BreyerFest 2023 Recap

Tootsers - 2023 BF BCC Winner in Extreme Custom
The Highlight of BreyerFest 2023!

This is my 250th post! Over the course of 14 years when I started this blog, that's not really saying much! I am not a prolific blogger, but I do like to share once in a while. Thanks, readers who are still here, for sticking with me, even if I'm delinquent in doing so. I have about a dozen things to blog about from this past year, but I'll narrow it down and share a recap of the BreyerFest highlights for this post. Better late, than never, right? 

WEDNESDAY - I made the 12+ hour drive from CT to KY in one day. To make it in time for the NAMHSA dinner, I got up before the crack of dawn. There is something to be said for being almost a third of the way into your trip about the time you normally wake up! This was my first time attending the dinner and it was really nice to see old friends and get to know people in person that I've only ever met online. The food was quite good and the company fantastic! After the dinner, I ran around and picked up a couple things that I had purchased ahead (because I really needed that miniature fly strip before Friday, thanks to Grace Newhouse!). I may have set up my room sales and then gone to bed. It's a bit of a blur.

Pulled out my banner and hung it outside my room at the CHIN

THURSDAY - I had the honor and enjoyment of judging mini workmanship at Resin Renaissance. I came away completely inspired to paint ALL THE THINGS (which, sad to say, has not happened yet). So much artistry and talent. Check out the albums I posted on Facebook of the show! Here are the overall winners from the division I judged:

Champion Overall Mini

Reserve Champion Overall Mini

The show was fantastic, ended at a good time, had a crazy amazing auction (even if I didn't win that Jacobus!), and was filled with great competition and people. I snuck out at lunch to go set up my BreyerFest Best Customs Contest (BF BCC) entry because it was still hush-hush at that point. 

Kate Dwyer has given Bert & Ernie's tree a new life. 
Doesn't her set-up look amazing?!
Not surprisingly, it won the English Natural Trail class. 

After the show, I first checked out all of the BF BCC entries, as not all had been set up when I was there at lunchtime. I posted an album on FB of all the BF BCC finalists. Here is a highlight of each finalist:  

I then checked out the rest of the Artisan's Gallery, hit some room sales, and returned to my room to finish prepping for BF Live. I may have stayed up until 3 am making paper pom poms...

FRIDAY - I attended BreyerFest Live for the first time as a shower. I knew it would be highly competitive and came with a game plan. I was tickled when both Molly Magoo and Bert won their classes. 

Molly Magoo

Bert

My greatest focus, however, was the custom performance division. BF Live has very specific rules for the performance division. You can only show a horse in one division plus 2 additional classes in one or more of the other divisions. I showed Blonde Ambition in English and Driving. 

Rebel Just for Kicks was shown in Western with an entry in English. I lost his pleasure forelock before the end of the division, so that was highly unfortunate (and a downside of using swappable magnetic manes & tails I hadn't anticipated!)

Giuseppe rounded out the performance show string by showing in Other Performance and a couple Western classes. I made several new set-ups for him in anticipation of this show. Sadly, his harness entries were not ready in time, so he might get another go at it someday...

paper pom poms in action

requisite fly strip included

Giuseppe went on to win Reserve Champion Other Performance - hooray!

More photos of my entries, as well as other performance entries, customs, and even some collectibility classes, are in the BF Live albums on Facebook.  Friday night after the show, I headed back to the CHIN to open my room for room sales. 

SATURDAY - I started off the day by heading over to the KY Horse Park. My first stop was the hobby tent to catch a peek at some of the diorama contest entries. So many clever and fun entries! Here are a couple of my favorites. 

It started sprinkling and I managed to avoid the downpour by hiding out in the covered arena, along with many others, which allowed me to catch some of the pony chuckwagon races. 

After the deluge, I headed over to the barns where the guest horses were stalled during the event. It was very zen to be around the horses and just what I needed. I took a bazillion reference photos of the horses and ponies, as well as harnesses, carts, and carriages. Some of these are (you guessed it!) posted in a Facebook album.

 

 

 

 

I then grabbed lunch at the food trucks on site (so convenient and so good!), picked up my special run models, and headed over to the Alltech Arena for a workshop with Lisa Smalley on an introduction to leather carving. Lisa is a great teacher, but I have a long way to go before I'll be tackling any leather carving projects!

At this point I was exhausted, so back to the CHIN I went for a much-needed nap. Woke up a few hours later and opened up my room for room sales once again while I patiently waited for the announcement of the BF BCC winners. Just before I went stir-crazy, Sarah Hartman and her lovely mother stopped by my room and stayed to chat while we waited. 

We headed downstairs to the Artisans Gallery just before 8 and waited, and waited, and waited until they finally made the announcements. Sarah's parade set, with its New England theme, won the Theme division 'Best Dressed.' She made all of the conchos herself, casting them in silver! This was the first time there had been a division for tack makers. I really hope they add this as an ongoing division! 

  

   

And Tootsers won her division for Extreme Custom. What an amazing way to end a fantastic weekend!