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.