Viking BreyerFest, Part 3: The Park, Ponies, and Pretty Things

On Saturday, we slept in a bit before getting properly caffeinated for the day. We then made a quick run to the park to buy raffle tickets and pick up our celebration models and special runs. 

We usually go in the back way behind the covered arena so we don't have to look for a parking place in the lot and then traipse all the way through the park over to the covered arena. 

While waiting in line to buy tickets, we admired the silent auction items on display.

Glossy versions of the Scandi Surprise horses

Cassowary test for the Birds of a Feather series

Lovely customs by Karen Gerhardt

A factory custom test Foalzilla with a flippy tail

Glossy Flinka diorama contest prize model, the only model I 
really wanted at BF this year

Saturday raffle model

 

Sunday raffle model

While making a quick sweep through the arena vendors, we spotted Öjvind performing with other Gotland ponies. He's so tiny! Breyer featured him on the new Highland Pony mold this year which was a must buy for me.

We headed back to our hotel at that point to grab a quick lunch and leave our models in our nice cool room. We had hoped to spend part of the afternoon at the CHIN before taking a shuttle back out to the park for the raffle. However, none of the shuttles operated until about 5pm, so we opted to just kill a few hours at the park instead. It was a hot, humid day (although honestly not as bad as many years have been), so we thought doing some things in the air conditioning like checking out the gift shop and museum would be a good idea.

In through the front gates this time

After you pass through the gates, you cross over a pretty stone bridge which usually spans a mostly dry creek. This year with all of the heavy rain, the creek was burbling and full. 

Before we made our way to the visitors' center and gift shop, we took a detour to stroll down the shady avenue to pay our respects to Man O' War.

The most hallowed patch of ground in Kentucky

Then, after mostly behaving ourselves in the gift shop...

We didn't do this, but we definitely laughed

 ...we were pleased to see the auction models still on display. Not that we had the means to do anything more than ogle them, but they were fun to see up close all the same. 

My favorite piece

Wouldn't kick this one out of bed for eating crackers either

Not my favorite mold, but the pattern is stupendous

As we left the visitors' center, we passed by this giant photo frame with blue Lexington... 

...which, having given my sister the book Horse by Geraldine Brooks, reminded me of something I wanted to show her in the museum. Criminally, she has not yet read the book, so seeing the real Lexington in person probably fell a bit flat, but I nerded out enough for the both of us. The museum has been rearranged a bit since last we visited, but it's always a treat to see this hoary old legend of the turf. (The book is a fictionalized account of Lexington's life, but it's a terrific read. Kleenex required.)

When we entered the museum, a group had been out front demonstrating how horse hair pottery is made, and as we left the museum, the celebration horse, Flinka the Fjord, was there donating some hair to the project. We were delighted to have the opportunity to photograph and pet her. She was so flipping cute!

The sky was getting overcast by this point, and it was time to make our way back over to the covered arena for the raffle anyway. We followed some of the park's mounted police and detoured through their barn en route.

Oliver, a past BF celebration horse

Obligatory barn kitty

A very cute, on theme jump we passed near the covered arena.

We bought our usual $20 worth of raffle tickets (which used to get you 22 tickets but now only gets you 16), and to the surprise of absolutely no one, we did not win. (Although someone else who bought only $20 worth of tickets did get drawn, so it's not completely hopeless.) But I really never expect to be drawn. When you're only 1 for 37, it's more about masochistic tradition (and donating to a good cause) than anything else. 

The raffle crowd

This post ended up being longer than I planned, so I'll leave things here for now, and I'll share the wrap up and loot pix in a day or two!

Viking BreyerFest, Part 2: Breakables and the Open Show

After showing two days at the BreyerFest Open Show last year and doing both Breakables and the Open Show the year before that, we decided not to show at all on Thursday this year. Sarah and I and our parents found that two days of showing and early wake ups was too tiring, and because we only had 3 full days in Lexington anyway, we didn't really want to spend 2 of them in a show hall. 

So instead, we had a leisurely breakfast on Thursday morning and then ran a few errands to lay in provisions for the Open Show on Friday. After lunch, Sarah and I headed over to the CHIN to check out Breakables, see friends, and shop. We were glad to have some time to chat with our fellow clinky-fan friends at Breakables, and as always, there were a number of lovely models on the show tables.

Stunning Nymphenburg Zebras

A beautiful rocking horse grey Beswick Shire

As I mentioned in my last post, rumors have been swirling as to whether or not the CHIN, which is becoming a Delta-by-Marriott hotel, will remain as the host hotel for BF, and if so, if they will continue to allow room sales next year. We don't have answers yet, but the hotel is undergoing renovations, and based on the (more or less) finished rooms we saw, it's going to look very different next year. We took some photos for posterity.

Entrance to the 500 and 600s with its infamous carpet

The main lobby as seen from above

 

A typical current hallway

The newly renovated rooms were in the 300 and 400 wing, and I found them harshly lit and austere. Not at all the same comfortable, tacky-but-welcoming vibe of the CHIN of old. 

Still the old carpet for now

Also not a fan of blond wood

The 4am wake up on Friday morning drove home the real meaning of the Norwegian maxim "up and not crying."

We forced ourselves to set up our collectors classes without any caffeine in our bloodstreams, a feat of rare strength, let me tell you. We were both thrilled to have winning entries, and we were grateful to sip on some sweet, sweet bean water as soon as we were done. 

My Western Horse and Pony themed entry

 

Sarah's variety entry

The show moved along at a very fast clip this year, so neither of us had time to take many pictures, but we had a very good day even with the intense pace. 

After the show, we were all tired and hungry, so we ordered a pizza and decided to tuck in early. 

More shopping, Flinka in person (in equine?), the horse park, loot, and more in the next post!

Viking BreyerFest, Part 1: We came, we saw, we pillaged

Being largely of Norwegian and Swedish descent, my sister and I decided to lean hard into this year's Scandinavian BreyerFest theme (especially since the pandemic denied us the opportunity to be ridiculous for the Celtic Fling theme in 2020). This largely consisted of goofy social media posts... 

 
Sarah's apropos festing gear...

 and silly shirts.

"Some of us will have to sit up front with the lutefisk."

Those of us of a certain age will still sing the jingle.

Mom's dala horse shirt is adorable.

Look, I told you we're nerds.

Sadly, my dad's "McOlson's Lutefisk Burgers - One Sold" shirt is in need of replacing, so it was only with us in spirit. We also forgot to order more lefse, damn it.

The annual BreyerFest drama kicked off before we and our nonsense arrived in Kentucky. The host hotel, the CHIN (Clarion + [formerly the] Holiday Inn North), may or may not be allowing room sales next year. The whole hotel is being renovated and things are going swimmingly, but only in a very literal, the back-half-of-the-hotel-flooded (more than once) sort of way. Heavy rain storms caused a terrent of water to flood down this hallway and out into the back lobby by the 500 and 600 room block several days in a row. The infamous carpet there was definitely getting whiffy by Saturday. Uffda. There was also melodrama over whether or not room sales signs would be allowed, construction debris taking up precious parking spaces, and other shenanigans, but I'll leave that all for Facebook.

(Photo yoinked from Shauna)

We arrived late Wednesday afternoon, and the first of the daily downpours met us as we cut through downtown. 

Luckily, our hotel has an overhang out front, and we were able to unpack the van pretty quickly without getting soaked. After a quick dinner, we headed over to the CHIN to see the Hagen-Renaker Tennessee Clinkees sale in The Horse You Want (BHR) sales room. Much loveliness was on display, and a bunch of our favorite china collectors happened to wander through while we were visiting. It was an excellent way to start BreyerFest!

While wandering the halls later, we stumbled upon a strange clinky...

She appeared to be embroidering with bloody thread.

And she came with a warning.

I contemplated rescuing her for the laughs, but decided it wasn't worth the risk and put her back on her perch. She had migrated to another floor the next time we saw her. I hope whoever has her now has put a circle of salt around her at the bare minimum. 

We ended the evening with safe, uncursed clinky loot from Kristina L, Heather W, and Ed A. More pix forthcoming. Not bad for our first evening's raid on the CHIN!

My adorable HRTN Bibelot line Calendar foal