The BreyerFest Files: Collector's Class 2026

📂 The BreyerFest Files📂

I mentioned it last week in my Open Show report, but I once again entered the Collector's Class this year! This year, I used a theme that I've been waiting on for a while - Taylor Swift albums. At the BreyerFest Open Show, the Collector's Class has a maximum of twelve models, so I was waiting for Taylor to release album #12 before doing a Swiftie themed Collector's Class. Imagine my surprise when not only did she release her twelfth album last year, but that the colors of that album color were a dead on match for the micro run decorator variation of Shindig. It felt like kismet. It was time. 

My first order of business was tracking down the decorator Shindig. He was the linchpin for the class, and I was not fortunate enough to pull one from Breyer organically. Once I secured one on time payments, it was time to start thinking about who else would go in the class. I knew gold baby, Moon Pie, and my no stamp dapple gray G1 ASB were locks, but I spent months debating who else would go in the class, and asking friends what their opinions were. I actually finalized my list June 27! 

My goal with this was a roughly chronological timeline of the Stablemates line, each one assigned to a respective Taylor Swift album. My final list ended up as follows: 

1. Debut: No stamp ASB
2. Fearless: Mexico stamp G1 Quarter Horse Mare
3. Speak Now: BreyerFest 1998 Purple Clearware G1 Thoroughbred Lying Foal Keychain 
4. Red: 2004 JCP Parade of Breeds G1 Draft
5. 1989: Frankenstang
6. Reputation: Gold Baby
7. Lover: Moon Pie
8. Folklore: Mini Hermoso
9. Evermore: Vintage Club Misty
10. Midnights: Puget
11. TTPD: Gold Buggy
12. The Life of a Showgirl: Deco Shindig

With each model assigned an album, their information card of course had to match in theme! Not only did I put the album on each card, but I also pulled a relevant lyric from each album as well. Each horse also got a friendship bracelet made by me for the album they represented. The friendship bracelets may have been made the Friday before I left for BreyerFest, but that's okay! I additionally pulled some Taylor Swift merch from my merch collection, as well as a handful of bracelets I had traded for at various Taylor and model horse events for additional decoration. 

One thing about me is I've become a fan of using Canva, and I realized as I was setting up my class at home that I had forgotten to make a sign for the class. I realized - what if I recreated the vibes of the Eras Tour poster? And off I went with my iced coffee and a dream. Each model in the sign is the model in the class in their respective era! I was very proud of it.  

The sign all put together with the cowboy hat disco ball cup I found on sale at Michaels! 

My initial run through of the class - at this point I had not finished making the friendship bracelets or the sign, but I needed to have a rough idea of how the class would be arranged on show day!

My entry didn't place this year, but that's okay. The entries that won were all very deserving, and I'm happy with how my entry turned out. I spent most of this year tweaking it and second guessing myself on it, nearly up until the last second, but I did finish it, and it looked nice. I had people compliment me on it as I was setting it up, and it means more to me that people liked it! There's a show I'm attending later this year that has a Collector's Class, so it may even get a second chance to shine! (Or I'll do something new! Who knows!)