Our Night in CowTown with Breyer & Friends

In our February issue's "Fun" page, we featured Breyer's exclusive Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games model, designed and manufactured specifically for the Games. "Esprit" (photo at left), designed by sculptor Kathleen Moody, "symbolizes the spirit of the horses competing in the Games' eight different disciplines," and will be available in several mediums. 

"Esprit," Breyer's official WEG model

One of the most fun aspects of our jobs at H&R is attending equine events, including shows, demonstrations, clinics, even parties, etc. Super lucky for us, Breyer invited Erin and me to attend their cocktail & hors d'oeuvre party, held during the Appaloosa World Show in Fort Worth this past October. Every year Breyer holds a contest for its top collectors and the winners get to attend a Breyer "gettaway" at a specified horsey destination. This past year, Breyer chose Fort Worth, where the winners could check out the Appaloosa Show, visit Fort Worth's legendary stockyards, tour the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame, and they were taken on a tour of one of America's premier "horse countries" in the Aubrey/Pilot Point area of North Texas (where several of our Team H&R pals live and work).

The Friday-night cocktail party was held in the beautiful grand entrance hall of the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Erin and I got to chat it up with Breyer's director of marketing and product development, Stephanie Macejko. She filled us in on the new WEG model and Breyer's sponsorship of the Games this coming September, and even described to us how new models are chosen and created--usually each model is created by a different artist, which 

(From left), Alana, Breyer's Stephanie 

Macejko, and Erin

truly makes Breyer horses unique collectors' items vs. the mass-manufacturing of other horse models.

We also swapped stories about our Breyer horses as kids, teens, and yes---even now, all while sipping authentic Texas vino (believe it or not, we do have vineyards in Central Texas!) and sampling the tasty tapas. Stephanie was a blast to hang out with. She's also worked with Stacy Westfall for Breyer's model of Roxy, Stacy's famous mare who seems to read Stacy's mind (without saddle or bridle).

The museum was beautifully decorated for the event...white linens, lillies and bluebonnets (Texas' state flower, of course), and each table's center piece featured a Texas-style Breyer model...shimmery ice-blue with a red-and-white bandanna. And, the coolest?...each model represented a different discipline or breed; e.g., a draft horse, Quarter Horse/Western model, dressage horse, hunter model, warmblood, racehorse, etc. Way awesome. And, several lucky attendees got to take home the models. 

Erin and I also got to visit with the Breyer fan club crowd, and I have to say it was quite an eclectic group. I guess I was expecting mostly women, middle-aged, or lil' girls who'd dragged their moms along. But there were men, women, girls, boys of all ages in attendance. And, I have to say some looked more like Star Wars' fanatics than Breyer collectors...seriously. 

Alana & Stephanie with Texas party 

Breyer model

Stephanie also put on an unveiling ceremony of their WEG model...it was the first official viewing by the public. We tried to fight the crowd to get a peek, but alas, no photo. And, before we had to head back to the Appaloosa Show events, I chatted with an adult mom-and-daughter collector duo. The daughter has more than 500 Breyer horse models! I thought I was pretty awesome with my 20 or so herd. 

In my childhood bedroom at the house my parents' still live in, I have two large window seats. And, back in my Breyer-obsessed days, I created all sorts of horsey scenes. I think at one point my Barbies and my brother's He-Man characters even got involved. Much to my dismay, my mother boxed them up after I left the nest...but she did wait until I graduated from college...(and, yes, I admit, I even took a few to college with me).

Please, share your Breyer stories with us. We'd love to know how many you have in your collection and who your faves are? (And I'd really feel less nerdy if someone admitted taking theirs to college, too!)

[For more info on "Esprit" and Breyer's plans for WEG, go to breyerhorses.com. And, if you're fortunate enough to attend the Games, be sure to stop by Breyer's booth. Erin and I definitely will; hope to see you there...and you, too, Stephanie.]

~Alana