer model horse, the star of a large and fast-growing hobby. Fifty Thousand Breyer Collectors Can't Be Wrong The last weekend of July, the three sectors of the model horse hobby converge on The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky for the annual Breyerfest. The convention, which began in 1990, draws thousands of collectors from around the world. A trade tent, model horse shows for all ages of exhibitors and seminars on painting and tack making are crammed into three days of events. Collectors can get up close to the real horses who grace their models, such as the Appaloosa Pay N Go, who made an appearance at Breyerfest 2000. Breyer produces several special run models that can only be purchased at the convention, and collectors stand in long lines for hours to snag one. The weekend concludes with a barbecue dinner, where a special horse is raffled off to lucky ticketholders. After the dinner, rare and test run Breyer horses are auctioned, some for thousands of dollars. Breyerfest is also a chance for hobbyists to meet and catch up with friends, many of whom only communicate via e-mail until that one weekend. Breyerfest 2003 is July 25-27. See www.breyerhorses.com for ticket information. The model horse hobby allows people who cannot own real horses to participate in a horsey activity that is both fun and educational. It is not limited to one particular breed or riding discipline, and all ages and genders are among collectors. The world of model horses can be a springboard to the real horse world, as evidenced by a certain horseback riding student. History There have been model horses for as long as there have been toys. Suspiciously-equine shaped artifacts turn up in archeological digs across the world. Rocking horses have been popular for hundreds of years, giving many children their first riding lessons. Cast-iron pull toys featured horses hitched to fire engines milk wagons. With the advent of moldable plastic, toy horses became more widely available. The popularity of Roy Rogers and other movie cowboys in the twentieth century created huge demand for them, and tiny Triggers and Silvers paraded under many Christmas trees and birthday parties. Seeking to take advantage of the cowboy trend, a small clock company called MasterCrafters designed a western timepiece featuring a three-dimensional horse. As it happened at the time, the clock company did not have the means to produce the horses, so they contacted a plastics company out of Chicago known as Breyer. To that time, Breyer had molded various odds and ends for other companies like MasterCrafters, and had also done plastics work for the government during World War II (Young, 6). Little is known about those early products, but the results of the 1950 MasterCrafters partnership are legendary. Breyer created for MasterCrafters a horse highly realistic for the time. Standing square, with its neck proudly arched, ears up-pricked, and high-set tail, the horse strongly resembled an American Saddlebred. To make it more western, a Roy Rogers-style parade bridle and breastcollar were added to the horse, and the removable saddle was decorated with fancy 'tooling'. Gold chain reins topped off the ensemble. The horses were painted tan or light brown, or the white plastic was left bare except for light grey shading on the mane, tail, legs and face. The horses were given a glossy finish to simulate the more expensive ceramic horses found in high-end department stores. The clocks and horses were put together in two combinations, one with the horse standing over the clock, and the second style with the horse standing beside the clock. MasterCrafters ordered about two thousand of the horses. In lieu of payment, Breyer kept the mold for the horse, dubbing it #57 (Young, 6). In a change from its traditionally wholesale and industrial sales, Breyer began to produce and sell the horses through retail outlets such as Woolworth. The horses were a tremendous success. Seeing the potential in the toy business, Breyer produced several other toy horses, including a smaller version of the clock horse and cowboy and Indian rider figures. By the end of the 1950's, Breyer was a standout among toy companies, with a line that included models of TV horses such as Fury, and even a steed for Davy Crockett. A few other animals joined the line, but the horses were clearly the stars. In all of the models, realism and attention to detail were key. In the 1960's, the popularity of the horse and rider sets waned, but Breyer horses by themselves were still favorites. Breyer's sculptor, Christian Hess, created horses in more active poses and with more breed-specific characteristics, such as the five-gaited American Saddlebred captured in a high-stepping rack. Two rearing horses joined the herd: a half-rearing Mustang and a striking Fighting Stallion. Breyer artists experimented with colors and finishes, creating a glossy grey appaloosa and a dark charcoal that were entirely different from what other companies were producing. Some Breyers were done with a faux woodgrain finish. In an attempt to market the models as a higher art form, a series of horses were released in very unusual non-realistic colors such as blue and gold. Dubbed decorators, the four wild colors were not very popular and were quickly discontinued. Breyer horses also appeared for sale in the Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs, which brought the horses to an even wider audience of horse lovers. By the 1970's, Breyer had gained a reputation for plastic equines of the highest quality. Because of this, several people allowed their real horses to be immortalized in plastic. Actor James Brolin's racing Appaloosa Stud Spider and country musician Lynn Anderson's Quarter Horse Lady Phase graced two new Breyer models. Also in the 70's, a new line of smaller horses was released, called the Classic Series. The classic horses were doll house scale, and made from horses originally created by the ceramics company Haegen-Renaker. For a few years, the Sears catalog featured flocked Breyers with brushable manes and tails. Breyer began to produce models of the characters from Marguerite Henry's classic books such as Misty of Chincoteague. The model Misty was introduced in 1972 and has remained in the line ever since (Browell, 68). At the end of the decade, the smallest Breyers were released, called Stablemates. Breyer Animal Creations faced some dramatic changes in the 1980's. In 1984, Breyer was sold to Reeves International, the parent company of die-cast car producer Corgi. The company moved from Chicago to Pequannock, New Jersey. With new ownership came new sculptors, who brought a different style and look to the Breyer line. Longtime sculptor Chris Hess was suffering the effects of age, yet was still able to create several pieces, including Secretariat. Aware of the growing collector market, Breyer began to produce special-order models for stores and catalogs. Yet another scale of horse was introduced in the 80's, the Little Bit series. Sized between the Classic and Stablemate scales, the Little Bits featured among more common breeds a Clydesdale and Unicorn. The last ten years have been marked by tremendous growth of the model horse hobby and increased realism in Breyer models. In 1992, a new sculptor burst onto the scene with her fine porcelain Icelandic Horse. Kathleen Moody's horse was the most dramatic Breyer yet, with its delicate and incredibly lifelike features. Moody's talents were captured in plastic beginning in 1993, with her portrait of the Olympic silver medalist in showjumping, Gem Twist. Pressured by the emergence of new model horse companies, Breyer contracted other sculptors to add to the line. Portraits of famous equines such as the racehorse Cigar and influential Quarter Horse sire Zippo Pine Bar appeared in the 90's. Today, Breyer is known as "America's Premier Model Horse", a worthy title for the longtime producer of the most realistic plastic ponies in the world. Collecting and Other Activities In the beginning, Breyer horses were simply toys for children. However, like many fun collectibles of today, the children who loved them grew into adults who still loved their toy horses. People began to search for older models in antique stores and fleas markets while continuing to add new horses to their collections. Younger collectors would make saddles and tack for their models, and the better tackmakers sold their wares to others. After amassing a nice selection of old Breyers and homemade tack, it became necessary for collectors to show off their stuff. The idea of a model horse show was born. Several regional model horse newsletters sprang up in the 70's and 80's, creating a network for Breyer collectors to buy, sell, trade and announce model horse shows (Young, 25). In 1978, Breyer published the first issue of its collector pamphlet Just About Horses. The pamphlet contained articles about real horses and sneak peeks of future models. By the year 2003, Just About Horses, or JAH as it is known in hobby circles, had grown into a full-size, full-color publication about all things Breyer. The Internet was a huge tool in the spread of the model horse hobby. E-mail lists such as Haynet brought collectors from across the world together in one 24-hour forum. Ebay and other internet auction sites made it easy for collectors to find those rare pieces, like the infamous decorators. Model horse showing has changed tremendously from its origins in young collectors' backyards. Shows are held in huge ballrooms or gyms, and are set up just like a live horse show with two divisions, halter and performance. In the halter division, models are judged on realism, condition and rarity. Classes for all breeds are found in model horse shows, from Arabians to Zebras. Careful research is necessary for showers to assign correct breeds to their models. Judges must be knowledgeable of a wide variety of horse breeds and colors and must also be able to analyze conformation in a non-moving object. Judges are always asking the question, "If this were a real horse, would it be able to perform the gait it is exhibiting here?" Newer models have an edge in showing halter, as their conformational characteristics more closely resemble real show horses. Special classes for older models and those with unrealistic paintjobs are usually offered at shows. The performance division is a unique aspect of model horse showing. Exhibitors present their models in realistic dioramas of equine events. The object is for the setup to be so accurate that a photograph of it could not be distinguished from a photograph of real horses and riders performing the same activity. Tack and equipment are incredibly detailed, and much research is done to determine correct placing of the horses in the dioramas. Performance showers frequent live horse shows and talk to riders in an ongoing effort to perfect their entries. Though realism is key, a great amount of creativity and workmanship are apparent in any performance setup, especially those involving older model horses. The rearing horse that in one setup is a runaway mustang could be in another setup a rodeo trick horse. Model horse shows allow people to show a six-Clydesdale hitch in one class, and show a team penning entry in another. One horse can do both western pleasure and fine harness with only a few seconds' worth of tack change. A thing model horse showers have in abundance is imagination. In 1995, a national organization was founded to promote model horse showing and to hold a national championship show. North American Model Horse Shows Association, or NAMHSA, sanctions over 50 model shows per year (NAMHSA). Competition is fierce at NAMHSA shows, for all first and second place finishers get a ticket to NAN, the North American National model show. NAN is held each summer, alternating locations in California and Lexington, Kentucky. Breyer model horses in their factory condition are called original finish, or OF models. Artistic hobbyists began to repaint OF models to create their dream horses. Over the years, customizing model horses has grown into a popular and lucrative activity. Artists take regular run Breyers and saw, putty, sculpt, and paint them until the original horse is unrecognizable. The more talented artists do custom orders that can cost in the thousands of dollars. Customized models also add another level to the model horse show; biomechanics and quality of paintjob become more important than rarity in classes. Sources 1) Browell, Felicia. Breyer Animal Collectors Guide, Second Edition. Paducah: Collector Books. 2000. 2)Piercy, Janet. "Introduction to Model Horses". The Hobby Horse News Special Edition 2002. Special Edition July 2002. 10-12. 3)Unknown. "Mission and History". NAMSHA Official Web Site. . 24 March 2003 12:52 pm. 4)Unknown. "Model Horse Hobby". Breyer. 2002. . 24 March 2003 1:36 pm. 5)Young, Nancy. "Breyer's First Decade: The 50's: Getting a Hoof in the Door". Just About Horses Vol 27, No.2 (March/April 2000) 6-9. 6)Young, Nancy. "A Golden Celebration: The 1970's: Creations Great and Small". Just About Horses Vol 27, No.4 (July/August 2000) 22-25.