Red and Gold

Before they get lost in the shuffle, here’s another thing I was able to do recently: I traded one of my Red Christmas Clydesdales for a Gold one! (Thanks, Christine!)

Together, they kind of remind me of the unconventionally pretty White, Burgundy and Gold Christmas Tree we had a few years back that glowed pink when we turned on the lights. 

And now that I do have two different Christmas Clydes, I’m tempted to complete the set, though I think I’ll wait until BreyerFest, at least. Not so much because I want to handpick, I just think my life will be a little bit less hectic by then. Prices might be a tad bit better since lot of speculators may have moved on to the next hot thing, too.  

They guys also tempt me to make a Traditional Scale Christmas Clydesdale, something that I’m shocked hasn’t happened yet already, given the popularity of the Draft/Draft-adjacent Holiday Horses like 2020’s Yuletide Greetings, on the Shannondell mold. 

I’d probably stick to a more conventional color – or even go with the original, common-as-dirt #80 Bay, with the simple addition of Red and Green mane bobs and a fancy matching outfit made from my gigantic craft supply stash. 

Painting is my least favorite part of the customizing process, and if I can get away with gently modifying an Original Finish model instead, I’m going to go for it. 

(One of my most successful customs, back in that very brief heyday when I did customize for money, was basically a modestly modified Original Finish horse.)

But that’s another project for another day. One that is way, way into the future. Probably. 

Taking out Glossies, all the various Resist Dapple Grays, and quasi-Decorators like the 2012 Web Special Magnus (Extremely Chalky!) and the 1992 Semi-Metallic Grullo Sears XMAS Special Run, the Traditional Clydesdale Stallion mold has come in only three Decorator colors officially. 

The first was, of course, the #980 Woodgrain, recently reissued in Stablemates form. The second was the 1998 Tour Special Major, in a fabulous Gloss Charcoal with metallic gold ribbons and bobs. And the third is the 2002 Volunteer Special in Gold Florentine with metallic silver ribbons and bobs. The Volunteer Special was – briefly – one of the less popular/less expensive Volunteer Specials, but I’m not sure that’s even a category anymore. 

I’m secretly hoping that this year’s BreyerFest Rotating Draft Surprise is the Clydesdale Stallion, but they haven’t gone with a “vintage” mold since the first Surprise in 2009, so I will honestly be a little stunned if they do it again. Delighted, but still stunned.