Since BreyerFest tickets go on sale tomorrow, I thought it would be nice to start off the DeJAH Vu series with a 1993 article about the world's 4th BreyerFest reprinted from Just About Horses® magazine with permission from Breyer.
Hannigan, D. (1993, Winter, Vol. 20). BreyerFest 1993: An Indepth Look. Just About Horses, pages 12-13, 21.BREYERFEST
1993
An Indepth Look
by Debra Hannigan
"BreyerFest became Breyermania for 48 hours as thousands of people arrived in Kentucky to buy, sell and trade anything Breyer. The beautiful Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky was the site of BreyerFest '93, which was part of the Kentucky Horse Fair, on July 30 and 31.
Some refer to the park as the "Disney-land" for horse lovers. "The horse park is so wonderful, " said Peter Stone of Breyer. "The atmosphere there is so appropriate for this event.
At 8:00 am, 6 finishing touches on their model horse displays for the live model show . The 16 major categories saw hundreds of original finish and customized Breyer models competing for Grand Champion awards.
BreyerFest attracts people from all over the United States. Many families
plan their summer vacations for this special event.
"It's a frenzy, really," said Stone. "All year long Breyer fans operate in sort of a private world. This allows them the opportunity to interact with other collector's."
For many collectors and vendors, BreyerFest never sleeps. One hotel, the Holiday
Inn North, which hosts many BreyerFest fanatics, experienced an all-night sell-athon. Many collectors opened their hotel rooms and posted handmade signs in the lobby to sell and trade their Breyer treasures. One woman bought a customized United States Equestrian set of three models for an amazing $1375!
"What's so impressive about Breyer collecting is that models are passed down from generation to generation, making it a family-oriented activity," Stone said.
Children of all ages were delighted with the appearance of Grayingham Lucky Lad at this year's BreyerFest. "Everybody loved Lucky Lad," an enthusiastic Stone reported. "He stood still while all the children were able to pet him . He was massive . "
The huge Shire stands 18 hands high and weighs 2100 pounds. This year's BreyerFest model depicts Lucky Lad with painted red and white show ribbons, just like the real Lad. Each of the 1500 people who attended the Friday night dinner not only feasted on fried chicken and barb-b-que but also exclusively received the Lucky Lad model.
Another big winner at BreyerFest was The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation. An auction at Friday night’s dinner raised $28,000, which upped the Foundation’s treasury to $109,000. The Misty Foundation’s goal is to purchase the original Beebe property, restore it, and open it as a museum. To do this, the foundation needs approximately $250,000. Part of the money raised came from the raffle of 20 limited-edition models. Also on the auction block were several very special Breyer models (refer to JAH 20/02 for details).
Although the live model show and the Old Kentucky Night Dinner are the main attractions of BreyerFest, many other happenings drew crowds also. Nearly 60 vendors were on hand to sell new and old Breyer models, t-shirts, and a variety of accessories. Breyer fanatics snatched up everything they could. One die-hard even took the Breyer banner, off the barn wall, home as a souvenir.
Peter Stone, himself, has become somewhat of a legend at BreyerFest. Wherever Stone would go, his autograph-seeking "groupies" were sure to follow. Someone even purchased Stone's hat for $35 during the auction!
During BreyerFest, Peter Stone gave a seminar about Breyer. He spoke about the history and philosophy of the company and also opened up the hour-and-a-half discussion to a questions and answer period. Stone believes that collecting Breyer models is a growing phenomenon. Adults who originally played with the figures as children, now represent part of the hard core collectors, the other part being the children. What started as a novelty toy is now a real collectible. The value of a Breyer model, like any other collectible, is determined by its history and its demand among collectors. Stone feels that Breyer definitely exhibits these characteristics. BreyerFest reinforced this as thousands of people were prepared with their lists of desired models.
BreyerFest showed us another growing trend, customizing model horses.Detailed painting and added accessories are part of the allure of customizing. One particular model that Stone says stood out at BreyerFest was a mare giving birth to a foal. The detailed work was superb. BreyerFest gives artists a chance to exchange design information and techniques. The demand and comradeship are so great that model groups are springing up all over. The International Model Horse Association is one of many that has been formed.
If you were not one of those fortunate enough to make the trek to the picturesque Kentucky Horse Park, you may be able to catch a glimpse of BreyerFest on television. Prime Network’s Horseworld, a national cable television show about horses, will broadcast a segment about BreyerFest throughout the coming month. Check your local cable listing for details on Horseworld.
Although the annual two-day excitement is over, the excitement over Breyer Models continues to grow. Whether they were wowed by the enormity of Lucky Lad or by the experience of meeting the “Breyer man,” Peter Stone, model horse fans were treated to a real fest of Breyer this year.
Stay tuned for next year’s plans!" (Hannigan, 1993).
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