It's Friday, I'm a Judge! Mini Collectability #2

Happy Halloween! Welcome back to It's Friday, I'm a Judge! We've cycled through collectability and breed for Breyer Traditionals and Minis, and now we're back for another look at a mini collectability class. 

As always, for those new to this segment, my credentials can be found on my About Me page. 

This week, we're judging collectability in an OF Breyer Mini European Pony class. 

The Entries:

Horse A: Man O' War - BreyerFest Single Day Stablemate - 2018 - 1,750 made

Horse B: Mini Falhofnir - Premier Collection Bonus Stablemate - 2014 - ~741 made

Horse C: Lyric - Premier Collection Bonus Stablemate - 2020 - Unknown number produced

Take a second, think about how you'd pin the class, then scroll to after the jump for my answer! ↓

Collection Spotlight: Delray

 This week, my collection spotlight is focusing on Delray! 

Delray was the Event Stablemate from the 2022 Ponies & Palm Trees Collector Club Event. She was included with the ticket for everyone who attended the event. She is a run of 200. 

Delray is a matte red roan pinto on the G3 Cantering Warmblood mold. She's not alone in being a matte, realistic Event Stablemate - they're actually the most popular combination for the Event Stablemate. At my count, there are 6 matte realistics, 5 matte decorators, and two glossy realistics. 

Delray is the last Event Stablemate to not be a portrait model - both Ned for Spokes & Spurs and Tamarkuz for Hoofbeats & Maple Treats are real horses you could meet at their respective events. I do love the notion of Stablemate portrait models - we don't have nearly enough! 

I find it very interesting that most of the Event Stablemates have been on post-2006 molds. The only one who wasn't was the blue G2 Rearing Arabian from the Lone Star Experience in 2009. While I do like many of the modern molds, I'd love to see them use some of the G1 molds now that those are an option again. I was actually hoping for one of the G1 Thoroughbred molds to be used for Hoofbeats & Maple Treats! 

Delray's ticket companion was a portrait of dressage champion Salvino on the Salinero mold. Attendees of the event got to meet Salvino. I didn't attend Ponies & Palm Trees, but I'm a fan of the real horse so he was a must buy for me. I didn't realize until taking this picture that he could balance without his stand, but I definitely held my breath while snapping the photo. 

She's been a consistent little show horse for me, both in breed and in collectability. I show her as an American Warmblood, so she's often up against my Puget. They tend to trade placings depending on the judge. There are times I'll pick one over the other to bring, particularly if the mini division is on a shortened class list. 

BreyerFest 2026 Midsummer Fair: Celebration Horse Announcement & Special Run Speculation

BreyerFest 2026 excitement is starting to ramp up, especially with the announcement of the Celebration Horse this morning!

Meet Corgi Hill Flinka, a Fjord mare who does dressage! She is done on the Norwegian Fjord mold sculpted by Maggie Jenner-Bennet. I personally love this mold, and I absolutely thrilled to see her used for the Celebration Model! I can't wait to add her to my collection. 

I'm also going to take a minute and throw my hat into the ring on speculation for the Special Run models. I'm expecting the ticketed Special Run lineup to lean more toward representations of Scandinavian culture and history. I'm far from an expert here, but think Norse mythology, Scandinavian art, etc. The molds will more than likely not be representations of Scandinavian breeds - the guest horses and store limited editions will serve that purpose! 

For molds, the 2025 Premier molds are almost certainly a given - the Murgese, the mule, and one if not both of the pony versions. The loose mane pony could be used as a guest horse portrait, but if not expect him in the Special Run lineup, with a split between the two versions of the mold. 

Additionally in the Special Run lineup, there is always a decorator, a mare and foal set, and an animal mold. The animal mold will likely be the mule this year - it's been Brighty in the past. I'd also expect at least one vintage mold in the lineup as well. The Surprise is a given as well! I'd expect popular, but slightly older molds to fill out the rest of the lineup. 

For Scandinavian breeds represented, the Gotland Ponies have been BreyerFest guest horses before, so I'd expect at least one of them to have a portrait made for the Breyer store. I anticipate seeing the Moody Icelandic represented somewhere as well. Personally I'd love to see a North Swedish Horse used somewhere! 

Stablemate Sunday: Spooky Surprise Blind Bags Series 5

 Happy Spooky Month! With Halloween in just a few days, I decided to spotlight a set of Spooky Stablemates. We'll be taking a closer look at the series 5 set of Spooky Surprise Blind Bags. 

This set was released as a web special in 2023. Like all holiday blind bags, they were sold for $24.99 each, and it was a gamble as to which models you would receive. Based on my records, I ordered four of these originally and received two Corneliuses and two Nevermores. I believe I traded a Cornelius for my Apparition. Luckily, it's fairly easy to trade for the models you don't receive! 

Mini Apparition was done on the Django mold. Apparition was first released in the traditional scale in 2020 on the popular Spirit mold. I think it's very fitting that his mini was done on the equally popular Django mold! He's a blue and glow-in-the-dark white pinto, with Scooby-Doo cartoon style ghost eyes in his pinto pattern. I wouldn't mind tracking down the big version to match at some point! 

Mini Cornelius is a candy corn colored G2 mule based on the 2017 micro run Brighty, who was a run of just 50 pieces offered to Collector Club members by random draw. Sharp eyes will note that Brighty is a donkey, and mini Cornelius is a mule. If I had to guess, it's because the Stablemate scale Donkey was still produced in the rubbery plastic at this point - it was reworked to be cast in cellulose acetate for the 2024 Stablemates Club Gamblers Choice Miguel. Either way, it's nice that Breyer found a way to make Cornelius obtainable for more collectors! 

Nevermore was released in 2018 on the traditional scale Mustang Mare (aka Forever Saige) mold. Her miniature was done on the Cantering Morgan mold. Nevermore is actually the only one of the traditionals this set is based on that I own! She's a lovely shimmery pink, with black raven and spiderweb designs, and a tough of a purple highlight in her tail. She's also my favorite - I'm a literature girlie, and she's named after and based on Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven. 

Happy Halloween! 🕸

Conga Time! Lady Phase

This week, we're once again tackling a post that I first planned three years ago when I started the blog - a look at my Lady Phase conga! 

This conga has actually grown substaintially in that time - at a glance, at least seven of them have been added in the past three years. 

This girl is without a doubt my most precious - Paciencia y Fe, my 2024 NAN Champion in Quarter Horse (with an additional top ten in Regular Run Collectability!)

Sprinkles, one of my original hobby grails

Breezing Dixie was another grail of mine, particularly a battleship gray hooves variation. Unfortunately, like much of the run, mine is a shrinky. 

The Wedgewood was my first on the mold. I bought her in college, and I'm fairly certain she was a birthday gift to myself! 

A close up on the various Lady Phase tails - I think her long tail might be my favorite! 

The Regular Runs (L-R): Bay Quarter Horse, Truly Unsurpassed, Treasured Moves, Quo Vadis

The Treasure Hunt Mares - All long tail variations except the palomino pinto

The Treasure Hunt Mares again, with the Wedgewood redemption prize! 

Vintage Special Runs (L-R): Signing Party, Breezing Dixie, Prairie Flower

Modern Special Runs (L-R): Jolene, Delia, ELCR Benefit Model

BreyerFest Models (L-R): Surrey, Sprinkles, Leah's Fancy Chick

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

 It's a breed judging week here at the Friday judging clinic! This week, we're evaluating a mini breed class. 

My full credentials can be found on my About Me page, but as a quick refresher, I've been involved in real horses for over 20 years, in the hobby since 2008, and showing model horses in some capacity since 2015. 

This week, we're looking at an OF Breyer Mini Thoroughbred class. As always, the first thing we need to know is what are we looking for? Unlike most breed registries, the Jockey Club does not have a specific breed standard for Thoroughbreds. Foals are eligible to register based on their parents, so long as certain conditions are met (both parents are registered, foal was conceived naturally and not through AI or embryo transfer). That being said, there are still ideal characteristics to look for in a Thoroughbred's conformation. They're bred for racing, so their form should follow function. 

With this in mind, these are the characteristics to be looking for: 

• Small, expressive head with a straight profile 
• Long slender neck, prominent withers, deep chest 
• Long sloping shoulders
• Sloping and muscular croup 

Standard taken from Rousseau, Élise. Horses of the World. Princeton University Press, 2017, p 48.

Like with our Quarter Horses, there can be some wiggle room in the body type. A race fit Thoroughbred is going to look different from an active stud, or a Thoroughbred in a second career. 

The Entries: 

Thoroughbred stallion

Horse A: Walking Thoroughbred

Thoroughbred mare

Horse B: G1 Thoroughbred Mare

Thoroughbred mare

Horse C: G2 Thoroughbred

Take a minute, evaluate how you'd personally pin this class. Okay, you ready? Scroll down for how I'd pin it ↓

Show Report: Steel City Live

🌉Steel City Live 2025🌉

This Saturday I attended my final live show of the year - Steel City Live in Mars, PA. I attended this show last year, which was also the first year it was held. The show hosts are lovely, and it's a short drive for me, so I of course attended again! This year I was also judging, so I brought roughly 35 trads and about the same number of minis, along with a tiny Stone mini string. 

The string crushed it. The majority of the trads had some sort of placing, and over half of the minis did as well, in a very competitive OF Breyer Mini ring. I had three sectional champs in OF Breyer, and overall collectability reserve. OF Breyer Mini was a smaller division, with no sectional prizes. In a shock to me, I swept all four overalls of the Breyer Mini division. It was definitely not expected! 

This show, like Rainbow Rave, gave out awards for good documentation. I received one early in the day from the show host (who was judging OF Breyer), and was absolutely thrilled. The pens were so fun and swishy and if I didn't have a horse in my hands at the show I was playing with the pen. Imagine my surprise when I received a second documentation award from the Breyer Mini judge! I ended up wearing both in my apron while I judged Custom Mini. 

My funniest placing all day was my Child Star. This horse has never once gone to a show before this weekend, not even a photo show, since I bought him at least five years ago. I usually bring one of my other Gilens. I decided to bring him for fun, threw a breed on him as I was packing, and called it a day. Imagine my surprise when he not only wins his class, but takes breed champion of the entire foal section! I guess he'll have to show more often! 

All in all, it was a wonderful day filled with friends, laughs, and plastic ponies. I think those are the best kinds of days. I'm both happy and sad shows are over for the season - I definitely need the break from running myself ragged with show prep and travel and the physicality of the show itself. I'm still catching up on recording my results from last year and this year (a healing broken arm really throws a wrench in that sort of thing!), so I'm looking forward to having all of the winter months to concentrate on that. But time spent with my model horse friends is so valuable to me - it makes all the blood, sweat and tears that go into shows that much more worthwhile, more than any ribbon. I do have a few swap meets coming up, so I'll still get my hobby friend fix, and of course I'll see them online, but it's not the same. 

The Champions: 

Cuban Pete - OF Breyer Sport Breed Champion

Be My NY - OF Breyer Foals Breed Champion

New Maserati - OF Breyer Collectability Reserve Champion and Gaited Collectability Reserve

Sunset and Vine - OF Breyer Mini Collectability Champion

Downtown Lights - OF Breyer Mini Breed Champion

Wollstonecraft - OF Breyer Mini Breed Reserve Champion

Heartsick - OF Breyer Mini Collectability Reserve Champion

Spokes and Spots, recipient of my first documentation award

Join the Heist, recipient of my second documentation award

Collection Spotlight: Rainbow Chase Mini Croi

For my collection spotlight this week, I pulled out one of my favorite Stablemate chase models - the rainbow Croi from the Chasing Rainbows unicorn blind bag set. The rainbow Croi is the rare chase to the pink chrome Warmblood Mare ultra rare (who I have yet to track down!)

The Chasing Rainbows unicorn blind bags were in production from 2021-2024. They were a regular run set, with six unicorns in the assortment, plus two chase models for a total of eight unicorns. While the ultra rare chase did not have their mold repeated in the assortment, this girl did. The Croi mold was used for a purple unicorn. We're not going to talk about how many purple unicorns ended up in my house in the search for this girl! 

I was lucky in getting this girl - my one of my local brick and mortar stores opened another location near me, and I attended the grand opening with a couple of hobby folks. I was able to comb through untouched boxes of blind bags and got not only this girl, but the silver chrome Vanner chase from the 70th Anniversary blind bags on the same day! 

My rainbow Croi shows under the name "Smol Gay Bean." At Rainbow Rave this year, my friend who ran my show string on my behalf while I was judging picked her out to enter the Call Me By Your Name fun class. Unfortunately, she did not win, but I still love her name! She is smol, she is gay, and she is shaped like a bean. It fits! 

Like Gold Baby, the rainbow Croi is a chase model that does well for me in collectability classes. Unlike the chase models for the Tractor Supply blind bags, the regular run chase models are often harder to find. Tractor Supply locations are widespread and easily accessible to hobbyists, so hitting up multiple locations to feel up bags is often easy. On the other hand, regular run blind bags end up at Breyer brick and mortar retailers, which are more spread out, or online only where there is no way of determining which ones you get. It's therefore more likely that regular run chase models end up in the hands of casual collectors or children, and scarcer to collectors. 

She also fits nicely in my annual Pride pony display - we love a rainbow pony for that reason! I'd also love to see Breyer use this gradient type rainbow color again, although maybe with a touch of red in there too. 

It's Friday, I'm a Judge! Traditional Collectability

 Welcome back to It's Friday, I'm a Judge! This week, we'll be dipping our toes into the world of OF Breyer Traditional Collectability. 

As a reminder, my credentials for a judge are as follows: I've been collecting since 2008. My collection focuses on OF Breyer. I've been around horses in some capacity since roughly 2001. I was in 4-H for seven years, showed in IHSA in college, and was a working student at an eventing barn. I've photo shown model horses on and off since 2015, and have been live showing since 2022. I have had multiple overall champions in breed and collectability in both OF Breyer and OF Mini divisions. I started judging in a small capacity in 2022, and since fall 2024 I have judged at several shows, including Are You Kitten Me, the Happy Kamper Classic, the Big Orange Bash, and the River City Classic. I have also volunteered for NAN in 2022 and 2024, and did additional volunteer work for NAMHSA for BreyerFest 2025.

Unlike our last collectability judging clinic, where we examined judging collectability in a double judged class, we're judging a specific collectability class today. In this case, we're looking at a class of BreyerFest Special Runs. 

The Entries: 

Horse A: Glossy Benelli - BreyerFest Preordered Special Run - 2020 - 2,675 made

 

Horse B: Gwendolyn - BreyerFest Special Run - 2005 - 550 made

Horse C: Stagecoach Surprise - BreyerFest Special Run - Decorator variation - 2023 - 625 made

Take a minute, evaluate how you'd personally pin this class. Okay, you ready? Scroll down for how I'd pin it ↓