Stablemate Sunday: 2016 Stablemate Club

 

In 2015, Breyer announced a brand new club option for Collector's Club members. At this point, Breyer had two other clubs: the Premier Club (which released three brand new molds every year) and the Vintage Club (which used Vintage paint jobs and molds). Both the Premier Club and the Vintage Club focused primarily on Traditional models, with the option of a bonus stablemate at the end of the year. Mini collectors naturally felt a little left out. Enter the Stablemates Club: a brand-new club consisting of six releases: one decorator, one Gambler's Choice, one G1 mold, and one new mold, plus two other models! And to promote the first year of the club, they announced to very exciting things: the new mold would be a Friesian sculpted by Josine Vingerling named Django, and the G1 mold would be the Quarter Horse Mare, unseen in the lineup since 1988. Notably, the only two releases Breyer announced were Primrose and Django. The other four releases were to be a surprise throughout the year.

It's safe to say the hobby went wild. 

On a personal level, I was excited for the club. I was in college at the time, and the only club I could afford on my budget was the base Collector's Club. But the Stablemates were $20 every other month, well within my budget! It worked out well, since I was also mainly collecting Stablemates in college, because they were less expensive and easier to fit in a dorm room. I signed up for the 2016 club without a second thought.

Primrose

The first release of the Club was one of the most anticipated: Primrose, a grullo Appaloosa on the G1 Quarter Horse Mare mold. Primrose had an unintended variation - part of the run was missing the leg barring. The whole run also had a mold flaw on the nose, probably due to its time out of use. 

Sylvester 

Breyer's next release was Sylvester, a glossy dapple gray on the G3 Warmblood Jumper. Sylvester was received well by the hobby, as the Jumper mold is fairly popular. The most criticism came from the execution of his dapples, which is pretty typical for Breyer's dapple gray releases. 

Shiloh

The third release was Shiloh, a chestnut pinto on the G4 Warmblood mold. The mold is notoriously tippy, and so poor Shiloh was one of the least popular models of this lineup. To this day, Shiloh is the only Stablemates Club release that I've needed a replacement for, which is pretty impressive since I've been in the Club for six years now! 

Ricochet

The decorator was a little wild - Ricochet is a pink florentine on the G3 Rearing Andalusian mold. Ricochet, like Shiloh, is one of the less popular releases of the 2016 lineup. I recall his color being described as "Pepto-Bismol pink" when he was announced. 

Diesel

The Gambler's Choice was a hit, on the wildly popular Reiner mold. Named Diesel, he came in four colors: a glossy grullo pinto, a glossy bay blanket Appaloosa, a glossy brindle, and a classic Wedgewood. The color I received was the Wedgewood. These guys can be tough and a little expensive to track down - I didn't finish the set until 2020. 

Django

Breyer held off on the new mold until the final release - Django, a standing Friesian. The mold has been immensely popular since then - I would estimate that out of all the new molds introduced since the club's beginning, Django is by far the most popular, with either Corbin (2019) or Cassidy (2020) coming in second. 

Vintage Feel in a Modern Coat

 On an unassuming Wednesday in January, Breyer slyly dropped a few new releases on their website. The kicker? No one knew they were coming. They hadn't been announced with the spring 2022 dealer releases and they were initially listed for $35. significantly cheaper than the other traditionals listed on the website. The other thing about the new releases? They were all on vintage, less than popular molds. 

The models were up at the $35 price point for a short time before being relisted for their current price of $45, which is still less than other regular run traditionals, which tend to retail for around $50. 

The assortment of six includes a silver bay Roemer, a silver black Black Beauty, a black Man O' War, a glossy palomino Quarter Horse Gelding, a chalky gray Roy, and a chestnut Trakehner. 

Of the six, so far I've purchased just one - the chalky Roy, though I do plan on picking up the chestnut Trakehner at some point. 

I'm glad to see the vintage molds getting more use! They aren't always everyone's cup of tea, but they do have fans and deserve to have the nice paint jobs other molds get. It's also nice to remember that not every regular run Breyer makes needs to be a portrait model. The slightly lower price point of these guys also makes them (slightly) more accessible, which is never a bad thing. Personally, I hope they continue doing this. I'd love to see a Phar Lap or a Quarter Horse Yearling! 

Collection Spotlight: Jazz Fusion

I asked a hobby friend who my first collection spotlight should be, since they're familiar with my collection. They said Jazz Fusion. It ended up being perfect, since I had planned on the first conga time to be my Cleveland Bay conga. He was already off the shelf, so it made getting pictures easy. 

I was searching for a Jazz Fusion for a while, since I knew I would need time payments for one. I paid him off throughout the first half of 2016 on my college job's meager paycheck. I finished paying him off at the end of the spring semester, and had him shipped to my mom's house.   

Unfortunately, he arrived with a broken ear from shipping, and I have yet to start the process of getting him repaired. It means he doesn't get the attention some of my other Cleveland Bays do, because they can show and he can't. 

A fun fact about Jazz Fusion is he was my first Connoisseur model! I've only bought Reverse Polarity since, but I'd love to find a Tempest or a Pandora. All of the Connoisseurs are so well done in my opinion. 

Jazz Fusion was offered in the July/August 2006 issue of JAH. He's a glossy dark bay tobiano with plenty of mapping. Like all Connoisseur models, there are 350 made of him. 

When I said he had extensive mapping, I wasn't kidding. Look at his face! I wish more of the web specials had this level of detail. 

 

BreyerFest 2022 Limited Edition Overview

 

Welcome to Part Two of my BreyerFest overview! This week, we're taking a look at the Limited Editions that will be available to buy. These models are available to all ticket holders, including those with online tickets. 

Montanara; 3,000 made

First up is Montanara on the old mold Friesian! Montanara is a Black Forest Horse, and his real-life counterpart will be one of the guest horses at BreyerFest this year. I actually very much like the old Friesian mold, even if I haven't managed to pick one up yet - looks like Montanara might be my first! I'm also hoping Breyer offers preordered glossy guest horses again this year because he would look super fabulous in gloss! 

Chardonnay; 3,000 made

The next Limited Edition is Chardonnay on the Flash mold. Like Montanara, Chardonnay is one of this year's guest horses and is a German Riding Pony. I think someone at Breyer must really love German Riding Ponies, because the Celebration Horse this year is also a German Riding Pony, and is on a new mold. I'm not complaining though 😂 Chardonnay is a must need for me - Flash is one of my favorite congas! 

Chablis; 3,000 made

The final guest horse Limited Edition this year is Chablis on the Idocus mold. The real Chablis is a Württemberger, which is a warmblood breed I actually hadn't heard of! At any rate, he's gorgeous. The color looks great on Idocus, and I'm so glad to see the braided version make a reappearance. I think this is the first year I like all three traditional limited editions (also, he'll also look great in gloss, I'm just saying 👀) 

Black Forest; 3,000 made

The Limited Edition Classic decorator is...interesting, to the say the least. I feel like compared to previous year's Classics he's a little lackluster, though it is nice to see the Shire used again. There's a lot of potential for a German decorator (musicians? art? something flashy?). Even when compared to Cupcake and Red Velvet, the cake-themed regular run Classics Black Forest looks plain. I feel like there was more they could have done, even for the Black Forest cake theme. He just looks like a black horse rather than a decorator. 

Strudel; 2,500 made

Every year, the plushie is one of the cutest items Breyer puts in the lineup, and Strudel is no exception. There had to be lederhosen somewhere in this event, and it makes perfect sense to put it on the plushie! This guy will have to come home with me to join Mackenzie and Pal's Palette!  

Rhenish Draft; 5,000 made

Breyer surprised us this year with a fourth Traditional limited edition - a flaxen chestnut Rhenish Draft on the Georg mold, available exclusively online. Unlike the other three in the lineup, the Rhenish Draft is not a portrait model of a guest horse. I think he's stunning, and a draft horse was much needed in this lineup! 

Wittelsbach; 5,000 made

And on to my favorite part - the Stablemates! First up is Wittelsbach, a decorator on the new Eberl Arabian stablemate mold. Breyer based his design on the Bavarian flag, but the first thing that came to my mind (and I expect other people's!) was Newmarket, the BreyerFest 2018 decorator on the Flash mold. Now, you might remember from a few models above that I LOVE the Flash mold, and I think this little guy is going to look super cute in front of Newmarket on the shelf. 

Torlinie; 4,000 made

My first words upon seeing the next Stablemate release were "he's weird. I like him." Torlinie, on the Clydesdale mold, is patterned after a soccer ball, with one of his black spots colored after the German flag. Like the Rhenish Draft, he is only available to purchase online. I can't imagine he'll be very popular - the poor Clydesdale has had a bit of a backlash due to being in nearly every unicorn blind bag, and the color is unorthodox. But that's okay, it just means that I don't have to fret about him running out of stock! 

Best of BreyerFest Series 3; 3,500 sets

Breyer has brought back their popular Best of BreyerFest stablemate set for a third year in a row, and I must say I think this is my favorite set they've done. I adore all of the molds used, and the colors are fantastic. I think my favorite has to be mini Caipirinha (a rose gray Walking Thoroughbred? Be still my beating heart), but the mini Pele on the Croi mold is a close second (the glossy bright bay is just perfection). 

Lorelei; 2,200 made

The final Limited Edition is the crystal. This year we have Lorelei, on the Proud Arabian Mare mold. I think the crystals are neat every year, but I have cats, so they aren't ever something I'll pick up. She sure does look pretty though 🤤

Like with the Special Run lineup, I think Breyer did a great job with the Limited Editions this year. My wallet is definitely crying in anticipation. 😅

BreyerFest 2022 Surprise Horse Speculation

The question that haunts BreyerFest every year - what mold will the Surprise Horse be on? The hobby scours for clues - references to a gender hidden in the copy, speculation based on the theme and the name of the surprise. Sometimes the hobby gets it right - like Smarty Jones as the Dark Horse Surprise during Off to the Races in 2018. Other years, things get weird - see Latigo for Gateway to India in 2017. This year, the theme is "Rotating Draft Surprise." Now, the consensus online seems to be that the mold this year will be a draft mold due to that. However, the name of the surprise isn't necessarily a clue either - last year's 7 Arts Surprise didn't have seven options. Breyer also has not used a draft horse mold for the Gambler's Choice ever. That isn't to say they won't - both a vintage mold (the Quarter Horse Gelding) and a pony mold (Flash) have been used once each, and Breyer has never used either a gaited mold or a light breed. 

By far, the most common mold seen has been a stock mold, constituting five of the surprise molds. Next, sport and Spanish are tied with three uses each, with pony being a distant last with just one use. The mold breakdown is as follows: 

So the most recent mold used was Dundee, a stock horse. It is safe to assume that since Breyer isn't prone to using the same type of mold twice in a row that the mold will not be a stock mold. Likewise, the only vintage mold used was the Quarter Horse Gelding in 2009, the first surprise horse. All molds used since then are relatively popular, modern molds. We can also rule out the molds that have been used as Special Runs from 2020, 2021 and this year, as well as foal molds. 

These eliminations leave us with the following molds: 

* - Multiple mold options

I'll also list the draft mold options not covered in the previous list:

• Belgian 
• Clydesdale Mare
• Clydesdale Stallion 
• Georg (used as a Special Run in 2020, and is a limited edition for BreyerFest 2022)
• Othello (used as a Special Run in 2020) 
• Roy the Belgian
• Shire

Of these options, I think the strongest contenders are: 

• Cleveland Bay: He has multiple manes, he's a popular mold, and he's just drafty enough to fit the theme
• Racking Saddlebred Stallion/Hamilton: He's a popular mold, he's currently in production as Marc of Charm, and he's one of two Premier Club molds that hasn't been used for an obtainable BreyerFest release
• Salinero: He's popular, he's been in production recently, and he's a warmblood sculpted by a German artist, putting him very on theme

Of course, this is all my speculation and I could be very off base. I have a sinking feeling it's going to be Hamilton, which my conga and wallet will not like, but maybe I'll get lucky and it will be something like the Icelandic. 

Conga Time! Cleveland Bay

You might recognize these guys from the photo at the top of this blog - it's my Cleveland Bay conga!

The Cleveland Bay is one of my all-time favorite molds. My conga is currently complete with the exception of raffles, prize models and OOAKs (who are all financially unobtainable for me) 

He has such a sweet face. 

I love how versatile the mold is. 

Limerick was my first horse on the mold. My first BreyerFest was in 2008, and he was my top SR pick! I didn't get to go to BreyerFest again until 2020, when it was online. 

The WEG 2010 signing horse was the last obtainable I needed for my conga. I finally picked him up last year. That's 13 years of collecting this mold! 

It might be cliché, but Chickory is my favorite on this mold. 

The regular runs
L-R: Irish Draught, Tregoyd Journeyman, Trooper, O'Leary's Irish Diamond

The BreyerFest models
L-R: Limerick, Oliver, Tunbridge Wells 

The web specials 
L-R: Astru, Murphy, Griffin, Paddy

The other special runs
L-R: Jazz Fusion, JCP Palomino, Chickory, WEG Signing Horse

First 2022 Stablemates Club Release - Dax!

It's February and you know what that means...

It's time for the first Stablemates Club release! This month we kick off the club with Dax, a chestnut Appaloosa on the mini Fighter mold. Those of us with eagle-eyes might recognize his pattern as identical to that of the 2019 BreyerFest Special Run Quill. 

I think Dax is super cute, and I can't wait for mine to show up! I love Breyer's trend of reusing patterns from Traditionals on Stablemates. 

Dax will be available for current Stablemates Club members to purchase until February 25. 

BreyerFest 2022 Special Run Overview

So for this post, I'd like to chat about the Special Run releases for BreyerFest this year. These are the models available in-person only to attendees with VIP and All-Access tickers, each of which allows the ticket holder to purchase up to two. This year, there are 10 Special Run models, which is up one from the last two years. The piece counts have also been upped across the board. It's clear Breyer is expecting a large crowd in Kentucky this year. If not, I'm hoping they'll offer the extras to the online only attendees (which, the issue of Special Runs and online attendees is a topic for another post). So, without further ado, the BreyerFest 2022 Special Run lineup: 

Ländler; 2,300 made

Breyer's first announced release was Ländler, a rose gray on the Totilas mold. To me, this was a strong start, but I conga Totilas and am a sucker for a nice rose gray. He kind of reminds me of Sanibel, the 2018 Web Special on Huck, and that's a good thing! 

Elbe and Spree; 2,200 made

The next special run announced was Elbe and Spree, the mare and foal set, on Breyer's new Stock Horse Mare and Foal molds. This pair is done in a delightful bay paint color. The color looks very nice on the mold, and I actually might like it better than the roan and chestnut they were respectively done in for their Premier Club release.

Stein; 2,300 made

Breyer's next Special Run announcement caused quite a stir - Stein on the Mustang Stallion (Fireheart) mold in a bold grullo. The Fireheart mold has been popular since its release last year, and as far as I can tell, Stein is the most popular of the Special Run releases this year among the hobby. The Fireheart mold isn't quite my thing (but who knows, I haven't had the chance to see it in person yet), but I'm glad for everyone who loves it. 

Rotating Draft Surprise; 7,500 pieces total

Breyer then announced the return of a fan-favorite Special Run - the Gambler's Choice. This year, the theme is the Rotating Draft Surprise. Whether that is a clue as to the mold or if it's a fake-out like last year's Seven Arts Surprise remains to be seen. 

Breyer Bears; 1,600 sets of three

There's always an Animal mold in the Special Run lineup, and this year is no exception. Breyer took inspiration from the German Haribo gummy bears for their Breyer Bears, a set of three clearware Bear Cubs. This set will also be scented and in custom packaging. Like Stein, this set isn't quite for me, but I'm sure the Wildlife collectors are thrilled to see them (and candy enthusiasts as well!) 

Marzipan; 2,200 made

Breyer loves a nice stock horse, and at least one always seems to find its way into the Special Run lineup no matter the theme. This year, Breyer announced a gorgeous palomino paint on the Gaming Stock Horse (Wyatt) mold named Marzipan as a Special Run. Marzipan was another one who I immediately liked, and he's definitely going to be on my list for BreyerFest this year. He may not be the most popular in the hobby, but that is just fine by me! 

Franz; 2,000 made

Like the Gambler's Choice and the Animal mold, there is usually a Decorator in the Special Run lineup. This year's is Franz, a blue Spirit inspired by the works of German artist Franz Marc. The hobby seems to be somewhat iffy on him, and though he's another one who is not for me, I appreciate how well Breyer executed Marc's art with him. 

Brahms; 2,200 made

The next Special Run revealed was a flashy leopard on the Big Ben mold named Brahms. I love when Breyer puts modern colors on older molds (not that Big Ben is an old mold! He's just not as modern) and Big Ben wears this color so well. While he may not be one of my top picks from the Special Run lineup this year, I certainly won't be disappointed if I come home from BreyerFest with this spotty fellow. 

Rapunzel; 2,400 made

The final Special Run release felt like it was made to directly target me. She's a red roan on the new Astrid mold named Rapunzel. I love fairytales, and Rapunzel is one of my favorites. Also Tangled is my favorite modern Disney movie. Added to that, Astrid is one of my favorite molds and boom! This pony was made just for me. I love her new mane, the little braid is the cutest. Rapunzel is definitely my top Special Run pick this year. 

Overall, my top two picks bookended the Special Run lineup - Ländler and Rapunzel. I think the whole lineup is strong this year, even if they aren't all to my personal taste.