Thus far, none of the 2026 BreyerFest horses have been ones that I felt I had to have (although I do want the Man O' War.) That changed yesterday.
Skogafoss, the 2026 crystal, was introduced. I was excited when I saw it and could see a lot of connections between this piece and me. Often it is those connections that drive our decisions as to what we buy for our collections.
A mold I love by my favorite Breyer sculptor and in crystal? Win, win, win!
Kathleen Moody's Icelandic Horse from 1992 was Breyer's first porcelain. (The cold cast porcelains from 1991 were not porcelains - they were a mix of resin powder and other ingredients.)
Skogafoss is that piece shrunk down to 5" and produced in crystal.
Not only is he a favorite of mine, but a few years ago Mountain Mama Jessica told me that she really liked him, too, and asked if she could have him some day. (Channeling Miss Mila only in a more tactful way! LOL)
I named my Icelandic Jaarko and he did well in live shows for me. (1997 NAN)
As for the name, he was named after my friend Merja Voutilainen's son, Jaarko.
Merja is from Espoo, Finland. Her husband, Jake, had come to the USA to attend the University of Illinois and we met at church. Merja and I were delighted to discover that we were both horsey gals.
We spent a lot of time together at the barn with Indy and our kids.
Indy with (from left), Jessica, Sarah, and Maria, Merja's oldest daughter. Taken about 1986.
After completing his studies, Jake and Merja moved their family back to Finland. Thanks to Facebook, she and I have been able to stay in touch.
Jake and Merja at home in Finland - notice her tee shirt!
Merja and her daughter, Bella, still ride together, although they have to work around Finland's brutal winters.
Celebrating a recent birthday with horsey cakes.
Merja and I have not seen each other since she moved back to Finland, but those horsey bonds go deep and are still there.
Merja and I have not seen each other since she moved back to Finland, but those horsey bonds go deep and are still there.
And so, Skogafoss represents a lot of connections for me. He is definitely a must-have and at the very top of my list of pieces that I want from BreyerFest this year.
I don't name my crystals, but maybe I will this year. Maybe "Jake" after Merja's husband. ("Jake" is pronounced "YAH-kay" in Finnish.)
I might name the Celebration Horse after Merja, too. (Pronounced MEH-dee-uh.")
Stay 'tooned!
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