National Model Tack Month - Warm Up

As I have never worked with leather before I wanted to do some warm up before National Model Tack Month. 

My first warm up exercise was the Deluxe Stock Halter Kit that I recently bought from Rio Rondo. 

Modeled by Whiskey Lullaby, Breyer Tr. Smart Chic Olena JCP SR OF

I'm actually quite happy with how it turned out (being my first leather halter).

I did have some issues with the hole punching and also the tongue buckle but it worked out in the end and I might have an idea on how to make it better for next time.

I think I might add some rhinestones to the silver when I can get my hands on some but we'll see 😊

For my next warm up I decided on trying out an English saddle, in stablemate scale! I'm not sure it was a particularly wise decision for my second project ever but I've had the English Saddle Guide by Anna Helt (formerly Kirby) for years and never got around to try it so I just couldn't help myself!

I printed the pattern and used a small ziplock bag to keep the pattern together.

So far I haven't made too much progress but I have the D-rings attached and most parts drawn out on my leather.

I've also managed a somewhat seat-looking seat part and attached the knee rolls, though they're not perfectly even (neither is the flaps) I still think it looks okay for a first English saddle and first piece of leather tack in stablemate scale.

Tomorrow National Model Tack Month starts and I can finally start my Western kit! 😊

Boots!

I happened to stumble across an ad on MHSP for some heavily discounted bell boots by J. Skybova. The bell boots were in small bags of different colours, There were 10 boots in each bag and when I found the ad there were only one bag left.

The boots in the bag was, as stated in the ad, mostly first quality castings but the shades might not be the exact match to each other. I have bought a set of Jana's boots before and I really like them so I jumped on the chance to buy some more :)

My bag was "small sized" which according to Jana fits most traditional scale breyers and resins with smaller hooves. She used the Show Jumping Warmblood, Ruffian and Salinero as some examples of what models they would fit.

This is my haul:

The pink ones are clearly different shades.

The yellow pair is a match.

This greenish pair is a really, really close match.

The green ones shade are a bit different from one another.

This pair is the most "mis-matched" pair of the bunch one being lime green and one almost a light teal colour.

On the models the greenish pair works great as a pair.

 The pink ones look okay at a distance.

But upon closer inspection you do see a difference, although I still think that they might work as a pair for photoshows.

The shades of the green pair is a bit different but just as the pink ones, I'd say that they would work as a pair for photoshows.

The yellow pair is perfect as a pair.

The last pair is the lime/light teal pair. The difference in these shades is too big in order to use them as a matchy pair.

However they might work in a performance entry for some costume jump competition or something similar!

I'm really happy I got these and can't wait to get some tack to use them with!

Gabriel

I found this model, really liked the look of him and I placed my order for one just before New Year's Eve. I then kind of forgot about him so when an email from Josine popped into my inbox stating the my Gabriel resin was shipped I was pleasantly surprised.

I got the tracking number but didn't keep a close eye on the tracking. At least not until I thought that the package should have arrived. I looked at the tracking and saw that it had arrived in Sweden shortly after being shipped by Josine, but then it seemed like it had stayed at the post depot. I finally got the pick-up note and went to my regular pick up place. Just to find that the package wasn't there. I was told it was delayed and decided to try a few days later. I did and yet again there was no package for me to pick up. I called the post company and was told that I had to go pick it up at the post depot in the next town.

So because of some malfunction in the postal system my package was almost sent back, without me even knowing more than that it was supposedly delayed...

Anyway, onto happier news! Gabriel is wonderful. He is unpainted and it might take a while for me to get him painted but he has already named himself Rafael 😊

He will mostly likely be painted black and shown as a friesian.

Unless he decides part-way through painting that he wants to be some sort of friesian sporthorse with far more colour options 😝

 I still claim that I am not a mini collector...

But I wonder how much longer I can do that as the minis keep multiplying 😉

Show Report Part 3 - Novice Division

Separate to the Mini Live a Novice Live was held. There was only one participant at this show but there were still a lot of beautiful models shown. I won't keep you here with lots of text so here's some photos of the winners 😊

Champion Foal: Dead Shot, Breyer Tr. Zenyatta's First Colt OF
Champion Foal Reserve: Starlight Gold, Sm. Scratching Foal OF

Champion Arabian: Snow Crystal, Schleich Arabian OF

Champion Sporthorse: Aquaman, Breyer Tr, Seattle Slew OF
Champion Sporthorse Reserve: Arrow, Breyer Tr. Smarty Jones OF

Champion Stockhorse: Pigall, Breyer Sm. G4 Para-Dressage OF
Champion Stockhorse Reserve: Daim, Sm. G3 Stockhorse OF

Best In Show: Aquaman
Best In Show Reserve: Dead Shot

Show Report Part 2 - Mini Live, Resin, porcelain and OSC

The other part of the show was for Resin, porcelain or OSC minis. I don't have a whole lot of resins and my best resins are in bigger scales but I still had a whole lot of fun showing and some did quite well too :)

Foals were first as usual there weren't a huge amount of foals to be shown but the quality was still high. I had no foals to show so I could just sit back and relax and watch a super cute standardbred foal claim the champion title with a beautiful mustang foal as reserve.

Champion Foal: Beezee Bee J, Very Little One rep. S. Nordström
Champion Foal Reserve: Cato, Poquito rep. L. Verbruggen

Arabians were a far bigger championship then foals but just as with the foals, I had none to show (yet). Even though it's just one breed there were a lot of different models to drool over. I got tho see the mini Khemosabi and he was a really, really nice one (glad I have one on order 😇) he also claimed the champion title with a Jezebel as reserve.

Champion Arabian: Ramses Asim, Mini Khan rep. P. Lawson
Champion Arabian Reserve: Negma, Mini Nahar rep. P. Lawson

When it came to drafters I actually had 4 to show (don't ask me how that happened). Best of the bunch, Brego (Mini Haggis rep. by me) did with a first place in his class. In the end the champion was a gorgeously painted Tiny remade into a mare. I really like that girl! The reserve was a sweet mini Scarlet.

Champion Drafthorse: Isadora, Tiny cm C. Brennholt
Champion Drafthorse Reserve: Tindra, Mini Scarlet rep. P. Lawson

When it came to ponies I had two to show, Lady Louisa (Pasha rep. S. Nordström) and If I Could Dream (HA Misty Dawn rep. A. Gustafsson) and they took first and second in their class. The champion of the pony championship was an adorable grey welsh with a cute shetland pony as reserve.

Champion Pony: Syrto, AA Welsh C rep. S. Rhodes
Champion Pony Reserve: Joker, HA Shetland rep. P. Lawson

Riding- and carriage horses were a small championship but quality was still high. I had no horses to show in this championship so I had lots of time to look at the other beauties. My favourite in this championship managed to grab the champion title with a wonderful mini Eberl model as reserve.

Champion Riding and Carriage Horse: Sindhurakshak, Mini Marwari rep. S. Nordström
Champion Riding and Carriage Horse Reserve: Saverio, Eberl Mini Almanzor rep. C. Jolly

Next up was sporthorses. Normally this is "my" championship. "My" as in the championship where I show most and some of my absolutely best models. This time it was not, I actually had no horses at all to show in this championship... I think I need to get some sporthorse minis! The champion however was a beautiful warmblood (I love that model, reminds me of a mini Lohengrin and I need to get one, one day 😊). The reserve was a really nice thoroughbred stallion (a model I would also like to own a copy of one day).

Champion Sporthorse: Marius Rex, DaCaprio rep. E. Ipes
Champion Reserve: Bugatti, AA Chasing Rainbows rep. P. Nilsson

The stockhorse championship was small in this division too, but some lovely models were shown. My two girls, both painted by me, Wherever you Go (Quintessance rep.) and Shot In The Dark (Bat Girl rep.) both took third in their class. In the end a paint and a quarterhorse claimed the championship titles.

Champion Stockhorse: R. Rainbow Warrior, RC Little Lonestar rep. S. Nordström
Champion Stockhorse Reserve: R. Walla Walla Whim, RC Little Lonestar rep. S. Nordström

I don't have any wild- or crossbred minis either but I always look forward to this championship as there are some really, really great mustang sculptures out there. None of my favourites made an apperance at this show but there were still some great models shown! The winner was a really cool mustang mare and her reserve was a mustang stallion.

Champion Wild and Crossbred: DK's Satinka, Vixen rep. K. Shepard
Champion Wild and Crossbred: Wahkan J, Taboo rep. J. Wilson

Other equus was quite a small championship but the models were adorable! I really liked the couple that claimed the championship titles, they looked like they would make an awesome pair!

Champion Other Equus: Frank, Frank rep. P. Lawson
Champion Other Equus Reserve: Ellie, Ellie rep. P. Lawson

The callback table for the Best in Show vote was really, really tough but in the end the sporthorse champion claimed the Best in Show title with the riding- and carriage horse champion as Best in Show reserve.

Best In Show: Marius Rex
Best In Show Reserve: Sindhurakshak

My horses didn't do great at this show, and I wasn't expecting them to as competition is high and I don't have a whole lot of good minis but I had such a great time and would like to thank the show holder and everyone who participated and made it a great show day! 😊

Show Report Part 1 - Mini Live, OF and Customs

When I read about this show I wasn't sure if I'd go or not. I see myself as a Traditional collector and I don't have that many minis. At least that's what I thought. I do have quite a few minis (Little bits and smaller). They are not as good show horses as my bigger ones but I though why not go anyway. That way some of my less shown models got a chance in the show ring.

This show started with the foal championship and I had no less than 6 models to show. They did quite good with Angel (Sm. Galopping Foal rr T. Wolmer) and Troublemaker (Sm. Scrambling Foal rr T. Wolmer) taking second place in their respective classes. But my best result in these classes my CollectA Donkey Foal rep. by me did. Dixi placed first in her class! I was really proud! The championship titles went to an adorable Appaloosa Sporthorse and a beautiful Swedish Warmblood foal.

Champion Foal: Busta Move, Sm. Prancing Foal rep. D. Capwell
Champion Foal Reserve: Mandelblom CH, Sm. Running Foal cm P. Nilsson

Arabians are not really my breed and I only had my Shabha (Breyer Sm. G1 Arabian Mare OF) to show in this division she placed third out of 4 in her class with the winner of the class taking the champion title with a Peter Stone chips FCM as a reserve.

Champion Arabian: KZ Nienna, Sm. TB cm P. Nilsson
Champion Arabian Reserve: Al-Hadiye, PS Chips FC OF

Onto drafters, another championship where I only had one horse to show and he did good. Dunbar Prince (Sm. G2 drafter rr S. Nordström) took second place in his class. This day was the day of the fjordhorses as both the champion and the reserve where fjordhorses, both really beautiful and I wouldn't mind having both of them on my shelf!

Champion Drafthorse: Pollyglittra, Sm. Para-dressage cm P. Nilsson
Champion Drafthorse Reserve: Grådask, Sm. Para-dressage cm. S. Nordström

Next up was ponies. I'm not really a pony collector but I still had 3 ponies to show in this division. My newly finished Neptune (Sm. G2 WB rr by me) took third out of four but got some really nice comments so I'm pleased. My other two ponies Bailey (Sm. G3 Jumper rr by me) and Mirabelle (Sm. G1 Swaps rr by me) took first and third in their class. Than something really, really surprising happened. Bailey went on to claim the championship title! I couldn't believe it! I think he's really cute and charming but I never considered him good enough to win a championship! His reserve was the one I believed would claim the championship, a beautifully painted CollectA pony.

Champion Pony: Bailey, Sm. Jumper cm T. Melin
Champion Pony Reserve: Vind-Ile, CollectA Dartmoor rep P. Nilsson

Riding- and carriage horses is such a diverse championship and it contains a lot of good horses. My two American saddlebreds Madonna (Sm. G2 ASB rep. C. Johansson) and Since You Don't Love Me (Sm. G2 ASB rep. A. Gustafsson) took first and second in their class. The vote for champion was hard and there were a lot of good horses on the callback table. In the end a knabstrup and appaloosa sporthorse claimed the championship titles. Both of these models have the most amazing details and patterns and were very worthy winners!

Champion Riding and Carriage Horse: Merrilinn J, Sm. G2 WB cm A. Zaharenkova
Champion Riding and Carriage Horse Reserve: Eragon, Sm. G2 WB rep. E. Rönnberg

Onto sporthorses. I love sporthorses but I don't have that many good sporthorses in smaller scales (yet). I had high hopes for my newly painted Bailando (Sm. G2 Andalusian rr. by me) but it didn't go quite as good as I'd hoped. Still he got fourth out of seven with the winner of his class later went to claim the champion title. My girl Symphony D (Sm. G3 Cantering WB rr S. Nordström) won her class, as did my new Sm. G2 TB rr C. Johansson under the name Philophobia with Royal's Mexican Heat (Sm. G2 TB rr S. Nordström) as second. Symphony D later went on to claim champion reserve.

Champion Sporthorse: Tristan CH, CollectA Hanoverian rep. P. Nilsson
Champion Sporthorse Reserve: Symphony D, Sm. G3 WB rr. S. Nordström

Stockhorses was quite a small championship and my only horse in this championship was an older repaint of mine (he's not signed but I think he was painted in 2013 or 2014 and updated in 2015). Splinter in My Soul made me proud by taking second in his class and later going on to become champion reserve behind a super nice peter stone chips custom.

Champion Stockhorse: TO Purring Magic, PS Chips QH cm P. Lawson
Champion Stockhorse Reserve: Splinter In My Soul, Sm. G2 Stockhorse rep. T. Melin

I had no wild- or crossbred horses to show so I got more time to watch the beauties shown. I really like the Breyer sm. Rivet mold and might need one or two to repaint one day. The champion was a really nice bay overo and the reserve was a cool appaloosa on a remade G3 jumper.

Champion Wild and crossbreds: Enduro, Sm. G4 Rivet rep. P. Lawson
Champion Wild and crossbreds: Wakiza, Sm. Jumper cm S. Nordström

I had no donkeys or other Equus to show either but I think these are really cute. The winner was a peter stone mule with a Schleich donkey as reserve. 

Champion other Equus: Mary-Lou, PS Chips Mule SR OF
Champion other Equus Reserve: Dawn, Schleich Donkey OF

The callback table for the Best In Show was really tough and any of the models could probably have claimed the title but I the end the champion of the riding- and carriage horse went on to claim the Best in Show title and the Best in Show reserve was the champion of the sporthorse champion. I really like these two and I would be happy to own both of them 😉.

Best In Show: Merrilinn J
Best In Show Reserve: Tristan CH