Stablemate Sunday: 2004 JCPenney Parade of Breeds

 It's another Stablemate Sunday on the blog! This month, I thought we'd take a look at one of my favorite Special Run sets of all time - the 2004 JCPenney Parade of Breeds set. It's going to be a long one today, so let's get straight into it! 

While JCPenney had several holiday sets prior to 2004, this was the first year it was given the name "Parade of Breeds." The sets would continue to have this designation until the sets ceased in 2011. This was also the only Parade of Breeds set that included the G1 molds - the license with Hagen-Renaker would expire after this year and the molds in existing sets would be replaced. Because of this, several of the models in this set are highly sought after. In particular, the G1 Draft, both G1 Arabians, and the G1 Thoroughbred Mare are the four most people want from the set.  

My personal favorite from this set is without a doubt the gray Thoroughbred Mare. I'm going to keep this brief, because this girl has her own Collection Spotlight post. She was definitely the first model I tracked down from the set, way back when I got back into the hobby in college. She shows for me under the name A Clear Day, and she has a stack of NAN cards and rosettes to her name. 

The second model I tracked down from this set should not be a surprise - it's the G2 Thoroughbred Mare. At some point I'll get around to doing a conga time post for this mold, as I believe I have all of the obtainables, and if not I'm missing less than a handful. The one included in this set is a lovely matte black tobiano. 

The next model in the set is on the G1 Saddlebred mold. Her color is reminiscent of the old-style red roans Breyer used to do, but she is more of a modern take on the color. She is definitely on the desirable end of the spectrum on this set, but because her color is less realistic, I'd put her below the other G1s in the set. I think I picked her up sometime in 2022 or 2023? I know she showed for me in 2023, so I had her before then. Her show name is Best Believe (yes, it's a Taylor Swift lyric). 

Next we have another of the more popular models in the set - the G1 Arabian Mare in this scrumptious dun overo. I picked this little lady up in 2024 at Rainbow Rave from my friend Kelly M. It's funny because Kelly actually got her from my OTHER friend Kenzie, who realized it when she ran my mini string for me at Rainbow Rave 2025. It's very Sisterhood of the Traveling Model Horse. She's got some rubs and isn't perfect (which is how Kenzie recognized her) but she does show for me occasionally under the name That's That Me Espresso (I love my pop girls). Eventually I'll be searching for a more LSQ upgrade, but for now I'm happy to keep the one I have (and honestly she'll probably stay even if I do upgrade her!)

At this point, my friend Heather B. contacted me asking who I was looking for from the 2004 set. She had accumulated multiples in her quest to find the chalky G1 Arabian Stallion, and was trying to offload her extras. I gave her the list of models I still needed, and we agreed upon a price for them. I picked up everyone (with two exceptions) at BreyerFest 2024. We'll start off with the G2 Saddlebred, done in a lovely matte gray. I love the detail in her blue and white striped ribbons. I've taken her to one, maybe two shows? She usually gets pushed aside in favor of my Emmy and Mini Third Times a Charm. Her show name is Antifragile after one of my favorite nail polishes (any other Mooncat hobbyists?)

Without a doubt, this is the most sought-after model in the set. The G1 Draft is done in this lovely matte reddish roan sabino. The G1 Draft is arguably the G1 mold with the most diehard fanbase, with several sought after runs thanks to the Riegseckers set and the Fanfare Snowflake drafts. Even for a G1 mold, he was used pretty infrequently, often with several gap years in between releases, and prior to the mold's reintroduction in 2014 this release was one of only two post-2000s realistic colorways on the model. The draft has been a staple in my show string since I bought him, and has racked up an impressive number of collectability NAN cards. His show name is Coincidence (another Sabrina song!)

You can tell that I picked most of this set up around the time Sabrina Carpenter dropped an album. The next horse is the G2 Andalusian in a shaded matte flaxen chestnut. He's quite nice, but I've only shown him once - Breyer has come out with so many nice Spanish molds since 1999 that it's hard for him to be competitive. When he showed, his name was Isn't That Sweet, which as I'm looking at the lyrics to Espresso is not correct, but oh well! 

The next horse in this set is the G2 Warmblood in a bay Appaloosa pattern. I think it's more of a leopard versus an extended blanket. He's quite nice, with very detailed eyes and eye whites. Despite this, he's never shown as it's not a mold I particularly care for (although to be honest I'm not thrilled by any of the current Warmblood molds in the Stablemates line - Breyer we've had three new Arabian molds in Stablemates Club, give us a nice Warmblood please!)

The second to last model I obtained in this set is the roan G1 Arabian Stallion, who is one of the most sought after models. He was the last of the ones I originally bought from Heather B. in 2024, although she lost track of her extra copies and I didn't pick him up from her until BreyerFest 2025. He's such a striking model, and I'm glad to have him. I know there's a chalky variation of this model that I'd love to get my grubby little hands on one day, but for now I'm glad to have this guy as a permanent member of the show string. He shows for me under the name Multiple Pocket Options. 

Finally, we have the G2 Rearing Arabian done in a matte bay tobiano. He may look familiar to those who read my monthly additions posts. I was working on taking the photos for this post in March, convinced I had all of the models in the set. Cue my surprise when I did not have a copy of this guy (curse you Tseminole Wind for looking so similar!) Since I had received over half of the set from Heather B. and her multiples, I sent her a quick message asking if she had any duplicates of this guy (and of course she did). I don't have any plans to show him at this time, but he'll definitely get a fun little name referencing the situation if I do!

Who is your favorite horse from this set? I'm partial to all of the G1s, but the Thoroughbred Mare is without a doubt the top of the list for me. 

It's Friday, I'm a Judge! Breed: Carriage Breeds

Happy Friday and welcome back to the Friday judging clinic! We're back in mini breed land today, and I've got a fun little class today. 

As always, my personal judging history and credentials can be found on my About Me page. 

This week, I wanted to depart a little from using three different molds in the class. Instead, I made a class I've been affectionately calling "Oops! All Djangos!" This scenario is something you're likely to find in a class, as most OF showers tend to gravitate toward the same models. We have a really fun case of how to evaluate breed assignments when all models are on the same playing field ABCs wise. Without further ado, let's take a look at our class! 

Friesian stallion

Friesian:

• Horse that is harmoniously built and properly proportioned
• Noble head with small alert ears, lightly arched neck, and a strong back joining a croup of good length
• Long and sloping shoulder, body with good depth and well sprung ribs
• Feathering on the lower legs, long mane and tail. Preferred color is black. 

Standard courtesy the Friesian Horse Society (https://friesianhorsesociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2018_Updated_FHS_BBR.pdf)

Horse A: Friesian 

Georgian Grande stallion

Georgian Grande

• Well-proportioned and built uphill
• Feathering is acceptable but not required
• Acceptable heights: 14.2-17 hands
• Acceptable colors: Black, bay, chestnut, gray, palomino, buckskin, pinto, champagne, dun, silver, cremello, perlino

Standard courtesy International Georgian Grande Horse Registry (https://georgiangrande.com/Fun_Photos/Breed%20Standard.html)

Horse B: Friesian Cross

Georgian Grande stallion

Georgian Grande

• Well-proportioned and built uphill
• Feathering is acceptable but not required
• Acceptable heights: 14.2-17 hands
• Acceptable colors: Black, bay, chestnut, gray, palomino, buckskin, pinto, champagne, dun, silver, cremello, perlino

Standard courtesy International Georgian Grande Horse Registry (https://georgiangrande.com/Fun_Photos/Breed%20Standard.html)

Horse C: Django

Think about how you would place this class when the ABCs are on a level playing field. Are you looking at condition? Shading? Their breed assignments? When you're ready, my placings are below the jump. ↓

You're Just Like Me! Jazz Fusion and Scotty

It's been a long stretch of Wednesdays without a post looking at my collection, or talking about things other than the shows I've attended and what I added to the collection! In honor of that, I'm introducing a new segment I've been thinking about for a while - I'm calling it "You're Just Like Me!" 

My thought process is to highlight models that are similar to each other - the same pattern or masking on different models, variations in a run - basically models that look like other models!

We're starting this series like I do most series - with one of my favorites! Well, two - the Cleveland Bay mold and a Maureen Love sculpt. I think we're all well aware of my affection for both by this point. 

Jazz Fusion was a JAH Connoisseur model in 2007, done on the Cleveland Bay mold. The color and pattern both were designed by Karen Gerhardt, who sculpted the mold.  

Jazz Fusion is a lovely day bay pinto with mapping done in a glossy finish. As typical for the Connoisseur series, there were 350 made of him. 

There is not a single part of his pattern that is left unmapped - even his stripe has mapping! 

The second model we're looking at today is Scotty. Scotty was a Collector's Club Gambler's Choice model on the Classic scale Swaps mold in 2017. Collector's Club members were given the choice to vote on which colors they wanted to see in production, with all colors being reflective of other models. In addition to Jazz Fusion, the other options were Uncalled For (silver bay), Burbank (bay roan blanket) and Fandango (dun). Of the options, only the dun did not make it into production.  

The three voted colors were split into runs of 500 each. At this time, I've only added this one, though at some point I'd like to add the rest. They just aren't a priority for me right now, and my pinto is still a relatively recent addition to the herd. 

One thing about the Cleveland Bay and Swaps molds is they both have the sweetest faces! 

So let's look at the two together now! The pattern is pretty much spot on, as you would expect. The exception here is the mapping - despite there only being 150 more made of Scotty compared to Jazz Fusion, the mapping on the pinto markings did not make the transition. 

Another difference between the two is the depth of color - while Jazz Fusion is still beautifully shaded, Scotty's bay base is slightly lighter toned, giving the effect of more dramatic shading against his darker tones. Scotty additionally has a thicker, more even gloss. 

Who do you prefer? It's a hard choice for me, but I think original Jazz Fusion did it better! You just can't beat the mapping, and it just wasn't feasible for a Classic scale web special. 

It's Friday, I'm a Guest Judge! Breyer Collectability by Amanda Reed

This month, our guest judge is friend and fellow blogger Amanda Reed! She asked me to curate a class for her, and as I know her to be a Breyer collectability expert, I created a fun little all scales collectability class. 

Breyer Collectability

by Amanda Reed

Hello everyone! My name is Amanda and I’ve been in the live show community since 2003! I began as an entrant during my teenage and early college years, then got into judging in 2012 and hosted my first show in 2014. My favorite division is collectibility! I strongly believe that every model is collectible to some degree and I love seeing mid-level and “common” tier collectibility class offerings in addition to all the love the big rarities get. That makes it so much more accessible and less intimidating to the average entrant, and I’d love for nothing more than lots of people appreciating collectibility just as much as I do! I am also very involved in Novice/Intermediate level events in my region, including my own show where I offer all divisions individually rather than double-judged to help promote learning for newcomers. 

Outside of live shows, I also enjoy photo shows, creating art for myself, hobby predictions & statistics, and learning more about hobby history and model collectibility. I have a personal blog, but I have not been posting as much this year due to my work on Stone’s Tribute and History blog series for their 30th anniversary! 

All that said, let’s take a look at our class today! We’ll call this one “Special Run – Editions of 500”. It encompasses three different scales, as well as a couple of different Breyer eras. 

If you have not read past blogs in this series, here is a quick synopsis of the judging standards I use to evaluate (in no particular order of importance):

• Age
• Rarity (not only how many were made, but also original source – how difficult was it to get one new, was it made available towards a collector audience or a general one, did the original purchaser have to shop at a certain retailer, be part of a club, or attend a certain event)
• Desirability/Popularity (of mold, scale, color, and release in general)
• Condition
• Overall impression/presentation (at a live show, this is where I would consider the accuracy of documentation. This step is also where I consider a model’s color/shading – especially nice examples may get a nod in rare cases where I need a tie-breaker)

Horse A: Horse A is “Scotty”, a 2017 Gambler’s Choice Web Exclusive for the Collector’s Club. While many of these Gamblers Choice runs do not have stated run counts, Scotty does and 500 were made of each color. 

Horse B: Horse B was released in 1988, as one of three different color Clydesdale Foals sold through Horses International. 500 were made of each color.

Horse C: Horse C is Mini Gladwin Lucky Grey Lady, sold at BreyerFest 2009 in a set with minis of the other 19 BreyerFest Celebration models up until that point (20th Anniversary Commemorative Set). 500 sets were made.

This might be a little more challenging than some other collectibility judge posts, but think about the details of each model, and place the class yourself! See my rankings and thoughts below the skip.

Show Report: Rainbow Rave Live 2026

🌈 Rainbow Rave Live 2026 🌈

Another Rainbow Rave is in the books. It's hard to believe this is the fifth Rainbow Rave! I've been friends with the host Sarah long enough that I remember when it was still just a thought in her brain. It's incredible to see how far it has come! I believe I mentioned last year that this show fundraises for The Trevor Project, which becomes more and more necessary in the current climate. RRL is a show with the best vibes supporting a great cause, and I'm so fortunate to be able to attend. 

Because the show is so close to me (30 minutes away!) I always make sure to help set up the night before. Setting up the tables is no easy task, and it helps the show host so much to even have one extra set of hands. This year, Sarah had a whole crew to help set up (and it still took about five hours - set up is NO JOKE.) Seriously, if you're close enough to a show hall or if you get into town early, definitely ask your show host if they need any help with set up - they'll appreciate it so much. That being said, the extra hands meant the show hall was nearly completely set up the night before - the only things left to do in the morning were setting up the breakfast bar and putting together the raffle. 

The benefit of the show hall for Rainbow Rave is the size. Not only are there callback tables for every division, but OF Breyer is able to double load classes from the top of the day, which makes the whole division run so much faster. Each ring is also color coded for ease of knowing which division is which, and the OF Breyer Mini and CM/AR Mini are additionally on risers. With all of this, the show moves quickly - the show hall was broken down and the doors were locked by 7pm - a major feat for a show of this size! A huge shoutout to the table break down crew, who began breaking down tables as soon as they could while the last few divisions were finishing up. 

When you and your friend sweep 3/4 of the OF Breyer Mini Overalls

My string did phenomenally. I brought home a stack of NAN cards, multiple sectional champions and reserves, and overall in both OF Breyer Breed and OF Breyer Mini Collectability. This is especially exciting since this is the first time I've brought home an overall in collectability at RRL. The past couple of years there's always been something just a tad more rare than what I have. The OF Breyer Breed Champ was also especially sweet, as it was the pony I bought myself for my birthday last year. 

After the show, a group of us went to a local Amish restaurant for dinner. We had a fun time eating and chatting. You know your party has good vibes when the servers say "these pies are too small for us to sell - do you guys want them? We won't charge you." The desserts were delicious, by the way! The food was delicious too - most of the table opted for the buffet, but I needed a burger after being on my feet all day. 

Fisticuffs in the Amish restaurant parking lot! (all in good fun!)

My favorite thing about RRL, like most shows, is the people. The group that attends truly has the best, most welcoming vibes. Maybe it's the knowledge that the environment is safe, as this is an openly LGBTQ-friendly, affirming, and supportive show.  Either way, there's a good group of people that returns annually (like myself) as well as people new to showing. Every year, I get to see old friends, meet new friends, and see friends I've only ever interacted with online. This year, my mom stopped by for about ten minutes at lunch, which is the first model horse event she's attended aside from Spokes and Spurs in 2024. She was immediately welcomed by my friends. It's such a friendly show environment, and I heartily recommend RRL to all showers! 

The Champions:

Tiniest Typhoon - OF Breyer Mini Foals Collectability Reserve

Twin Telepathy - OF Breyer Mini Foals Collectability Champion

Beauty and Grace - OF Breyer Light Breed Reserve

Make a Good Girl Bad - OF Breyer Sport Breed Champion

Spensy Prancer - OF Breyer Warmblood Collectability Champion (I forgot to get a photo with his ribbon)

Wilderness - OF Breyer Mini Sport/Carriage Collectability Champ

No Other Sadness - OF Breyer Mini Sport/Carriage Breed Reserve

Everyone's Type - OF Breyer Mini Gaited Breed Reserve

Rogi Rage - OF Breyer Mini Gaited Breed Champ

Love You Still - OF Breyer Mini Gaited Collectability Reserve

Visigoth - OF Breyer Spanish Breed Reserve

Total Eclipse - OF Breyer Mini Stock Breed Champion

Friendship is Magic - OF Breyer Mini Stock Breed Reserve and Collectability Reserve

Diamond of the Season - OF Breyer Longears/Exotics Collectability Champion

Not Mine to Lose - OF Breyer Mini Draft Breed Reserve

Join the Heist - OF Breyer Mini Longears/Exotics Collectability Champ

Zoinks - OF Breyer Mini Longears/Exotics Collectability Reserve

Sunset and Vine - OF Breyer Mini Fantasy/Decorator Reserve

Crunch Time - OF Breyer Breed Champion and Pony Breed Champion

Golden Child - OF Breyer Mini Collectability Champion and Fantasy/Decorator Champion

Thrilled to get yet another documentation award!