Breyerfest 2010

Ever since I was little and collected Breyer horses and found out that there was a place where other people like me got together to live model horses and real horses together.... I knew I had to make it out to Kentucky. Then I move here, less than an hour away from the Kentucky Horse Park and it still took me a couple of years to get there.

This year I was really excited to be able to make that trek with my little girl who collects Breyer horses and loves the real ones like I do/did. It was a good day for a road trip...just for the girls.... on day one. Megan was planning on going with two friends for the entire weekend, but the two couldn't make it on Friday so it was just Megan and I. Which worked out great.

It was exciting pulling up to the park. Even before you get near the exit ramp off of the interstate, you are passing it. Rolling hills with miles and miles of white fences and all kinds of different barns scattered around. It is horse heaven. It is also neat to have just traveled through some of the most expensive thoroughbred farms in the world. Some of them are tree lined with the biggest old trees, and have huge ornate gates and flags, and barns nicer than homes.

Megan and I went in and the first thing we did was walk through all of the vendors. Many had the newer horses still in boxes but some had tables with open horses that I remember from my childhood. I would smile when i'd see a horse I can remember exactly when I got it for a certain holiday or birthday. Like seeing the original Lady Phase box! It sent me right back to being (probably 8) to Easter when I woke up and saw the box. We went to the river in AZ with my cousins and I remember taking that horse with me. She was always one of my favorites! Seeing stuff like that was cool.

Megan found a horse that she had been wanting and bought it. Then we went into the covered arena and watched a little bit of the show that was going on all day. There were different things going on all day, including horses that Breyer has made models of. That was strange, seeing a horse you've "known" in miniature and seeing the real thing in the arena. Little girls everywhere would gasp...like they had just seen Bono out there. haha.

One model that Megan has, that has been one of my favorites for a long time O'leary's Irish Diamond was there. We watched him in the arena and then later went to visit him in the stable. Where while I was petting him he decided to sneeze green hay snot all over me. I guess that keeps him still one of my favorites....model and in real life because we have a story about him that made us laugh.

below: O'leary's Irish Diamond in his stall.

below: O'leary's Irish Diamond warming up before the indoor arena.

Then we went to stand in line to get our celebration model. Each year when you buy your three day pass, you get a model that has something to do with the theme of the year, and it is only available through Breyerfest. This year was All Glory.

below: All Glory tacked up and ready to go before the show. He is a standardbred with a tail that drags on the ground it is so long. It's always tied up when he's not at a show. He is gorgeous.

We did a little more shopping and took all of our bags out to the car to get our lunch that was in a cooler in the trunk and to smell that new Breyer smell. (My family knows what I'm talking about...it's the smell of childhood!)

It was hot. If hell is half as hot then I promise to be a good girl from this day on out. It was somewhat miserable when you were out in the sun, but the occasional breeze would dry you off and you pretty much had to time things between watching the show, shopping or going inside the air conditioned museums.

Megan and I enjoyed our lunch under a big tree enjoying the breeze, loving the fact that our cooler kept things cold even after hours in the car - sub sandwiches, cold grapes and soda. We had a good long chance to cool down before we went back into the park.

We started to head back home a little after 8:30 , and Megan was thrilled with the days purchases. She's been saving for this for a long time. On Friday she still had some money left to finish up her shopping on Saturday and Sunday. I think she ended up pretty much buying a horse each day and came home with four all together. (I'll add a photo of all of them together later.)

Saturday morning Mike and the other girls left early for an overnight stay and two more days of horse stuff.

I wouldn't mind a job here. Or coming back in another life as a horse who gets to live here. LOL.

There are miles upon miles of fences and scenery like this. There are also life size bronze statues scattered all over, like foals playing and a cool one of a horse and rider during an endurance race jumping over the creek like this. Someday I am going back just to get photos of all of the statues that I can find. Some are obvious but some you have to look for.

Breyerfest continued

This is Isadora Cruce - one of the horses that Megan loved. She is so sweet and gentle. I got to see her on Friday too.below: Isadora Cruce once again on day three. (Megan visited her all three days.) This photo makes me laugh since the horse's mouth is open, it looks like it's smiling This is the horse that she bought the model of in the photos further below. It is kind of neat that you can buy a model of horses that you have 'met.'

That is Megan's 'humidity hair' btw....it was hot and humid.

Megan on a pony! She also got to sit on a shire. One extreme to another!

there is an area under some trees that have these huge chairs. Matthew recognized the girls sitting in one of them from this picture, when he went for a field trip.

leaving with the last day's goods....

summer nights

I had a day off today and we got a lot done. I needed it to catch up a little bit and it was nice to spend an uninterrupted day with the kids. After dinner tonight Mike and I went out on a ride. The past several times we have gone out after dinner we have turned onto this road where we always catch the sun going down. It is gorgeous, and this picture does absolutely no justice. It's always a huge bright orange/red sunset where you can look directly at the sun. It's so pretty setting over the tobacco field here.

At night we've been trying to kill our box of sparklers and fireworks. They are dirt cheap after the 4th.

I love this picture of Matthew....that's him in that blur.

Trevor:

one word.

That's my girl.

summer...continued.....

Well hello beautiful!

This horse was spotted on one of our after dinner rides, which has been my favorite part of this summer so far. Right after dinner.... going out along the farm roads, enjoying the pretty scenery, sunsets and fireflies. The canopy of trees, the cool spots over the creeks that make you shiver from cold, and the smell of endless fields of fresh baled bluegrass hay.

There is a quote I heard once...something that if John Denver wrote that West Virginia was almost heaven....that has to mean that Kentucky IS heaven. Seriously, the nights we've had lately make me believe that!

- of course I also love the stereotypical Kentucky jokes and quotes too. ;) Let's just say that some people perpetuate the stereotype. haha.

Not much going on here. The 4th has come and gone. I was thinking about last year and how it had rained ALL day and spoiled plans for sitting out on the lawn watching the fireworks, and how we were trying to light sparklers in the garage but it was so misty outside nothing wanted to light.

This year we didn't have any plans. I worked for part of the day but got home while it was still light out. We decided not to go to any scheduled fireworks shows or events and kept it low key. Pretty much just watching the fireworks that the neighbors had.

Believe it or not we are already getting in back to school mode. Trevor will be going to an orientation for middle school soon, and we're already buying some new clothes and shoes to get ready. (Loving the employee discount! LOL!) I'm just surprised at how much different this summer seems than last year. Life is crazy!