Stablemate Club's Cassidy and Totilas...

 I know I've probably mentioned a time or two that I haven't been in the Stablemate Club for a couple of years.  I was an "Originating Member" and was in the club for 2 or 3 years before deciding not to renew because I wasn't really liking many of the models that were being released and while I never had a problem selling the ones I didn't like, it seemed like I was selling more than I was keeping and figured what was the purpose of that?  I could just buy the ones I wanted on the secondary market.  But I didn't even do that until Corbin was released.  Actually, I decided that after seeing him on the cover of the 2019 issue of Just About Horses with Grayson...

I just HAD to have him so I set out in search of one and added him to my alarmingly rapidly growing Stablemate Collection.  Seriously.  My Stablemates are growing out of control!  hahahaha.  But I got one...And I would LOVE to show you a photo of it, but for some reason my iPhone 8 doesn't always play nicely and send photos when I ask it to.  I guess you will just have to trust me that I have a Corbin.  hahaha.  I believe I still need Grayson, but I'm not 100% sure on that.

Just as an aside...I think I'm going to switch back to Android.  Between this phone chiming randomly and the photo issue, I don't really like it.  I use Cricket so I don't have a huge option of phones or services.  I've had an iPhone before and went back to Android and while I like Apple now more than I did the last time, I am quickly being reminded why I've used Android for as long as I have.  Well, that and the fact that Android phones are generally less expensive.  And I've never had this issue with an Android phone so maybe I'll treat myself to a new phone for Christmas.  I don't really want to spend the money on a new one, not that it will be super expensive, but at least I know that when I take a picture with my phone and email it to myself, it will arrive.  Also, I tried updating the blog from my iPhone so I could put the picture of Corbin in and it showed it on my phone, but it's still not appearing in this blog post so I think I'm about over it.  hahahaha.  We will see.  I have enjoyed the LG Stylo and the 6 has a 6.8" screen, which I like.  I like bigger phones.  Okay.  So I'm impulsive that way.  I bought the Android phone.  hahaha.  Merry Christmas to me.  I also had to get a case to go with it.

Back to the plastic ponies!  Anyway, when I saw the reveal of Cassidy, I knew I had to have her, so I did get her from a Blabber who has several memberships because of the Gambler's Choice and I finally unboxed her yesterday...Except I can't upload a photo because my phone is holding it hostage, just like the Corbin one.  This is ridiculous!  I can't even say anything about the packaging because there's no photo for reference.  GRRRRRRR.  Well, I will try to update from my phone again and insert the photos from there, but if that doesn't work, I don't know what I'm going to do.  Well, not take anymore pictures with my cell phone until I get the new one, that's for sure!  At least Android uploads to Google photos and I can access them through there, but Apple doesn't play nicely with Google Photos.  But back to the SM Club.  After being away for a couple of years, I have re-joined it and I'm looking forward to seeing the new packaging they mentioned in an email.  I think this will be the 3rd generation of packaging?  Or is it 4th?  I forget.  I think the original was blue satin bags, right?  And then it went to the yellow window boxes like the Traditional sized models.  So we will see what the new packaging looks like sometime in February, I'm guessing. 

Yesterday word came out that the great Dressage stallion Totilas had passed due to complications from colic at the age of 20 in Frankfurt, Germany.  I imagine not everyone considered "great" and that's okay.  He was the first to score above 90 in dressage competition with his longtime rider, Edward Gal.  Together, the pair held three world records and won three gold medals at the 2010 World Equestrian Games as well as team and individual gold at the 2009 European Championships.  The pair broke the world freestyle record at Olympia in 2009 with 92.3% - a feat which stood for four years until bettered by Valegro and Charlotte Dujardin.  He was officially retired in 2015 after being diagnosed with inflammation of the coronet band.  With his amazing presence and extravagant movement, Totilas touched the hearts of people far beyond the sport of dressage.  He spent his retirement years hacking out at Gestut Schafhof and "fulfilling his stud duties".  Something I found out is that he wasn't 100% pure Dutch Warmblood but rather was a Trakehner, which is a Prussian breed, on his sire's side.  I'm not sure the of the ins and outs of how a horse is allowed to be registered as a KWPN, but that's okay.  Hahaha.  Anyway, when I first saw the sneak peeks of his model, I knew he would be a new conga for me...

This photo is from Amazon as I don't have easy access to my Totilas mini-conga.  I don't have all of them because they've used the mold for a Breyer Collector Event Big Easy Bash (Zydeco) and as the 2019 Breyerfest Volunteer Model (Man of the Hour) as well as other, too-expensive-for-me models.  Maybe one day I'll own Man of the Hour, but who knows?  I'm not going to get into a whole big thing about grails and costs and stuff like that.  hahaha.  I think I've already covered that subject a time or two.  Anyway, back to Totilas.  At 17.2hh and "solid" (aside from markings) black, he checked all of my boxes for horses: BIG and beautifully black...

I really hope Breyer continues to make models on this mold long into the future.

Well, I think that's it for now.  I was going to unbox some more stablemates, but I can't get to them right now.  Maybe next week?  Til next time!

**Update** My photos finally arrived at my inbox several hours later...

The little shipping box with the horse silhouettes all over it is what I was trying to talk about before, but couldn't because I didn't have the photo to use for a reference.  I like that it's a miniature version of the Traditional-sized shipping boxes.  I hope that stays.

Oh well.  I am still switching back to Android.  hahaha.