Final Stablemate Reveal .... Arran!

One of the many islands off the coast of Scotland, Arran has been inhabited for over 10,000 years.  This stunningly-beautiful island is currently home to fewer than 5,000 people but is rich with history.  In 2019, a survey revealed that the Isle of Arran contains approximately 1,000 ancient archaeological sites, including Ossian's Mount, dating from the Bronze Age, and Torr a'Chaisteal Dun, a fortified structure that dates from the Iron Age

Our Arran has been created exclusively for this year's Celtic Fling!  We love all things small, so what could be better than a Traditional pony in Stablemates scale!  Originally sculpted by Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig in 1:9 scale and carefully shrunk down to fit in the palm of your hand (1:32 scale), our Connemara mare (mold# 5745) will surely cavort straight into your heart.  Finished in a buckskin roan, a star on her face, and with attitude to spare!

The Breyer website goes on to explain about 3 Day Tickets and Single Day Tickets, which I already wrote about yesterday.  The only addition is that they're saying the Single-Day tickets will go on sale "next week" and pricing will be released.  I wish they'd give us a better idea of the time they'll go on sale.  I have a feeling the 4 pack option is going to go quickly.

Today ends the Early Bird pricing for 3 Day tickets.  I already had a child's ticket, which I'd bought for pick-ups, and I had been debating on whether to get a 2nd ticket.  I didn't want a 2nd celebration model and had mentioned that on Blab.  I was then contacted by someone I know and lives in the same state saying she would like my extra celebration model so that took care of that.  We are planning for me shipping him to her, but I likely won't get the model until late July and hopefully by then we won't have to be so socially distant so maybe we can meet halfway as she lives about 90 minutes away.  But if she's willing to pay shipping then I guess either way it doesn't matter.  I decided to buy an adult ticket for my 2nd ticket because of FOMO.  Adult ticket holders get access to things Child ticket holders do not and I don't want to miss out on something real cool, you know?  The only days available now is Sunday so I have a feeling they're going to sell out fairly soon.  My other ticket is for Saturday morning, which is good because by then I'll know what the Surprise model is and can decide if I want to try for it or not.  They still haven't been real specific on how that will work other than to say they'll do it similar to how it's done AT Breyerfest in that they'll pick a start number.  I don't know if we'll have to do like the Seattle Soiree and provide our top choices, though.  I guess we shall see.

Well, I guess that's it.  Happy Thursday and til next time!

Exciting Model Things Have Been A-Happenin'!!!

I know I'm a bit "tardee to the pardee" on a couple of these, which is so unlike me, but stuff happens, you know?  But I'm here now to share some fun Breyerfest stuff and some of my own Breyer stuff.  We shall start with the Breyerfest stuff, okay?

So!  They have released 3 of the 4 Single Day Stablemates so far.  This year it's being done differently because, as we all know by now, Breyerfest is being done online due to that nasty virus everyone is talking about.  I'm not going to bore you by re-typing the descriptions of each SM they've released because it would just take too long and make for a really long blog since I'm sharing all three of them in one post.  Breyer has really inundated us with stuff the past few days and it was a bit overwhelming and that's one of the reasons why I didn't blog about it as it happened.  That's okay, though, right?  Of course it is.  hahaha.

Anyway, we are going to start with Jersey, which is done on the Walking Thoroughbred mold that resembles Carrick.  Jersey is a yummy chestnut with 4 white stockings and what appears to be a very thick gloss...

I must have that one, but as I mentioned above, Single Day SMs are being done differently this year.  More on that in a bit.  

Next up is Orkney.  He is a gorgeous golden palomino tobiano pinto, also with a glossy finish.  He was sculpted by local celebrity Kathleen Moody!

I conga him, although not severely, so he's definitely going to have to come home with me...hopefully.  Unlike others, I don't mind the large amounts of paints/pintos they're putting out this year because I like paints/pintos.  I do wish, however, they'd use some different colors other than palomino.  hahahaha.

And finally, there's Skye...

Now, I'm going to admit that I'm not a HUGE fan of this mold.  I don't really dislike it, but it doesn't do much for me.  I may be "forced" to get one, though, if I want the best chance for the first two.  More on that in a moment.

The only one that hasn't had a full reveal is the mini Croi Damsha, which seems to have set a lot of people on their ear with excitement.  Almost as much, it seems, as the release of the mini me Alborozo did.  Of course, a big difference is that the Croi Damsha mold is current while the mold for Alborozo was destroyed...or something.  I don't know.  It was released during my "hobby break" and I don't know all the details about that.

So, the Single Day Stablemates are being done differently this year.  Usually, you would buy however many tickets you wanted for the SMs you wanted and then just redeem the ticket for the model.  I guess it was *supposed* to be a random draw, but people would ask for specific models and would usually be given the ones they asked for.  So, if you only wanted Jersey and Orkney, you'd buy two Single Day tickets and redeem them for those models.  And this year you can still buy a Single Day ticket, but it will be a random draw for which model you get.  You are unable to specify which one you want.  So even if you buy 4 Single Day tickets, there's no guarantee you'll get four different models.  They will be, however, selling a small number of "sets".  Meaning, you get all 4 models.  But they will be limited and we haven't been told how many will be available, how much they'll be or even when they'll be going on sale.  That kind of sucks, you know?  But what can you do?  I am going to try to get one of the 4 model sets, but if I'm unable to, I guess I'll take my chances and buy the individuals as blind bags.  

What do you think of how they're planning to do it?  Do you like it?  Not like it?  Do you not really care?  hahaha.

So, onto my own Breyer stuff.  I oftentimes have the attention span of a gnat so there are times when I am sitting at my desk and I'm supposed to be working, but my mind starts to wander.  I have a bunch of models above my desk so I'll start looking at them and thinking they need to be dusted or straightened up.  Or I'll start digging in drawers and bins looking for one thing and end up finding something totally different and that's what happened last week.  I was looking in a basket on my desk and found...

Some Companion Animals I had totally forgotten I had!  Imagine my surprise when I discovered them wrapped in bubble wrap.  I was quite happy, to say the least.  

I also found some 1:12 scale animals...

But it doesn't end there.  Behind one of my monitors I found these...

A stack of about 20-25 issues of Just About Horses, dating back to at least 1999.  I had bought them off ebay a couple of years ago.  Some of them I've read before, but many of them I haven't and even the ones I have, it's been so long I don't remember the content so I'll just have to read them again.  So sometimes good things come from my short attention span!

I got a new model last week, too.  It's Winx on the Emerson mold...

It's a portrait model of a famous Australian racehorse who won 33 consecutive races. She's quite pretty and nicely shaded.  I bought her from a 3rd party on Amazon.  One of their trusted sellers.  I was going to buy it form the Breyer site, but she was out of stock and I started to get impatient.  hahaha.  But wouldn't you know, a day or two after I bought her, Breyer got them in stock?  Figures.  But I got her faster through Amazon than I would've from Breyer, that's for sure.

Well, I guess that's it for now.  I hope Jake the Farrier will be available to make an appearance next week.  He's been busy doing...goodness only knows.    Take care and until next time...

Sneak Peek Reveal...

SURPRISE!  (Not the Surprise Model, though)

Did we scare you?  Did you think we'd forgotten to do a decorator model for this year?  There is no way we would have missed the opportunity to bring you this next model.  And we promise you we have saved the best for last.

Our NINTH and final BreyerFest Special Run reveal for 2020's Celtic Fling is...Boudicca!

Done on the Andalusian Mare mold, #734, sculpted by Brigitte Eberl, this year's decorator screams (war cries!) Celtic!  Our homage to the ancient Celtic Queen of the Iceni, Boudicca famously led an uprising against the invading Roman forces in Britain during the middle of the first century CE.  Done in a mulberry grey and soft pearl, her fiery ginger mane and tail and battle-ready woad war paint will be the envy of your collection.

3-Day Ticket prices won't be increasing this year as a result of our shift to an online event platform (why would they?  That wouldn't make sense), but if you want to be automatically entered into the Early Bird Raffle for one of the three stunning Dyflin models, we have some exciting news, which we also shared last night!  In case you missed it, we've extended the Early Bird deadline to the end of the month (April 30th), so you still have some time to make your Early Bird 3-Day Ticket purchases (not sure what that has to do with the sneak peek...)

We've still got more to come right here on the BreyerFest Blog, so don't stray too far!

Well...even without the blue war paint on this model, it's not something I'm interested in.  I don't collect the mold nor do I collect non-realistic decorators.  Now, that might sound a bit confusing.  "Non-realistic Decorators".  Aren't decorators not realistic to begin with?  Well, yes and no.  There's realistic decorators and non-realistic decorators.  Boudicca is an example of a non-realistic decorator while the Dungaree model would be an example of a realistic one...

A realistic decorator is one that has the markings of an actual horse, but in a color that doesn't actually exist, such as blue.  But  you already knew the difference between realistic and non-realistic because you guys aren't dumb.  :)

Another reason why I'm not interested in Boudicca is even without the blue markings, I don't like the color of the mane and tail with the stark white / pearly body.  I'm not a fan of darks and lights like that.  If she was a chestnut horse and no blue markings, I would likely consider buying one.

I haven't decided if I am going to buy a second 3 Day Ticket or not.  I am almost tempted to, especially if you're able to buy the Surprise model with their virtual SR lines.  I still have a couple of weeks to decide since they extended the Early Bird pricing.  Someone on Blab, I think it was, mentioned it would be nice if they released a silhouette of what the surprise model is so we know what we're dealing with.  They could still keep the colors a secret.  I like that idea since we won't have the excitement of waiting to see the first unveiling of what they are.

I think I mentioned in my last blog post that I might have a lead on an Acadia and that I'd put in an offer.  Unfortunately, I haven't heard back.  Not a counter-offer and not a flat out decline.  That surprises me.  It also bums me out.  The seller could be busy, but that concerns me in that if they're too busy to respond to my offer they might be too busy to ship the model anytime soon.  I don't know.  So for that reason I don't want to just pay the full Buy It Now price, you know?

**Edited** I just looked at the listing and saw that the seller ended the auction.  I guess either she decided not to sell or someone made her a higher offer.  Either way, it would've been nice for her (or him) to let me know rather than just ignore my offer.  Oh well. 

Okay, well, I guess that is it for now.  I have a meeting in about 30 minutes.  Yay.  hahaha.  So, til next time!

Another Breyerfest Sneak Peek...

A Pick-Me-Up!

Yesterday's news about BreyerFest being transitioned to an online event has been rough for all of us to absorb - gathering in Kentucky is the highlight of our year!  It was an incredibly tough decision to make, but we know you, our amazing Breyer fans, understand.

We aren't going to let that news dampen our spirits, though!  BreyerFest ticket holders will have exclusive access to models and other fun surprises  - including that handsome fellow Dyflin we introduced you to back in January.  Early Bird ticket sales are coming to a close tomorrow and all Early Bird ticket buyers are automatically entered into the Raffle for Dyflin - with the added bonus of not needing to be in Kentucky to claim your prize!

We've still got all kinds of amazing models in store for this year's Celtic Fling.  Can you guess who this is?

Check back soon for the reveal!

A raised hoof.  Hmmm.  I wonder if that is...hahahaha.  I honestly have no idea.  There's a lot of molds with a raised hoof.  Is it a front hoof or a back hoof?  It could be either one.  I can't even tell if it's a "high" raise or a "low" raise...meaning is it close to the ground like San Domingo or higher up like Marwari?  There's not enough bend in the foot to make it a super high raise.

So...what do you all think of the change to BreyerFest?  I'm not sure.  While I'm intrigued by how they'll work it out with workshops and such, I worry that their servers won't be able to handle the amount of traffic it will get.  And it'll be interesting to see how they do the Special Runs.  Will they stick with the ticket times and do a virtual lottery?  That seems like it would be quite a nightmare.  And what about shipping?  If you're at BF, you buy the models for a set price and you're done.  If you pay for shipping it's because you choose to ship your models home and the cost is on you.  But if the sales are done online, is Breyer going to charge you the cost of shipping?  That could get pretty expensive depending on how much stuff you buy (SRs, store specials, Single Day SMs, general merchandise).  I wonder if Breyer will offer refunds to those who don't want to do a virtual Breyerfest...?  Some people are wanting their money back NOW, but they're being ridiculous.  Even if Breyer is willing to refund the costs of the 3 Day tickets, nobody is getting their money back right this moment.  They said they will have all of the information in place by the end of the month and will let us know so we really just need to be patient and stop raking Breyer over the coals.  Oh, and if I see one more post where someone says they "called it" or saw this coming, I'm going to scream!  hahaha.  I mean, come on.  Is that really necessary?  Does it make you feel better to say "I told you so"?  Probably.  People are weird like that.  They want to be validated or something.  Pretty sad.  Oh, and for the record, while I understand why they're doing this, I don't agree with it.

So, I may have a line on an Acadia for a reasonable price.  I found one for a price that isn't too horrible, but I made an offer on it and I'm waiting to see if my offer is accepted or they counter.  I think my offer is reasonable, but some sellers think knocking $5 off their listed price is reasonable.  I haven't decided what my "walk away" counter-offer is, yet.  Maybe I will wait to see what, if any, they come back with and then go from there.  Fingers crossed I can get it for my offer or within $10 of my offer.  I guess I just decided what my "walk away" amount is.  hahaha.

Well, I guess that's it for now.  Til next time.

Introducing Thorn...another Breyerfest Sneak Peek Reveal...

Say hello to our 8th BreyerFest Special Run reveal - Thorn!

Done on the clasically handsome Trakehner mold (#54), sculpted by Chris Hess, this icon is being released for this year's Celtic Fling in a fun softly-metallic buckskin blanket appaloosa complete with mottling on his nose.  Another of our fun throwback surprises to help celebrate Breyer's 70th Anniversary.

Named for thorn, the third in the sacred tree trilogy related to fairy lore, this plant has been long-considered sacred.  Combined with oak and ash, the thorn in folklore is said to ward off fairy mischief, but the hawthorn plant itself is regarded for its antioxidant medicinal properties - even today!

Rudyard Kipling was so captivated by this tree lore that he dedicated a chapter in his fantasy book, "Puck of Pook's Hill" to these trees.  "A Tree Song" is a poem about the trees oak, ash and thorn that emphasizes their symbolic nature in the history the British Isles.

Well, as far as I know, nobody guessed the correct mold, but I was correct about the picture showing the neck and chest area.  I like this guy.  I don't have any on this mold, although I used to have the original grey one.  I liked him.  I like this one.  I may have to have this one.  I have two spots for my SR time if I choose to have my friend get me pick-ups and Epona is the only other one I really "must" have.  Is this #2?  Could be.

Nothing else exciting is going on so I guess this will be a short post.  I hope everyone has a great weekend.  Til next time.

Special Run #8...And the retail release of some models...

How did we get here so quickly?

Can you guess who our 8th Special Run model is for our Celtic Fling Celebration?

We'll let you know if you've guessed right here on the BreyerFest Blog!

Well, to me it looks like the part of the horse where the neck goes into the chest.  But I suppose it could also be a back leg.  What looks to me like neck muscle could possibly be the leg muscle of an extended hind leg and part of the hock.  I don't know.  What I do know is that it's ANOTHER palomino colored horse.  Oh well. 

I looked at Blab to see what others are saying and someone else mentioned it looks like the neck to them.  Someone suggested a racehorse model based on the hint of "how did we get here so quickly?" but I'm not sure that's a hint or just the fact that it's the 8th and final (i think) SR model and they may be saying about how fast they seemed to be revealed.  And, of course, our usual suspect complained about the paint/pinto thing even though there's no indication this model is one.  Some people just like complaining about the same thing over and over, but I'm not going to harp on that.

So, in non-Breyerfest news, some new models have been released and I am very happy for one...

Winx, Champion Australian Racehorse.  This is one I've been waiting for since it was first "leaked" a couple of months ago, especially since it wasn't known if it would be released in Australia first or be an Australian exclusive.  Fortunately, that wasn't the case.

Over the course of five years, Australian mare Winx has rewritten racing history.  The 2011 Thoroughbred (Street Cry x Vegas Showgirl) had an incredible 37 career wins, tying with the legendary Phar Lap.

Owned by Magic Bloodstock and trained by Chris Waller, her streak of consecutive wins began on May 16, 2015.  Jockey Hugh Bowman was Winx's regular rider, piloting her in every race since 2015's Epsom Handicap, and to 32 of her wins.

In April 2019, Winx entered the starting gates at the Queen Elizabeth Stakes for her last race before rtiring.  True to form, Winx pulled off her 33rd consecutive win - a length and a half ahead of the second-place finisher!

She retired a true champion, comlete with a place in the Australia's Racing Hall of Fame, a world record of 25 Group One wins, and as the highest-earning Thoroughbred with over $26.4 million AUD ($19.7 million USD) in winnings!

So, now my decision is do I buy her now or wait?  And why do I wait?  Do I wait for shipping to return to normal?  Do I wait for her to be available through Amazon and shipping returns to normal?  They're delaying the shipments of things considered "non-essential", but this IS essential.  It's essential to my psychological health.  hahahaha.  I could order her from Breyer "now", but their shipping may be delayed.  Maybe I should sleep on it a day or two. 

Well, I guess that's it for now.  Since Breyer had a reveal earlier in the day I'm pretty sure there won't be another one at my lunchtime like they did several times.

Til next time!

Breyerfest Sunday Raffle and Seattle Soiree Models Revealed...

I know it's not Wednesday and neither was it yesterday when I posted, but right now there's no "rules" because lots of things seem to be happening all at once, for some reason.  So, I may end up posting on more than just Wednesdays right now and also, there might be a Wednesday where I don't post simply because nothing is going on worth posting.  I'm working on non-BF content, but that takes time.  hahaha.

So, first of all we have another Breyerfest reveal.

The BreyerFest Blog is rocking and rolling with model reveals this week!  We are keeping things going with our next reveal - this year's Sunday Raffle Model, Fields of Heather!

Heather, found abundantly growing in the wild in Scotland (it covers approximately 5 million acres of land), is one of the nation's national flowers and Scots have found many uses for it - from bringing good luck to brides to aromatherapy!  It also features prominently in Scottish Folklore tales.

The lithe and athletic Akhal-Teke mold (#805) was sculpted by Breyer's own Heather Puleo, and will debut next month as our first Premier Club model of 2020.  He is finished for our lucky Sunday Raffle winners in an eye-catching bay varnish blanket appaloosa, and now represents the unique Nez Perce Horse.  He is fully decked out with amazing details, from his mottled nose to his detailed "toes" and with plenty of mapping and spots in between!

Keep your eyes on the BreyerFest Blog.  We've got lots more coming up!

Hmm.  Where do I begin?  For the most part, he's not bad.  I don't particularly care for the mold itself.  I'm not a huge fan of stretched out molds like this.  I don't know why, but I prefer standing or a nice walk like San Domingo.  So I wish they'd used this pattern on a different mold, although I'm glad it wasn't on one I like since the secondary market price for him would be higher than Man of the Hour (last year's volunteer model).  The main "issue" I have with him, though, is the three "stripes" on each side of his body.  To me, it looks like he's been attacked by something and those are claw marks.  hahahaha.

So, the models for the Seattle Soiree were made available to those who chose to not get a full refund.  Well, photos of them were.  I'm not going to put all of the pictures here because they're easily found elsewhere and I like to do things differently here, as you all know.  I do, however, want to touch on one of them...the only one I'd want of the group and he is, of course, part of Group A, which is the less quantity group.  If he'd been one of the models for Scottsdale Stampede I would've kept him without a doubt since I only have one "complaint" about him.  Anyway, his name is Nirvana and he's done on the braided mane and tail Idocus...

My complaint?  His color is kind of boring.  It's a very flat-looking black and too minimal.  The could've given him a white sock or even a coronet band.  Or a "pink" hoof.  Or they could've mottled his muzzle a little.  Something to give him more white.  Yes, he has the barest hint of a star on his forehead, but that is barely noticeable, you know?  Oh well.  Like I said, if someone were to give me one...or I could buy one for a reasonable price, I'd take him, but I won't aggressively seek him out on the secondary.  They also revealed what the Stablemate will be and I'm not even interested in that one.  My streak ended up with Sweet Home Chicago.  Of course, it was only a 3 event streak, but still...hahaha.  Anyway, how they're doing the draw is kind of confusing to me, but it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

On a personal note, it appears as though my new boss thinks I need multiple meetings per day...

I am trying to convince him otherwise.  I think I am losing since we had TWO meetings today.  hahahaha.

That's it "for now".  Til next time!

Early Monday Morning Sneak Peek Revealed...

Happy Monday!

Did you have a good weekend?  We couldn't think of a better way to start off this week than with a model reveal.  Say hello to your Saturday Raffle Model - Order of the Thistle!

The Order of the Thistle is the greatest Order of chivalry in Scotland, and we felt this name was fitting for such a handsome model - he looks absolutely regal.  The order of the Thistle may date as far back as the early 9th century and recognizes sixteen Knights with the highest honor in Scotland, as well as Scottish men and women who have either held public office or contributed to national life in Scotland.  This Order is only second to the English Order of the Carter (also headed by the Queen) and members of the Order don stunning green velvet robes when participating in official activities.

Order of the Thistle has been done on Jennifer Scott's beautiful new Racking Saddlebred Stallion, mold #802, with a stunning new look.  He sports a glittering gold champagne tobiano pinto pattern, complete with mapping, a soft pearl basecoat to really shine, detailed eyes and a green ribbon in his mane for good measure.

Keep your eyes on the BreyerFest Blog - we've got another reveal coming up!

Well, I was right about it being a tobiano pattern, but that's a hollow "victory" as I didn't know what the mold was.  Not that I even tried to figure it out.  I'm glad this is a raffle horse and not a Special Run, even though I have no interest in getting it.  I love the pattern, but not the mold.  I also don't care for the color in the mane and tail.  I think it has too much color in the tail and not enough in the mane.  hahaha.  I am sure there's plenty of people who will like him, though, and will buy lots of raffle tickets in an attempt to win one.  I don't pay much attention to raffle models since you have to be there in order to win or really REALLY trust your pick-up person to be honest and collect your model should your number be called and then send it to you.  I think there's only been a couple of raffle models I've liked in the past anyway.  Wasn't there one on Valegro a couple of years ago?

Yeah.  2016 we saw Valegro as a grulla appaloosa named Cinza...

I remember there being a lot of good-natured fighting over him on Blab because a lot of people wanted him.

Well, anyway, so it's Monday.  The start of another week...another work week...week 3 of working from home.  Nothing new to report around here.  My weekend was okay.  Nothing too exciting.  I went grocery shopping and did the laundry.  Or was it, did the laundry and went grocery shopping?  Hahahaha.  I hope everyone is doing well.  Til next time!

Imagine that...ANOTHER sneak peek!

Just when you thought you were safe from Breyer, they released yet another sneak peek.  They should've done this on April 1st.  At the very least, they should've revealed the other one before doing a new one, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised they didn't.  hahaha.

So, from the Breyerfest Blog:
We're just having a little light-hearted fun here at the BreyerFest Blog.  Can you guess who this is?

Have a great weekend!  Check back next week for the reveal!

I don't know if this is a large spot appaloosa or a regular spotted appy that has been enlarged to look bigger.  I do have to say, though, I'm intrigued by it.  And at least it's not another palomino paint.  hahahaha.

So, to keep this post from being super, super short I'm going to share something I have been reading on Facebook that is hobby-related.  I don't really know how to describe it.  It's a cartoon, but not a drawn cartoon or animated.  Not a cartoon.  A comic, I guess.  It's done using Schleich models and riders and various other items such as drawn paper dolls.  It's basically they "joys" of horse ownership and things that go with it such as vet bills and buying and selling.  They're done by Broken Horse Ranch and are just too funny.  I can't show an entire comic strip because of how they're uploaded to Facebook, but I can share a couple of the "panels"...or whatever they're called...it shows a bunch of the individual parts but in one collage.  I encourage you to look up Broken Horse Ranch and read them yourself, though...

Episode 1: Why Cowboy Dan Drinks...

Episode 5: You have a problem...

Episode 13: How to Wash Yer Horse...

Make sure you read all the background comments on the photos and pay attention to horses Cupcake and Princess.  They're a riot.

Okay.  I guess that's it for now.  I hope everyone has a great weekend.  Til next time.

Bonus Post! More Traditionals being scaled down to minis and another sneak peek...

Well, Breyer got us again yesterday.  Happy April Fool's Day, Collectors.  I don't like April 1st.  Not only because it's my birthday and I had to endure ridicule as a child, but also because you can't believe anything you read that comes from Breyer.  SOMEtimes they post real stuff that isn't a joke, but more often than not, it's not real.  It can be a bit of a fine line.  Do you not believe what they're saying because it's April Fool's Day and then end up surprised because it was real, or do you believe it then end up feeling stupid because it was an April Fool's Day joke?  I have taken the stance of...if it's April 1st, I'm not going to believe it.  People on Blab also tend to post things that sound like they could be real, but turn out to be jokes.  I've been fooled a couple of times so I don't believe any sort of hobby news I read there either.

This particular joke, however, seemed fairly plausible as they have been shrinking down a lot of traditionals to mini size, but something that got peoples' attention is that the mold they used, they called it "one of our most beloved stock horse sculptures".  If he was so beloved, how come he hasn't been used in a really, really long time?

From Breyer's Facebook page:  

Rugged Lark, one of our most beloved stock horse sculptures, first debuted in 1989.  With his calm expression and quiet gait, this fellow is sure to be a welcome addition to Stablemates fans' herds - the coat color of this particular release was inspired by one of our later Rugged Lark models, Patch.  I think I once owned the original Rugged Lark mold and found him to be rather...lumpy...but he looks pretty good in SM scale...

I would definitely get one, especially in that color.  Did I mention how much I dislike April 1st?

But all is not lost.  Today Breyer admitted it was an April Fool's Day Joke, but then said this one was NOT...

APRIL FOOLS!  A Stablemates Rugged Lark model isn't "actually" in the pipeline, but here's something that is!  One part of our April Fools' Day prank was true - we ARE doing more minis, and you'll be hearing more about this little guy (and others!) in the coming months.  Thanks for playing along!

I think I like the Rugged Lark one better and I certainly don't need to start another SM conga, but I will probably get this one.  I'm excited to see what else is going to come down the pike.  Hopefully Lady Phase.  Or San Domingo.  There's already a Valegro, although not in exact position of the Traditional.  How about a Totilas?  I'd be happy with any of those.  And  Cantering Welsh Pony and a...and a...hahahah.  OOO!  OOOO!  A Marwari!  The original mold with the curved ears.  hahaha.

As I'm nearing the end of week 2 of working from home, I see posts about people who are taking up new hobbies or working on old one that have taken a back seat to other things and I can't help but feel a bit envious because I am still working, but then I remind myself that I AM still working when so many people are without jobs right now or are students.  Our WFH period has been extended until May 6th, which I may have mentioned already.  Our daily unit meetings have now reduced to 3 days a week, which is good.  My new co-worker has been a little less-than-helpful, but after a few minutes he can usually be encouraged to go do his own thing...

My other new co-worker doesn't come anywhere near me during the day when I'm working.  I knew she wouldn't.

So, I had hoped Jake the Farrier would want to go on an adventure yesterday, but no such luck.  He must've been out in the field somewhere or just simply being lazy and not wanting to get out of bed.  I'm more inclined to think it's the latter.  hahahaha.  

I guess that's it for now.  Til next time!

Except it's not...Breyer has released another Sneak Peek...wouldn't you know it.

The caption doesn't reveal anything other than to check back later so I won't bother "quoting" it.  Anyway, I'm surprised it's another paint and another palomino paint at that.  From the small bit of picture, I'm guessing it's a minimal tobiano.  Check back "later" (a relative term since 'later' is usually the same day, in my opinion).