Happy Coincidences

The weather’s been yucky, and I have not been feeling all that good myself the past few days (sinus headaches.) To cheer myself up, I finally got my Khalid out of my car:

I am happy to report that he appears to be nearly flawless, after spending nearly a month in my car. (I know, Bad Andrea.) And to prove to you that Dun Sabino really was a thing of mine, here’s that Stablemates Seabiscuit custom I had done by Judy Renee Pope a bajillion years ago (the late 1980s):

We all like to think that something we’ve written or said online – or communicated with Breyer/Reeves in some way – directly affects or influences what eventually gets released.

To a degree, that’s true, especially when there’s a groundswell of hobby interest in a breed, celebrity, or discipline: the more voices you have, the louder the chorus gets. Maybe it was your thumbs up or comment that finally pushed the idea into the “let’s do this” column.

And of course, some of us are lucky enough to directly influence or participate in the creative process.

But I know for a fact that Khalid was not something I had any hand in. Other than the passing interest I expressed in a similar piece done for the BreyerFest Auction back in 2016 or my happiness at acquiring the ASPCA Stablemates Hermes, they likely had no idea that this particular color and marking combo was something that I was really into.

They also wouldn’t have known that the name they chose for this model has some personal significance for me. One of my long-term fiction writing projects is a loosely connected trilogy (actually, a trilogy of trilogies) of books that includes a character named Judge Khalid.

All I’ll say is that he’s basically my take on the “sexy vampire boyfriend” trope. I am very fond of him as a character and it is entirely within the realm of possibility that if this model had not been named Khalid, that I would have named him that, anyway. 

But this is all – well, and truly – a happy coincidence.

Lime Green With Envy

I didn’t watch the race, so I have no opinion of what happened at the Kentucky Derby, but it is darn weird that passing acquaintances – who know of my familiar with things equine, and not much else – certainly seem to think I want to listen to theirs.

I’ll just leave it at this: having more people interested in horse racing again is, like comic book movies, definitely a mixed blessing.

Anyway, I saw a whole shipment’s worth of the Flagship Model Seamus today and had a very, very hard time leaving him behind – I was at that particular toy store to pick up something very specific, and there was absolutely no straying from the budget this month, no sir…

But his pattern was so cleanly masked, and surprisingly lacy and intricate for a tobiano pinto. And he had lime green ribbons: I am absolutely a sucker and a half for lime green ribbons. The ribbons on the Black Misty’s Twilight is half the reason why I was so enthralled the 1993 Spiegels Catalog Dressage Set (the other half being the knockout Mahogany Bay on the otherwise not-really-my-thing Hanoverian) and also why I lusted after the 2012 BreyerFest Auction Hackney.

I even recently finished a quilt top where that shade of lime green is the dominant color. I am not saying that it’s my favorite color, but it does have a certain je ne sais quoi to it that makes my inner nine-year-old nod approvingly.

(Though if I am being perfectly honest, my inner nine-year-old’s absolute-most-favorite color is actually red-orange. There is … a very long story to that.)

If this pretty boy ends up getting glossed for the Customer Appreciation Sale at the end of the year, he’s definitely going to be the must-have in the bunch. For me, especially.

And before anyone asks: no, I can’t do any pick-ups for Seamus. It’s not very likely I’ll be veering over to that part of town again any time in the near future. (I probably shouldn ’t even be talking to y’all now, actually.)

Alejandro

I just realized that I kinda-sorta collect the Brishen mold. I have an NPOD Sample of the Bay Pinto Gypsy Vanner, the BreyerFest Store Specials Dag Dia and Albion, and probably soon the Brick and Mortar Special Alejandro, even though I know I shouldn’t:

https://www.breyerhorses.com/alejandro

The name reminds me of Lady Gaga’s video of the same name that I won’t link to here, because its Evita-meets-Steve-Rude’s-Nexus vibe is not quite family-friendly enough for this blog.

Although I don’t think it was intentional, they did name one of their Special Runs (Astru) after a Hungarian Black Metal band, too. It makes me wonder what they’re actually listening to in the offices in New Jersey.

But anyway…

His color, for those of you not up on your horse color genetics, is Mulberry Gray, a relatively rare color in Breyer’s repertoire. There have been some Tests like the Moody Andalusian from 2016, and the Original and Reissue of the Legionario III #880 Medieval Knight. The #1498 Lusitano on the Esprit mold was called Red Roan, but is technically Mulberry Gray, as well.

The mold has some conformational issues, but I think Reeves has done a remarkable job in designing paintjobs that highlight the mold’s strength as a more fantastical creature in the spirit of Esprit and Ethereal.

I’ve described the Pinto Gypsy Vanner as a Lisa Frank-style horse, Novelisto D and Dag Dia as personifications of Lightness and Darkness.

Alejandro? His mane and tail make him look like he’s literally on fire.

And I can’t look away: in fact, I think I love it.

There are already a few too many Rarities and Glossies with the Brishen mold and all its variants to make actively collecting the mold impractical.

To be realistic, it really isn’t practical for me to buy any horses at all right now, other than the occasional stray Stablemate. If I happen to find him sometime this week or next, during my travels, I will get him.

But that’s a big if.