Resistance is Futile

Well, it finally happened -- I broke down and bought myself a Breyer "Hickstead."

I've been resisting this model with all my might ever since he debuted in 2012.  I had so many good reasons not to buy him.  Among them was the fact that I already have a model on the Trakehner mold that I will probably never sell as it was both my first Traditional size Breyer and a gift from my parents.  

Also, I didn't feel like the mold particularly captured the essence of Hickstead, even though I know it was likely chosen by his owners.  I'd been a big fan of Hickstead since he first exploded onto the show jumping scene in Aachen, Germany and he always impressed me as a tough little horse (he was 16 hands high, compared to Big Ben's lofty 17.3 hands) that was built like a battleship and as determined as a bulldog.  Breyer's lankyTrakehner mold just struck me as altogether wrong for him.

But ... I am a Canadian and Big Ben and Hickstead have always been among my favourite show jumpers.  I do have Breyer's "Big Ben" and really I ought to have had Breyer's "Hickstead" to go along with him.  If only he'd been put on a better mold ...

Breyer "Chief of Fourmile"

Flash forward to 2020.  Breyerfest and everything about it has gone virtual in the face of a worldwide pandemic, and I'm trying to get my pre-Breyerfest shopping done in the rooms of the "virtual Clarion."  In one room I spot a horse I have desired for a mighty long time (Breyer's "Chief of Fourmile") and a really nice picture of the Breyer "Hickstead."  Hmmm.  Perhaps I could combine the two and save on shipping.  And now that I look at him again, this version of Hickstead isn't quite so bad.  At least they've got his markings correct.

Real Hickstead.  Image from Pinterest.

Breyer "Hickstead"

I'm not sure if I would have bought the Chief and Hickstead if I'd spotted them at an actual room sale.  The one time I did the rooms sales I was looking mostly for stuff I couldn't get easily at home -- Hagen-Renakers, older Hartlands, vintage Breyers and the like.  I almost bought a Cheval pony that year but the friend I was with beat me to him -- fortunately, she finally sold him to me about four years ago.

My other two "virtual Clarion" buys this year were more like the typical kind of thing I would buy -- a Limited Edition Gold Schleich Donkey and the mini mare and foal from Breyer's 2006 "Holy Night" Musical Snow Globe.  I don't know how this pair came to be released from their globe -- maybe the globe fell and smashed and the former owner rescued what she could?  Or it could have been taken apart deliberately in order to free the horses.  Whatever its back-story, it's just the sort of oddball thing I'd seize in a room sale.

So all my "virtual Clarion" purchases have now arrived, and it's beginning to look a lot like Breyerfest around here.  

In fact, this whole upcoming week is looking like it's going to be a Breyerfest week.  If I can get my timing right I hope to look in on Field of Dolls Studio's pre-Breyerfest doll and accessories sale starting at 2 p.m. Eastern today.

Image from Field of Dolls Studio Facebook page.

Then, from July 6th to July 8th I hope to check out Stormy Strike's "Virtual Celtic Celebration."  I have no idea what to expect with this one as I only follow Stormy Strike on YouTube, so trying to track her through a number of social media platforms is going to be a challenge for me. 

Image from Stormy Strike's Facebook page.

And then, at 5:30 p.m. Eastern on July 9th, the Breyerfest Artisans' Gallery opens and the Live Auction models will be posted.  The next three days are Breyerfest proper, and after that I should, as tradition demands, be properly exhausted.

I have a bad feeling that my pocketbook is about to take a beating as temptation after temptation gets thrown my way.  But as I don't think I'll ever be able to get to Breyerfest in person again, I should probably make hay while the sun shines.

As I've already learned:  Resistance is futile.  I will be assimilated.*

*with apologies to the creators of Star Trek's Borg, from whom I have "stolen" this line.