New face in the herd

When Sahale J managed to claim the Best in Show Reserve title at this years Swedish Nationals I won Breyer's new release of Man O' War. I have seen this model live at another show and unfortunately that model showed quite a bit of "molding flaws" which I thought was a shame as I really like the old classic thoroughbreds but I was kind of put of by the mold flaws. 

I was very happy to win one and from the look of him when he was still in box he looked quite good.

When I opened him up I realized that I might have been very lucky. He has very few issues and an absolutely gorgeous shade of chestnut.

The biggest issue I've found yet is with his right front leg that he is not standing very well on. However it's not particularly noticeable in pictures.

I'm glad I won him and I really like him! I think he might even come with me to my next show.

A few random pics from the show

Just a few pictures from the Swedish Nationals that I like to share.

Original Finish Plastic Class. All horses in the picture belongs to me.

Resin cast warmbloods. All Eberl sculptures. Genoveva and Caitano belongs to me.

My beloved Sahale J winning the prize for best Mustang.

A beautiful Eberl Verrochio winning the the prize for best P.R.E

A Golden Oldie winning the prize for best Morgan.

A Stable scene that showed in the Diorama class in the Performance show.

Swedish Nationals 2017 - Performance

The Performance show of the Swedish Nationals this year was really small with only two entrants and therefore it won't count as an "official" Swedish Nationals Performance Show. That's unfortunate but the entries were still really nice and I still want to share them with you!

Stable scene

Polo horse

Circus horse

Halloween outfit

Cross Country

Reining

Marathon Driving

Marathon Driving Diorama

Best in Show: Marathon Diorama

Best in Show Reserve: Wedding carriage Diorama

Swedish Nationals 2017 - Novice Show

The Novice show had some really nice models and well deserved winners.

Champion Novice Foal: Dead Shot, Tr. Zenyatta's First Colt OF
Champion Foal Novice Reserve: Miss Breeze, Breyer Sm. Scrambling Foal OF

Champion Arabian Novice: Snöflingan, Schleich Arabian Mare OF
Champion Arabian Novice Reserve: Kamelia, Breyer Sm. G4 Arabian OF

Champion Drafthorse Novice: Bosse, Schleich Clydesdale OF
Champion Drafthorse Novice Reserve: Thor, Bullyland Fjord OF

Champion Sporthorse Novice: Aquaman, Tr. Seattle Slew OF
Champion Sporthorse Novice Reserve: Spring Time, Breyer Sm. G2 Pacer OF

Champion Stockhorse Novice: Chocolate Dream, PS Miss Kellie Cool SR OF
Champion Stockhorse Novice Reserve: Lady Party, Sm. G3 Stockhorse OF

Champion Pony Novice: Grace, Breyer Sm. G3 Pony OF
Champion Pony Novice Reserve: -

Champion Riding- and Carriagebreeds Novice: Majestad, Breyer Robert Vavra's Majestad OF
Champion Riding- and Carriagebreeds Novice Reserve: Danzig, Breyer Sm. G2 Morgan OF

Best in Show Novice: Aquaman
Best in Show Novice Reserve: Dead Shot

Swedish Nationals 2017 - Show Report

Once again it was time for the Swedish Nationals. I had a hard time deciding what models to bring as I have been liveshowing a lot this year I had more models qualified than the allowed max of 40 horses. It was a tough decision but I think I did quite well.

Unfortunately there were very few who participated in the Swedish Nationals this year. Only 4 people were present and 3 people had sent models for proxy showing.

As usual we started out with the foals which were only three classes. I showed models in all three of them and they did quite well. R. Peppermint (PS Weanling cm S. Nordström) and Helios (RC Oliver rep. S. Kern) did best both taking second in their classes earning new qualification cards. In the end an adorable donkey foal claimed the Champion title with the well known Appy Sporthorse foal Busta Move as reserve.

Champion Foal: Ölandstokens Tårta, RC Honey rep. S. Nordström
Champion Foal Reserve: Busta Move, Sm. Prancing Foal rep. D. Capwell

Arabians were a surprisingly small championship and I showed three horses. Best of them was Azrafel Ibn Shai (Huckleberry Bey OF) and Farasha (Thunderstorm OF) who got first and second in their class. The Champion was last year's Best in Show, a beautiful Nahar with an equally beautiful Khemosabi as reserve.

Champion Arabian: Ahvaz Fahd, RC Nahar rep. S. Rhodes
Champion Arabian Reserve: Ahvaz Aslan, RC Khemosabi rep. S. Rhodes

Sporthorses is still my favourite championship (I actually owned more than half the participants in this championship) so it was definitely "my" championship. My horses did very well in this championship. Sunny Side N (Tr. Seattle Slew OF) took second place. Fallen Hero took first in his class, as did Vivaldi (Tr. Acadia OF) with Fandango (Tr. Valegro OF) as second. Symphony D (Sm. G3 Cantering Mare rr S. Nordström) took second in her class and my dear Belize took first in her class. I also owned half of the models on the callback table and in the end my horses managed to claim both the champion and the reserve title.

Champion Sporthorse: Belize, RC Genoveva rep. S. Nordström
Champion Sporthorse Reserve: Fallen Hero, RC Valor rep. N. Söhn

The Drafthorse championship is usually a championship were my horses do okay but not too well but this time Brego really went all the way, first winning his class and then he was voted Champion with a beautifully painted Ardennais as reserve.

Champion Drafthorse: Brego, Mini Haggis rep. T. Melin
Champion Drafthorse Reserve: Lukas, RC Finn rep. L. Behning

Next up were ponies and surprisingly my ponies did really well as well. Gold Rush (Copperfox Sovereign OF) won his class, as did Maverick and Epsilon (NL New Forest OF). Maverick then went on to claim the championship title with the adorable Snömonster as reserve.

Champion Pony: Maverick, RC Tivoli rep. A. Dionne
Champion Pony Reserve: Ölandstokens Snömonster, RC Wee Jay rep. S. Nordström

My stockhorses didn't do particularly well. Chocolate managed to take second in his class and so did Whiskey Lullaby (Tr. SR JCP Smart Chic Olena OF) but the others didn't place. But their competition were quite tough and in the end a beautiful paint claimed the champion title and one of my favourite quarter horses took reserve.

Champion Stockhorse: R. Frosted Robin, PS ISH cm F. Cohen
Champion Stockhorse Reserve: R. Poco Leo Chex, Tr. Stud Spider cm Elaine Lindelef

The next championship I'd been looking forward to quite a bit as this would be the first time I got to show my Grail of Grails, Sahale J. He didn't disappoint, winning his class. My two OF mustangs Fuego (Tr. Hidalgo OF) and Acuatico (Tr. Blue Suede Shoes OF) also did good getting second and first in their class! My beautiful Sahale J (no, I'm absolutely not biased, at all 😉) went on to claim the champion title with another beautiful mustang as reserve.

Champion Wild- and Crossbreds: Sahale J, RC El Embosco rep. E. Gonzales
Champion Wild- and Crossbreds Reserve: Shilah J, RC Caldero rep. S. Nordström

The other Equus championship was the only championship of the day were I didn't show any horses. I think I need to get my little donkey painted soon so I can show some models in this championship too as they are so cute! The champion was an adorable donkey with such a beautiful, soft paintjob and the reserve went to a nicely marked mule.

Champion Other Equus: Bonnie, RC Blossom rep. S. Nordström
Champion Other Equus Reserve: Tilda, PS Chips Mule rep. S. Nordström

The European breeds championship was diverse with P.R.E, Icelandics, Cleveland Beys, Friesians and Knabstrups. My friesian Raphael (RC Gabriel rep. T. Melin) got second in his class behind the knabstrup who was crowned champion reserve. The champion title went to the beautiful winner of the P.R.E class.

Champion European: El Salvaje, RC Veroccio rep. L. Lawrynovicz
Champion European Reserve: Merrilinn J, Sm. G2 WB cm A. Zaharenkova

Last championship of the day was Other Riding- and Carriagebreeds. Madonna (Sm. G2 ASB rep. C. Johansson) was the one of my horses who did best in this championship taking second in her class. The champion title went to a Paso fino (with an absolutely beautiful face) with an akhal-teke as reserve.

Champion Other Riding- and Carriagebreeds: FDL Balduino, RC Bitty Bosco cm S. Nordström
Champion Other Riding- and Carriagebreeds Reserve: Kirill J, RC Khan rep. L. Bouras

The callback table for the Best in Show voting was tough! And there were only one point between the winner and the two second placers. So the winner was the beautiful Arabian champion who managed to defend his title as Best in Show of the Swedish Nationals from last year. The Reserve voting even closer as two models had gotten the same points. In the end however the Best in Show Reserve title went to my own Sahale J. I was so extremely proud and happy. He is by far my absolute all-time favourite model and I can't believe that he belongs to me!

Best in Show: Ahvaz Fahd
Best in Show Reserve: Sahale J

Bargain Project

A while ago, I saw a resin for sale in a model horse sales group. I was kind of interested as it was a body for a quite okay price and for some reason I have a thing for resin project horses. I didn't end up buying him as I just didn't have the funds then.

A while later I by accident found that particular model on an auction site similar to ebay. He was listed very cheap and I thought I'd put in a bid and hope for the best. Of course I worked late the day the auction ended so I didn't know if I had gotten him or not until late that night when I got home.

I had won the model! I was quite happy about it and paid immediately.

The seller shipped super fast and I had him in hands in the beginning of the week after the auction ended.

I went to pick up the package and the first thing I noticed was that there was a dent in the box. I thought okay, not too surprising as the Swedish Postal system isn't exactly known for their great care with packages, but it's a big box so he might be okay. Then I saw the bottom of the cardboard box... There were a gap where the flaps of the underside met (not an injury to the box just a regular gap that some cardboard boxes can have). This gap was wide enough for me to get my fingers into and it was not taped shut. I lifted the box and my heart sank when I could hear the model move around in the box.

I stuck my fingers into the gap in the bottom and to my horror I could feel a plastic bag and then I could feel the barrel of the model.

I hurried home to open the box and this is what was in it:

I removed the newspapers which as you can see weren't too tightly packed and there were maybe two layers. Then I saw this:

The plastic bag on the left is the bag I could feel through the gap in the bottom. Fortunately the model only suffered a broken ear from this packaging. I know I didn't pay a lot for this model or shipping (less than $30 ppd) and that he is a body quality model but I would personally NEVER send even a body this poorly packed. I think that at least a layer of bubblewrap wouldn't be too much to ask. I however haven't made a hassle out of it as he was so cheap and did *almost* arrive unscathed and the broken ear will be an easy fix. 

The model in question is a Horsing Around Akhal-Teke which has had some reaction in the molding process so the model has some texture all over his body which will need extensive sanding and maybe some resculpting as well. He is also missing his tail (which I don't have a problem with as I'm not that fond of his original tail).

I knew he would be missing his left ear but due to the packing he is almost earless.

However, I did manage to find the piece in the newspapper wrapping. Which I find being a slight miracle as it could've easily slid out of the gap in the bottom and gotten lost forever.

At the moment I'm not sure if I will reattach the ear or use the fact that he is earless as an opportunity to make him a Marwari instead.

State of the projects

Once again some small progress on my projects.

The base for Hjalmar is now of the right height. Next step is paint and then some scenic scatter to resemble grass. The "pillar" will be covered in miniature fake leaves to resemble a pile of leaves.

My stable got a window from some clear packaging from a Breyer package and I also framed the window with wooden sticks that I painted black. The door will be framed the same way.

The white tiger has gotten some of her markings outlined in dark grey coloured pencil.

When they are all outlined I plan to go over them with brown and black to give them the right colour and appearances.

Even though I have a long way to go it feels like every stripe just makes her come alive.

 I have tried to tweak Tambo's marking to make it a bit more natural. He will have his white legs painted with a few more layers and then only details left.

The Ardennes got some more layers left on the feathers before I call them done and then it's onto mane, tail and details.