Breyer Horse New Releases: Collectors Choice Apple Jack

New for Mid-Year 2011, Breyer brings an adorable pony straight from the mind of a life long collector to everyone’s shelves!

Each year Breyer puts out the call for ideas from collectors to design two new horses that will be produced for 6 months each and be given a place in the Breyer lineup! Breyer takes all the ideas and picks their three favorite. Those three are put up for popular vote from collectors and the top two are chosen to be new models!

Fall 2011’s model was created by Jessica Mosley of Tok, Alaska!  Jessica is a life long collector and submitted her idea of a chestnut Bouncer pony which was chosen by collectors! Apple Jack is a bright and gorgeous firey chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail. His gorgeous coat is so eye catching and he stands out in a crowd. His long mane and tail are a vibrant flaxen with touches of shading in all the right places.

This little pony is created on the Bouncer mold who is popular as can be with collectors. Its been a few years since Bouncer’s last appearance in the Breyer lineup and he’s sure to be popular as can be. His sweet expression and kind demeanor make him an easy favorite along with his adorable pony features!

Apple Jack is the perfect mount for any child and could be seen in any youth hunter show and his flashy coat and bright mane and tail. He’d also make the perfect backyard pony with his willing nature and desire to please. He’d look adorable as can be doing mounted games or just taking a young girl for a ride in the woods. No matter what the job, Apple Jack would be the perfect mount!

Adorable as can be, Golden Oak Stables brings you a collector designed and chosen model straight from Breyer! Apple Jack is only available for 6 months, so don’t delay! Once he’s gone, he’s gone! Keep your eye out for the next Breyer collectors choice! We’ll bring you all the info you need to submit your idea and to have a chance to see your creation come to life!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

Breyer Horse New Releases: Mid-Year 2011 Releases!

Its going to be an exciting summer! Breyer has pumped their line full of exciting new releases that will light up your stable. Golden Oak Stables brings you the latest releases that Breyer has pulled out all the stops on!

The Collectors Choice model has returned after a short hiatus and comes in the form of Applejack, an adorable chestnut pony. This sweet pony is cute beyond compare and gorgeous in a bright chestnut with a glowing mane and tail. His loving expression and calm demeanor make him the perfect pony for just about anyone and is created on the popular Bouncer mold.

Sato is a flashy palomino sabino Thoroughbred with tons of white pinto markings. Yes, you read that right, a pinto palomino Thoroughbred! Colorful Thoroughbreds aren’t what you might think of when thinking of this popular breed, but there are many colors to the Thoroughbred rainbow and Sato is a shining example of that! You can even meet Sato yourself at Breyerfest 2011 and get a look at one of the many shades of the Thoroughbred rainbow in person!

Prince Jester is a gorgeous sunbleached black Missouri Fox Trotter who has won dozens of competitions including three world championships! Going beyond his own winnings, Prince Jester has sired 15 world champions in their own right. He has found his way to being a wonderful ambassador to the Missouri Fox Trotter breed with his loving and caring disposition.

A stunning black and white Pintabian, TS Black Tie Affair is a striking in appearance but is also quite the character. When he was born his owners found him to be a handful but they used that to teach him many things including how to “dance” and perform the Spanish walk! He’s also found his way into the show ring winning a total of 22 Pinto World Championships and Reserve Championships! No small task!

Rounding out the new traditionals for 2011, Bear is the second in the Elvis Presley collection and is a black Tennessee Walking Horse. Bear was a favorite mount of Elvis’ and would ride with him on his Circle G ranch. The pair became a frequent site and Bear was a true favorite amongst many on Elvis’ ranch.

With all the exciting new releases that Breyer has brought us this summer, choosing can be hard, but whatever your tastes, there’s a new horse for you!  Even more exciting is that you can meet many of these horses at Breyerfest 2011! If you can’t make it to Kentucky, we’ll bring you all the guest horses, events and more! Stay tuned to Stable News!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

Breyer Horse Events: Breyerwest 2011

Looking for a reason to go to the wonderful city of San Francisco? What about an excuse to visit the Grand National Rodeo? How about a weekend full of Breyer horses? Well your wish is granted! Breyer is taking over San Francisco and the Grand National Rodeo with Breyerwest 2011!

October 21st and 22nd are the dates for the biggest Breyer event to hit the West Coast! Being held in conjunction with the Grand National Rodeo, the events will be endless for this wonderful event. Shopping galore will be only part of the fun with vendors abound to get your shopping fix. There are dozens of real horse events taking place too including an AQHA show and rodeo events.

Breyer will host two shows, an open show and a novice show on Friday and Saturday. Each event will bring competitors from around the country to compete for exclusive prizes and bragging rights. In past years Breyer has also hosted workshops and seminars about the model horse hobby with the hobby’s top artists and hobbyists! If you can’t make it to Breyerfest, this is a great event for you!

An exciting event for the West Coast, Breyerwest is a wonderful event that Breyer has been bringing to us for a few years now and it grows bigger and bigger each year! This year, teamed with the Grand National Rodeo, it is sure to be a huge crowd pleaser amongst both hobbyists and non hobbyist alike!

Those on the East Coast don’t miss out on Golden Oak Stables’ full calendar of events! These events are unlike any others in the nation and are not to be missed! This weekend there is a workshop day which will guide you through prop making and customizing, two workshops that are truly not to be missed!

Stay tuned to Stable News for all the latest info including Breyerwest, Breyerfest and Golden Oak Stables events! No matter where you are in the country, there’s an event for you! Don’t miss out on what is proving to be an exciting and wonderful year for Breyer collectors. A year with events like this hasn’t come around in many year, so don’t miss your chance to participate!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

Breyer Horse Showing: NAN 2011 Review

This past weekend, Tucson Arizona played host to the North American Nationals Model Horse Show! Hosted by the North American Model Horse Shows Association (NAMHSA for short), this year end show brought the best horses in the nation to the warm Southwest for three days of the toughest competition in the country!

Hobbyists from all over the country and world came to Arizona along with their winning horses to compete for national titles. All horses that are entered into a NAN qualifying show and place first or second place at that show are automatically qualified to enter the national show once in a period of two years.

The North American Nationals, or NAN for short, travels between Kentucky on the even years and an independent location on the odd years. Arizona was chosen as the host for the 2011 show and Region 3 opened their doors wide for the rest of the country! Over a thousand horses were entered over three days of competition and dozens of national champions and reserve champions were awarded along with hundreds of national Top Ten winners.  Champions and Reserve Champions are awarded with a lovely wooden plaque celebrating their well deserved win and Top Ten winners take home huge ribbons that will remind winners of their achievement!

Also taking place was an amazing raffle where hobbyists could purchase raffle tickets to win amazing lots donated by the hobby’s most talented and amazing hobbyists! Almost 30 lots raised thousands of dollars to help NAMHSA continue providing for years to come!

All of this would not be possible though without the hard work of NAMHSA and NAN volunteers. Years of work go into each and every national shows as do hundreds of volunteer hours both before and at the event. NAMHSA is a volunteer based organization and without those wonderful volunteers, it would never be possible!

Sites are now set to NAN 2012 which takes place the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before Breyerfest! You can start getting ready now, all horses that place 1st or 2nd in a NAN qualifying show will qualify for NAN 2012! You can get started at Golden Oak Stables’ New England Fall Live on October 22nd 2011 in Concord, NH or visit NAMHSA to get a look at shows in your region! NAN 2012 will surely be a show that you don’t want to miss! Grab your best show horses and get started today to bring home your own national champion!

 

 

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

Breyer Horse Activities: Summer Project Time!

Warm weather is here and days by the pool are plentiful, but what about the rest of the time? Its a perfect time to get yourself into a new project and learn to do something new and fun with your model horses! From customizing to sculpting to mold making, with Breyer and Golden Oak Stables, you can make a new and beautiful models on your own!

Breyer has gotten experts from all around the hobby to come together to create easy, fun and realistic kits that will prepare you to jump into the world of model horses! With everything you need in one little box, these are easy projects for a rainy day or to keep you busy all summer!

One of the most popular model horse activities is customizing. Customizing a horse is a way for you to create the model horse of your dreams! Breyer has created a Dream Horse Kit that includes a horse that is ready to paint with various paints, brushes, and even real mohair to make a realistic mane and tail. The instructions give you all the tips you’ll need to paint the body color to the details as well as how to attach the mohair mane and tail to give you the horse of your dreams!

Looking for something a little more ambitious? How about sculpting your own model? Complete with a horse armature to start off of, Breyer’s Model Horse Sculpting Kit will guide you through the process of sculpting your own model horse. Sculpey clay and a sculpting tool helps you along the way and once your model is done, you can bake it right in your own oven and then use the included paints to paint it to whatever your heart desires!

If you’re looking to create portraits of your favorite horses, Breyer’s Learn To Draw Activity Kit is the perfect way to start. This kit includes a 32 page book that will show you the tricks to bring a horse to life on paper. Included are all the materials you need, from graphite and colored pencils, to tracing paper and drawing paper! There’s even a little inspiration included in the form of a lovely dapple grey Paddock Pal Morgan!

Golden Oak Stables will keep you busy all summer with kits to excite young and old! So grab a new project and get started on creating your own masterpiece! But don’t stop there, there’s tons of kits to choose from, take a look today!

 

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

Real Life Breyer Horses: All About Arabians

One of the most ancient breeds as well as one of the most versatile, the Arabian horse can be traced back 4500 years! Each and every one of those 4500 years is full of mythology, history, and some of the most beautiful horses ever!

Grey Arabian Stallion Standing Tall

From the land of Arabia, the Arabian horse has been a beloved companion of Bedouins.  The Arabian horse was bred to stand the harsh climate of the desert and found their way into the hearts of millions. Arabians are known for their dished facial profile and wide nostrils to breathe deeply in dry heat. They also have long eyelashes which help to keep sand from the eyes during long trips through the desert. One desired trait for the Arabian is the Jibbah, which is a bulge in the forehead which provides a larger sinus cavity to help with long, hot travels.

Dapple Grey Arabian Stallions Showing Off Side Profile

Typical Dished Facial Profile

Arabians can be found in shades of black, grey, bay, chestnut and have an interesting marking called Rabicano that produces white hairs on the base of the tail as well as white flecks on the flanks of the horse. The Sabino coloration also is present in the Arabian breed which produces white markings that can be as minimal as high white socks above the knee but also can include small to medium white spots on the belly and facial markings which extend beyond the normal stripes and stars.

Native Arabian Saddle

Native Arabian Tack

Breyer and Golden Oak Stables has dozens of breeds to add to your stable, including a championship Arabian, S’Justadream! This championship halter mare is gorgeous with her chestnut color and wonderful Arabian characteristics! She lit up the show world with multiple wins and championships beginning as a yearling with her first championship! Breyer chose to release S’Justadream as the first release on a new Arabian mold with a long beautiful mane and a swished tail. She has a lovely and interesting facial marking with dark “kissy spots” on her lips and three bright white socks.

An amazing historical breed that still lives on today as strong as can be, the Arabian horse is one that will live on for hundreds if not thousands of years to come! The mount of everyone, from a backyard riding horse to a championship endurance horse to a companion on the harsh desert, there’s just something special about the Arabian!

Showing Versatility: An Arabian Hunter

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

Breyer Horse Events: Learn How To Customize and Make Props!

Join Golden Oak Stables on June 25th 2011 and learn how to add your creativity to you hobby! Two talented and wonderful instructors will help students to learn how to take their raw talent and create something wonderful.

Linda Carrier will teach the morning session where attendees will learn to make two popular props to use while playing, showing or displaying. Bending poles and ground poles will be created in this morning session which can be used to show in either English or Western performance classes. Bending poles are great for speed games or gymkhana entries and ground poles make a great prop for both English and Western trail classes. Linda will show you how to create a realistic and ready to show prop with her expert knowledge. A long time model horse hobbyist, successful live shower and judge, Linda is a wealth of knowledge for any that have the privilege of learning from her.

At 11:30 lunch will be served which is included in your entry and will provide an hour for chatting with other attendees, shopping Golden Oak Stables’ great inventory and getting ready for the afternoon class, customizing.

Robert Butler, an expert in diorama and miniature painting will teach attendees the basics and beyond of model horse customizing. Attendees will bring a model of their choosing to paint and create their very own dream horse. The colors of the rainbow are wide in the model horse world and Robert will take attendees through each and every step, from color mixing to details such as eyes and veining.

Golden Oak Stables also has their doors open on June 25th for visitors to take part in a Breyer Fun day. Games, Stablemate Painting and shopping abound are all on the schedule for this day that is packed with events for any Breyer collector.

No matter what you do with your models, if you’re a collector and in the New England area this is the event of the summer! Don’t miss your chance to learn from the experts a few new skills which you can bring to your collection. Learning from only the best, Golden Oak Stables brings you an event that is unmissable!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

Real Life Breyer Horses: A Trip To Secretariat’s Claiborne Farm

Down a long, quiet, winding road in a small town outside of  Lexington Kentucky lies a farm with history that runs deep, over 100 years deep. Amongst the ranks of its astonishing horses is a red horse that captured the hearts of a nation almost 40 years ago and continues to do so today, Secretariat. Today it houses stars of today’s track that help Claiborne Farm’s legacy live on into the next century!

Claiborne Farm Pastures

Claiborne Farm Offices

Secretariat was the horse that brought millions into the world of horse racing. This amazing red colt with bright white markings came into America’s eyes in 1973 with astonishing wins in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and then the Belmont where he found his way into history! Winning the Belmont by a jaw dropping 31 lengths. He then went to live at Claiborne farm where he lived out the rest of his days working as a stallion and producing foals and grandfoals  that would find their way across the most prestigious finish lines in the sport!

Eddington, Great-Grandson of Secretariat, Now Resides In Secretariat's Stall

Secretariat's Grave At Claiborne Farm

Now Claiborne is home to some of the most popular and respected horses in recent history. Amongst them is Blame, the only horse that could beat Zenyatta! Blame is working his first year out off the track as a stud horse and has already been bred to over 100 mares! We’ll have to wait a few years to see what his foals do, but the possibilities are endless. He’s a favorite amongst the employees of Claiborne and is beloved by the farm for doing the unthinkable, beating the unbeaten mare in the Breeders Cup Classic.

Blame- 2010 Breeders Cup Classic Winner

Blame

Hosting home to America’s elite race horses, Claiborne Farm is truly a home full of history in the heart of Bluegrass country. Create your own Thoroughbred farm with Golden Oak Stables and fill it with famous race horses, or whatever your favorite breed is! The wonderful thing about Breyers is that you can make your barn whatever you want, let your imagination run wild and let Golden Oak Stables help!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com

Breyer Horse Events: Breyerfest Coming Up Quick!

In just six weeks thousands of model horse collectors will descend on the horse capital of the world, Lexington Kentucky, for four days of model horse heaven! Breyerfest is a long awaited destination for just about any Breyer collector, and this year will be a celebration that dreams are made of with a festival that celebrates the fantasy of the fairytale!

Events kick off on Thursday night at the former Holiday Inn North which is now known as the Clarion Hotel. Breyer opens up with an all china show, Breyerfest Breakables Live, taking place at the Clarion on Thursday afternoon. Thursday will also see the opening of the Artisan’s Gallery where model horse artists exhibit their creations! The Clarion also plays host to a favorite of many attendees, room sales, which begin on Thursday in most cases. Many hobbyists open the doors of their hotel rooms to buy, sell, trade or just chat with other hobbyists. So while Breyerfest might not begin at the park until Friday, the party starts Thursday night at the Clarion!

Friday brings the first day of events at the Kentucky Horse Park including the Breyerfest Open Show, one of the most competitive and largest shows in the world. The best show horses in the world come from far and wide to compete at this prestigious show which takes place in the newly constructed Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park. This state of the art facility was built for the 2010 World Equestrian Games and now holds events ranging from local shows to model horse shows to world class events.

Saturday is the Children and Youth edition of the Breyerfest open show. Focused on teaching and fostering the next generation of model horse showers, the Children/Youth show is very competitive in its own right and brings the immense talent of the young people of our hobby to light!

When the heat starts to cool and the sun begins to set on Saturday the covered arena will turn into a big party for all attendees! The Saturday raffle is a popular event with 25 beautiful models being raffled. There is also a costume contest that is sure to be full of not only great costumes but a few laughs here and there. Last but certainly not least a benefit auction will take the crowd by storm with dozens of amazing one of a kind Breyer models that will bring thousands in for charity, even if you don’t want to bid, its a great event to watch!

Friday, Saturday and Sunday will all bring us shopping, amazing horses, seminars and workshops. There’s something to do for everyone at Breyerfest! As always, Stable News will bring you all of the scoop, and if you can’t find your way to Kentucky, Golden Oak Stables has a year full of events to help ease that model horse need! Check out the Event Calendar for events that are not to miss!

~Stacy

Email Stacy: Stacy@GoldenOakStables.com