This post took me 23 years to write.
Okay, not exactly, but . . . yeah, kind of.
Breyer (the model horse company) started BreyerFest, their annual convention at the Kentucky Horse Park, in 1990. Before this, they did Breyer-subsidized shows, but a convention was kind of a mind-blowing concept. I've only been once, in 1991. It's a huge deal now. It seemed like a huge deal in 1991 but I'm sure I have no idea what "huge deal" even means any more in this context.
Of course, it had a special run model that was only available to BreyerFest attenders. In 1991, the model was a portrait of Olympic endurance horse "Mustang Lady", in shaded gray on the Indian pony mold and complete with painted-on competitor numbers and freeze brand. Mine, Kayutah, is mostly retired now but was a champion show horse in the days before original finish special run models became so elaborate. I love this model; if I ever have to sell the collection, she will be on the list that gets kept.
Still, there's something about the "first" of anything that always seems a bit special. The first BreyerFest model was the Thoroughbred gelding eventer "Dr Peaches". He seems not to have made as big an impression on the rest of the world--most of the images I find online are of the model. Breyer didn't have its BreyerFest model mojo going yet: It's as if they said, "Let's make him bay. On the "Phar Lap" [never a collector favorite] mold. Because there is no possible way that could be more bland."
Persico, light bay Thoroughbred gelding (pending x Vitesse, by Rob Roy).
Persico, light bay Thoroughbred gelding (pending x Vitesse, by Rob Roy).
(Sorry, this is the image from the advertisement from which I bought him. I'll have a better one eventually.)
Yep. Bay. Gelding. On a mold known mostly for being a weird scale and for having meh conformation and double-meh personality. In fairness, he got here in the mail yesterday and not only was the seller totally not kidding about his "minty mint" condition--he doesn't even have hoof-edge rubs--but his paint is a lot nicer than it looks here. He actually has a lot of shading for an early-1990's model, and a very nice semigloss finish.
He's not that big a deal now (which makes him cheaper!) but in 1990 I would have sold my younger brother for this model. Although, since he was my younger brother, I probably would have sold him for a Slurpee and a Flutter Pony. But I would have come up with a much better excuse to tell my mother if it got me a "Dr Peaches".
He's not that big a deal now (which makes him cheaper!) but in 1990 I would have sold my younger brother for this model. Although, since he was my younger brother, I probably would have sold him for a Slurpee and a Flutter Pony. But I would have come up with a much better excuse to tell my mother if it got me a "Dr Peaches".
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