From Kathleen Fallon
Breyer’s 27th annual festival and horse fair, BreyerFest Carnival, was held July 22-24, 2016 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. BreyerFest is dedicated to model horses, the real horses that inspire Breyer’s models and horse lovers of all ages. This year’s festival celebrated the ‘brio’ of Rio’s Carnival and Brazil’s equine heritage, in tribute to the host country of the 2016 Olympic Games.
BreyerFest encourages kids to get up close with the horses and meet their owners, take pony rides, visit a petting zoo, and participate in fun craft activities, such as Stablemates paint-your-own-model-horses and play tables. Every ticket purchaser received a Limited Edition Breyer model made exclusively for BreyerFest!
Breyer welcomed to Lexington the first Brazilian Mangalarga Marchadors (the national horse of Brazil) as well as Samba New York, a samba dance troupe. Imperador das Aguas JM, a stunning, 2010 grey stallion imported from Brazil by owner Claudia Bellandi of C&C Bellandi Horse Racing at Oak Bell Farm, is the inspiration for the 2016 BreyerFest Celebration Horse model. Renowned sculptor Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig created the model of Imperador, introduced exclusively at BreyerFest. After BreyerFest, the mold will be retired to the Breyer Vault and not available again in the U.S. until 2019.
Activities at BreyerFest include three days of live horse demonstrations featuring some 200 horses of more than 20 breeds; meet- and-greets with special equine guests; pony rides; a petting zoo; a 65-booth Trade Fair; a Breyer super store filled with models; a Craft Center with free craft activities; face painting and story-telling; model horse displays and shows; workshops and free seminars. Included in the event was the Eastern Regional Splash Dogs Championship.
BreyerFest’s Celebration of Horses, on Friday and Saturday evenings in the Alltech Arens, featured top equine entertainers including Sylvia Zerbini(formerly of Cavalia),KYB Dressage, Lexington’s Dan James, Knights of Iceland, Jeff Wilson and Majestic Friesians.
Other Special Guests and Activities included:
Ride A Reiner – Courtesy of the National Reining Horse Association’s 50th anniversary, adults with Intermediate riding skills can experience the thrill of riding a reining horse.
Morgan Wagner and Endo, her blind horse. A poignant story of love and the strength of the bond between horse and rider.
Birds of Prey exhibition
Sunday morning’s 5K Run to benefit Old Friends of Midway, KY
Hans and Nitrous of Majestic Friesians and some of the actors starring in the film: Albion: The Enchanted Stallion.
Petrine Day Mitchum, author of Hollywood Hoofbeats and Jessica Burkhart, author of the Canterwood Crest series
JustWorld International horseless horse show
Special Equine guests who are also Breyer models included:
· Miniature Donkey Champion Hickory Hills Wall Street
· Svali fra Tjorn – Icelandic stallion
· Magic Elixir – son of Breyer Arabian model Rhapsody in Black
· Working Equitation Champion Diablo DC
· Appaloosa champion Lil Ricky Rocker
Breyer’s 27th annual festival and horse fair, BreyerFest Carnival, was held July 22-24, 2016 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. BreyerFest is dedicated to model horses, the real horses that inspire Breyer’s models and horse lovers of all ages. This year’s festival celebrated the ‘brio’ of Rio’s Carnival and Brazil’s equine heritage, in tribute to the host country of the 2016 Olympic Games.
BreyerFest encourages kids to get up close with the horses and meet their owners, take pony rides, visit a petting zoo, and participate in fun craft activities, such as Stablemates paint-your-own-model-horses and play tables. Every ticket purchaser received a Limited Edition Breyer model made exclusively for BreyerFest!
Breyer welcomed to Lexington the first Brazilian Mangalarga Marchadors (the national horse of Brazil) as well as Samba New York, a samba dance troupe. Imperador das Aguas JM, a stunning, 2010 grey stallion imported from Brazil by owner Claudia Bellandi of C&C Bellandi Horse Racing at Oak Bell Farm, is the inspiration for the 2016 BreyerFest Celebration Horse model. Renowned sculptor Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig created the model of Imperador, introduced exclusively at BreyerFest. After BreyerFest, the mold will be retired to the Breyer Vault and not available again in the U.S. until 2019.
Activities at BreyerFest include three days of live horse demonstrations featuring some 200 horses of more than 20 breeds; meet- and-greets with special equine guests; pony rides; a petting zoo; a 65-booth Trade Fair; a Breyer super store filled with models; a Craft Center with free craft activities; face painting and story-telling; model horse displays and shows; workshops and free seminars. Included in the event was the Eastern Regional Splash Dogs Championship.
BreyerFest’s Celebration of Horses, on Friday and Saturday evenings in the Alltech Arens, featured top equine entertainers including Sylvia Zerbini(formerly of Cavalia),KYB Dressage, Lexington’s Dan James, Knights of Iceland, Jeff Wilson and Majestic Friesians.
Other Special Guests and Activities included:
Ride A Reiner – Courtesy of the National Reining Horse Association’s 50th anniversary, adults with Intermediate riding skills can experience the thrill of riding a reining horse.
Morgan Wagner and Endo, her blind horse. A poignant story of love and the strength of the bond between horse and rider.
Birds of Prey exhibition
Sunday morning’s 5K Run to benefit Old Friends of Midway, KY
Hans and Nitrous of Majestic Friesians and some of the actors starring in the film: Albion: The Enchanted Stallion.
Petrine Day Mitchum, author of Hollywood Hoofbeats and Jessica Burkhart, author of the Canterwood Crest series
JustWorld International horseless horse show
Special Equine guests who are also Breyer models included:
· Miniature Donkey Champion Hickory Hills Wall Street
· Svali fra Tjorn – Icelandic stallion
· Magic Elixir – son of Breyer Arabian model Rhapsody in Black
· Working Equitation Champion Diablo DC
· Appaloosa champion Lil Ricky Rocker
