Everyone’s favorite model horse to play with has a new collectible to add to the shelf.
For 75 years children, their parents, and even grandparents have been treasuring Breyer Model Horses and collectibles. In celebration of their diamond anniversary, Breyer has created Radiance, a striking clear-ware Arabian mare that sparkles in an array of prismatic colors and is adorned with a glittering teardrop-shaped rhinestone, fully embodying the sparkle and majesty of the diamond.
Radiance model maker Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig captured the spirit of the Arabian mare in both sculpture and the finish work. “The sculpture itself was inspired by the exotic refinement, beauty, and ethereal grace of the Arabian mare, so unique in the horse world,” Minkiewicz-Breunig says.
“As a little girl, I grew up collecting Breyer Horses — they were my passion! They were all I wanted for Christmas and my birthday, besides a real pony. I got plenty of Breyers, but not the pony. Even so, growing up as a horse-crazy girl, Breyer Horses were magical to me. So when I design my sculptures, it’s my aim to pay forward that magic to other children.”
For anyone not familiar with the brand, Breyer Animal Creations has been around since 1950, designing, manufacturing, and marketing model horses and animals for play and collecting. It’s the world’s bestselling brand of equine-themed toys.
Each Breyer model is individually crafted and hand-painted by Breyer artisans, so that every one is an original. From the Hollywood horse Hidalgo to racing legends Man-o-War, Secretariat, and Seabiscuit, the company has brought the world of horses to life for 75 years.
Breyer’s early ties to celebrity horses have included licensing agreements with Fury and Prancer, as well as a longstanding relationship with children’s-book author Marguerite Henry that started with Misty of Chincoteague based on the book of the same name. The 100th anniversary of the famous Chincoteague Island Pony Swim occurs this July; to commemorate the milestone, Breyer has released a model of a current live pony, Surfer’s Riptide. The company also created Stud Spider, based on actor James Brolin’s Appaloosa stud, Spider. Brolin wrote Let's Go to the Races With the Appaloosa, which Breyer packages together with the model horse for the Stud Spider gift set.
“In the early 1950s we started relationships with horses that were popular during the day, including Fury, Prancer, and a figure and elephant based on the TV show starring a very young Monkees star Mickey Dolenz,” says Stephanie Macejko, VP of marketing and product development for Breyer Model Horses, a division of Reeves International.
Another bestseller was Lady Phase, designed to resemble Lynn Anderson's award-winning Quarter horse. Anderson was a cutting horse champion and a nationally ranked American Quarter Horse Association breeder.
“A Breyer goal from the start was to create beautiful items for displays,” Majecko says. “But we also wanted our model horses to be enjoyed and played with by the entire family, so known characters were a way for Breyer to be catapulted into the public eye.”
Find more information at breyerhorses.com.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of Breyer Horses
