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.
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