Five White Foals

 

For over 50 years, from 1973 to 2024, my herd has had one white foal.  She reigned supreme, being the girlfriend of the King's son, Tesoro.  He was a charcoal as she was an alabaster FAF (Family Arab Foal).  Her beginnings are almost lost in the mists of history;  her registry card claims either 1972 or 1973.  My memories tell she was a replacement for an earlier alabaster FAF, named Snowy.  This name touches the deepest springs of my horse fever, being the title character of a series of books that were given to me and my sister in the 60s by Claire Sittler.  Mrs Sittler, a patient of my grandfather, Dr Bensema, was the person responsible, as near as I can determine, for my original infection with that fever.

Payasada, "She is like a clown," or Pie, was named after a phrase in one of my favorite books, Judy Van der Veer's Hold the Rein Free.  There was something about the eyes of this young filly that gave her exceptional character.  She was perfect for Tesoro.  The two of them settled down to an extremely long going-steady-hood, and things were stable for decades.  There is a blog post about their blankets:  Felts for Foals

In 1989 another white foal crept in, a Hartland.  I remember my herd struggling with the concept of separate-but-equal social castes.  The rise of Hartlands, from 1987 on through the early 2000s, paralleled my own late 20s through my early 40s, formative years.  Unfortuantely Spindrift never became a favorite, never got played with and barely developed any personality.  It's a pity.  He is the least of the five today.

In the late 90s and early 2000s the Stones started coming in.  King's Herd ultimately got 9 of the Weanlings, the only Stone foal molds that I wanted.  (I didn't consider the trotting Arab Filly to be a foal.  She was so expensive and I only wanted one color of her, finally managing to afford a Wedgewood in 2017.)  For the record, my first Weanling was acquired in 2002 and my last in 2008.  While none of these are white, some of them could pass as light-colored.  It is interesting looking at them as a group.  Future conga post, anyone?

A white foal seemed so desirable to me.  The animal is mythic.  It has reverberations of great purity, unicorn-like, and qualities of beauty and fragility which inspire one to protect it.  There may be a bit of denied motherhood in there too.  Smaller models were more handy for carrying around.  Although you'll never get me to admit it, there was a certain relief in not having to make tack for a model horse beyond a halter or blanket.  Oh, I was overdue for a white foal!  Pie had become ancient, delicate and too historic to risk breakage;  she could not compete, in detail or in finish, with the newer horses coming onto the market.  She simply had nothing that had not already been known for decades.

 

Here is a glimpse of something that might have to do with my valuing a white foal so much.  This is my basement wall.  I did all the paint-by-numbers (total 5), in the 1970s.

 

Buck & horse drawing by Kim Swanger Grove

 The white foal was done last, probably in the early 80s, and is the only painting to have a name, Pale Guy.

 

In 2022 the Vintage Club put out its 3 mare-and-foal sets, Poppy and Ollie, on the Andalusian Mare and Foal molds, in bay, palomino and white (alabaster).  Except it wasn't white.  It was supposed to be a Perlino.  I first saw this foal while judging my little backyard show in November of 2023.  All I know is I fell hard!  It was the iridescence.  I'd never seen anything like that on a Breyer.  The colt won the class, big surprise! and I was off on a long trek to collect this desirable creature.  

 

 

But the Perlino proved quite difficult to separate from its mother.  No one was willing to break up the set.  In the end not even I was!  That was a real surprise, when I'd already planned out who the mother and father would be.  My Uffington, Albedo, was obviously the father.  It was more difficult to settle on a mother;  at one point, there was a black and white pinto in the running!  Eventually a Cremello mare, the Girls Rule the World beauty (2024) became the obvious choice,... but this was for Zehatan the unicorn.  I didn't get the Perlino mare and foal until BreyerFest 2025.  

 

Note shoulder color is from a shadow

  

I had long since named the foal -- Shoni, after the author of the horsehair hitching book -- but her arrival was not what it could have been.  Her eyes were blobby, without much expression.  The much-vaunted color was barely iridescent and strangely green, almost the color of mould.  What to do with the mare?  She eventually was solved by pairing with Cosimo the black Murguese.  But Shoni had been upstaged;  she hasn't yet emerged from that shadow.

In September 2024 a foal appeared that supplied what I had wanted, though the realization grew slowly.  This was Breyer's Rigel, my first unicorn. I had long admired the color of Rosalind & Rigel (2022 issue), the pearly-pink unicorn mare and foal;  but how to get just the foal?  Finding one online with a barrel rub solved that.  Scratches didn't matter to me!  Save a buck!!  Thank you Devon Frinzi!  In a happy hour I named him Zehatan, after one of the worlds in the Expanse sci-fi series.  (There were 1373 worlds, though not all named!)  Zehatan has his own blog post:  A Minor Miracle

 

While I'm not advocating that a horse break himself in order to get my attention, it's true that this adventure caused me to really bond with him.  I love this most beautiful model, iridescent and with glorious color. He's not exactly white, but he clearly belongs in the category of magical white foals.  Zehatan, Albedo and the cremello mare Kiss Away all belonged together, with their pearlescent finish and blue eyes.  Palomino Insatiety

 

Members of 3 different families, grouped by color

And then, 2 years later, came Floriana.

Riding on the wave of my Stone emphasis and obsession, she came to my attention right when I was thinking about a fourth Stone Arab foal.  I dared seek a white one;  I already had acquired a baby black, a redgold pinto and a brown appy, these colors covering the spectrum of my desires.  At least for now. 

  

 

Floriana was being sold to raise funds for a cancer victim.  I was a cancer survivor myself.  The seller made haste to show me her broken and missing flowers.  Those only made me want her more, and the price reduction didn't hurt!  Floriana was my 12th Stone purchase since Erin took the reins:  a dozen horses in less than 3 years (Jan 2024 to Sept 2026).  In the 13 years previous to Erin I'd gotten only 3 Stones.  

Floriana arrived in late July 2026.  She has gone through several arrangements of her flowers.  Trust a unicorn to associate with gold (the gold wire was for the tack shop):

 

Within a few days I'd carefully peeled off the forehead flower and moved it to the gap at the top of the neck.  This arrangement (below) lasted for a couple of weeks.  The original adhesive had become weak and rubbery and could be peeled off;  the surface beneath was unmarked.  I also re-glued the next flower down, since it was equally unstable.  I used Triple Thick Glaze for the new places:  that dried hard and strong.  Of course only time will tell whether it will last for years and years, but I have hopes.

 

Ultimately I chose to move the small yellow flower to the top of the neck.  Not only did that harmonize with the horn, it left the largest flower lowest, satisfying my artistic sense of balance.  [Note from the future:  I have since re-glued the 2 lowest flowers also.  Traveling in a pony pocket proved too much for them;  but since their adhesive was strong enough to cling to the lining, thank heavens they didn't get lost!]

 

I love Floriana out of all proportion.  Here is a charming animal.  She is quietly pearlescent.  She easily became friends with Zehatan.  She has customizations few Stones in my herd have.  She even has cloven hooves!  A case of slightly curled legs was taken care of during corn season.  Straightening a Foal   She is regal, lovely and charming as a princess should be.  In a twist only my model horses can do, Floriana chose Magia Pesca, my blue Remington, as her father.  (You will be hearing more about Pesca later!)  Of my 4 Stone Arab foals, only Graf had bonded with his father faster.  

 

Floriana keeps her Stone name, because it fits her perfectly.  As of this writing I am carefully dreaming up her mother.  Harmony mold, pearlescent white with translucent metallic blue points and shadings, gold hooves and highlights and,...  She needs no horn, though I could never convince the world of that.  Magic does not need a horn, only love.

And metallicism.

BF 26: Posters

 

This year my impetus for taking pictures of posters and other hallway art at BreyerFest was greater than ever.  In many ways they are the soul of the hotel event.  What a vast army!  The thought of denying them seems impossible, like holding back the tide.  There must be a way they can flourish;  they are too handy, too useful and too much fun.  This post will explore the variety of poster ideas and offer a few suggestions for the future.  There's 25 pix so sit down for the long haul!

I want to start this part-documentary, part-memoriam with my own door.  Six-twelve does not have the best lighting (I used to be in 610 but Noel pinched it!) but 'twill serve, 'twill serve.  (Take that, you Shakespearean nut!)  Over the course of my many BFests in this hotel my posterage has gone from 1 to 4.

The heart of the conflict, I believe, is that the hotel wants to protect their freshly-painted doors and surfaces.  I try to obey this logical rule.  Yet I am neither able to resist putting up small notes nor mean enough to scold those who put up far more.  My first excuse is to rely on the weak adhesive of Post-Its;  my second is to recognize the impulse as irresistable, going possibly all the way back to the family refrigerator.  It's only human.  The goal, then, is to find a way to express oneself without damage to the infrastructure.  At the moment, painter's tape and fabric wall covering is the enabling combination.

Those across the way from me have put up their typical pink sparkles.  We'll look at general hallways first, then close ups.

I think of this Exit sign as the ground-zero point.  It's located at the end of the 100s hall and thus excellent for posters, a real prime location.  Visually and physically it is at the begining of the central hub area of the place (the start of the 500s and 600s).  See how over time it accumulates its posters:  this first shot was taken Wednesday,

and this one on Friday.  My own is in here, second below the blue Guest Rooms curve-top tile. 

 Woops, I see I overlooked an Embassy poster.  Love those hamsters!

 Here's a view of the wall outside the start of the 600s, taken Friday morning.  Much later and there will be too many people to see it like this.

 Even when the interior of the CHIN was not enclosed into walkways, the walls were full of posters during BreyerFest.  Those walkways merely gave us more space.

 Run the gamut just to reach the bathroom!  Turn the corner to this:  See the Front Lobby sign? (Blue tile at the far end.)  Mine is in here too, but buried.  

 Some basic lessons of poster design can be seen.  Color and Close are two of the great rules.  If you can't afford a good photograph, use a drawing, but it should be large, Clear and bright.  A detailed close up is better than a swarm of smaller objects.

Many people split the difference with 4 to 6 photographs.  Size doesn't matter as much as a good picture.

Now let's look at individual posters.   Of course, being human, the one with humor is the one that's gonna stick.  I found the skeleton painfully amusing ["Waiting for this room to open"].

And this one says it all!

 Are you sure he's not biting,...?!

A drawing can tell so much.  Another biter (almost the same pose!)[lower right].  The pose is a work of art.

There's repetition, and there's... repetition.  Maybe these bright ones for the same room could've been set a little further apart,...

This one really surprised me with its quality.  It stood out, both for content (very subtle) and for creativity.  Being black and white also made it stand out, probably on purpose.  

I tell you this hobby is brimfull of creative people!

A quick glimpse over the railings down into the lobby, from the 200s balcony.  This lobby has been the site of some of the happiest moments of my life:  my community has recognized me and has welcomed me here.  My spirit wants to linger here so much -- I have even thought of having a few ashes scattered on the beloved grounds of BreyerFest -- yet now the changes seem overpowering.  I cringe instead, peering out like a snail from its shell.

Back to posters, and to doors.  Door frame decorations are another field that has grown over the years.  I love the evolution, even though I haven't yet utilized my own door frame.  This view was in the 200s, just past the balcony.

Here's another fresh idea.  At first I thought it was show ribbons!

The full door cover is something that's come in over the past few years.  I think you can get them made at print shops.  I once saw one on the wall between doors.   These covers would, if carefully applied, take care of any door damage(!).

This one was worthy of the Penn National art booths.  Here's where it gets interesting:  Note that the lights (LEDS?) are fastened to the doorframe and not the walls.  (Magnets?  A fablous idea.)  Also, note how the door cover protects the door from its own posters.

(Below) This method of advertisement also deserves a great shout-out, because it manages to avoid damage to both the walls and the door!  I was amazed at this:  frame clamps!  Not only that, but it presents itself across the flow of foot traffic and thus is much more visible than the typical poster.  I tell you, creativity will win the day!

 One more door cover:

 One more individual poster, showing the wall banner approach, and the all-important Time of Return clock:

 One more shot of the wall of the central area, taken Friday morning:

 And the last, which isn't a poster at all but a personally favorite place.  You won't believe it, but this is a very important staircase to me.  It's the run up from the 500s to the 600s from the back door if you don't take the elevator.  I've been up and down these 14 steps countless times, dodging crowds, lugging boxes and bags, hurrying in a panic or crowing over a purchase.  (Still with the yellow beware-water sign, after all the flooding!)  They are just as essential to me as the hallways and ground zeros;  I almost feel they belong to me.

I am so looking forward to using them again. 

BF 26: A Visit to the Embassy

 

Sometime during Friday of BreyerFest, July 10, I drove over to the Embassy.  I'd never been inside before.  I had a reason:  I would be picking up a fellow volunteer for the Children & Youth Show the very next day, and driving both of us out to the KHP at the crack of dawn.  I like to scout out the locations of such escapades in advance if I possibly can!

But I had another reason.  The threat of all the unknowns next year gave a higher priority to checking out the surrounding hotels.  I'd known several people who'd stayed at the Embassy over the years.  Even more:  In my collection of hall poster photographs were several intriguing ones mentioning the Embassy.

Honestly I wouldn't have noticed if my eye hadn't been sharpened by all the worries and rumours.  To  my surprise, the cartoon creature below qualified.  I'd seen it for years but blithely dismissed it.  Yet there it was!

 In particular there was a hall poster of great elegance which I'd never seen before.  The method of construction was merely cutting out corrugated cardboard.  But it was so classy.  I was quite impressed.  Kudos to whoever thought of this horsehead!

When I finally got into the Embassy, I was both delighted and disappointed. 

The delight was from the beauty, open plan, ease of passage and sheer difference.  It is clearly a high class place.  I have known a hotel just like this in Sedalia, MO, for the Sedalia Ragtime Festival.  The fountains lend a great deal of humidity to the central vessel, and (who'd've thought of it) noise;  they echoed rather seriously. 

The disappointment was just that such class is so different, shall we say, from the BreyerFest I know.  This place would not welcome the masses the same way, nor would they be as comfortable.  I was unable to discover a price.

And yet, there were pioneers here.  The imagination could, after all, see the growth of a model horse convention in this space.

 Each room had a front window.  All the windows were the same size.  That right there would be an interesting experiment in the skill of window-dressing!

I'm sorry I couldn't correlate these shots with any of my poster pix (except possibly for this next one).  I'm also sorry these are apparently the only shots taken;  I thought I had more.  This particular window was obviously jam-packed.  Yet there had been a peep-hole or opening left in the middle, through which the interior could be glimpsed.  Rapid evolution of exploitation of window-space, anyone?!

 I also wanted to visit the MainStay by Quality Inn, but time dictated that I merely drive around their building.  This hotel, on Stanton Way, has had several owners over time.  I now think most hotels do this, hah.  I met Brigitte Eberle and Regine Nikolaidis here in the mid-1990s.  This time the overall feel of the hotel was more amenable to the evolved 'class' of the BreyerFest I know.

 Here's a glimpse of the side of the building.  The lack of doors would be a handicap, but not a game-ending one.

I wound up in back.  There was potential here, though I still worried about doors.

 Circling back around the front, I was thrilled to spot the never-failing sign.

Yes, there is hope.  While I cannot possibly predict what will actually happen, I have the example of the Tucson Gem Show and its 45 hotels.  It seems to me the model horse hobby is large enough to start putting out a few feelers.  I'm seeing tendrils, small but tenacious, growing out from the mother ship.