Shopping: My First Model

Chinese Year of the Horse. Breyer model # 1715, mold # 717.

“The Esprit mold was designed specifically for the 2010 World Equestrian Games (WEG). It was sculpted by Kathleen Moody.”
Identify Your Breyer: Espirit

As I understand it, “model” refers to the paint job, “mold” refers to the underlying body type. Breyer has retired the model, so I ordered from Charlotte’s Saddlery in Texas. The joys of Internet shopping.

Aside from Spotted and a few chachkas, this is the first model I can recall buying. It is almost certainly my first Breyer purchase. Family is welcome to correct this. I definitely had model horses as a kid. I remember one Black Beauty-style horse and a herd of smaller, inexpensive, extruded plastics. My strongest memory is of playing with the accompanying truck and trailer. All of my herd and vehicles were gifts. If I bought anything for myself, it would have been a stuffed animal, species irrelevant.

Fire* is not a future show horse. The outre decor would limit me to a fantasy or other unrealistic class. Plus there are apparently issues with the underlying anatomy. In a Breyer forum, ThoroughbredLova says:

“However, Esprit’s shoulder is weird, and many judges do not place Esprits because of this. If you plan on showing, Esprit would not be a model that I would recommend.”
Home > Breyer Kids > The Breyer Community > RE: esprit or padr’e????

I have an idea for a photo show entry. Mostly I just thought he was pretty.

I still want to do a post on the model show. Been low on energy recently. Hence all the shopping [Necklace, Bats].

*2014 may have been the Year of Green Wood Horse, but this model says Fire to me.