My Guess for the 2025 Mystery Surprise Horse

Last year for the first time ever, I took a stab at guessing who the BreyerFest Mystery Surprise Horse would be. It took a lot of thought and was harder than anticipated, so much so that the very next day, I revised that guess! (And the model turned out to be Emerson who wasn't even on my list.)

This year's BreyerFest is celebrating Breyer's 75th anniversary and that helped shape my guess. To me, it is logical that they will be using an iconic mold, and most likely one that is well loved by collectors. I also suspect that the mold that is used will be a vintage one, reflecting that long history the company has.

First off, I eliminated the Western Horse - it's already being used in the 2025 regular run line.

Then I looked at molds that not only were well liked, but were vintage and not being used already for BreyerFest or in the regular run line. Here are those "beloveds" in no particular order.

Beloveds

Proud Arabian Mare

Lady Phase

Othello

Huckleberry Bey

Goffert

Semi Rearing Mustang

Fighting Stallion

Adios

Indian Pony

Silver

Stretch Morgan

Who might I have forgotten? I walked around and took a look at my own shelves, paying particularly close attention to the vintage molds. Silver and the Stretch Morgan were added to the Beloved list, but not these:

Vintage but Unlikely to be Used

Belgian

Balking Mule (I may change my mind on this mold)

Running Stallion

Running Mare

Clydesdale Stallion

Clydesdale Mare

Western Horse with Rider

Western Pony

Western Prancer with Rider

Almost all of these molds have a fan base, but I didn't feel they were iconic enough to be used for the company's 75th anniversary.

It's always possible that Breyer might really go big and do something they have never done before. Creating this next list of possibilities was a fun part of my guessing. I don't think they will happen, though.

Dreaming Big but No

Mare & Foal set

Stallion, Mare & Foal set

Foal set

Clocks, Lamps, Music Boxes

Flockies (maybe as the decorator?)

A variety of vintage molds in vintage colors, not just one single mold used for the Surprise Horse

Satisfied that I had a strong list of contenders for the Surprise model, I went back to the Beloved list and then checked them against the list of who had been a Dinner Model/Celebration Horse, which would have given them even more use/exposure at BreyerFest. (I did not check them against having been BreyerFest LEs and SRs. Just too many to look at and record.)

Used as a Dinner Model/Celebration Horse?

Proud Arabian Mare - never

Lady Phase - 2000, Leah's Fancy Chic

Othello - 2012, Mariah's Boon

Huckleberry Bey - 2001, Atlantis Bey

Goffert - 2014, Gooitzen fan Teakesyl

Semi Rearing Mustang - 1993, Turbo the Wonder Horse

Fighting Stallion - never

Adios - 1995, Mego

Indian Pony - 1992, Mustang Lady

Silver - never

Stretch Morgan - never

As you can see from the highlighting, four of my top guesses have never been Dinner Models/Celebration Horses:

Fighting Stallion - extremely popular and second Vintage Club offering

Proud Arabian Mare - extremely popular

Silver - extremely popular

Stretch Morgan - moderately popular, especially with long time hobbyists

It was while looking at that list that two of those iconic beloveds jumped out at me. "There are my strongest contenders," I thought to myself. Still, I spent some time looking at the "Final Four" before making my guess,

First, I eliminated the Stretch Morgan. When compared to the Proud Arabian Mare, Fighting Stallion, and Silver, he is not nearly as popular as them. This is a very big anniversary that Breyer is celebrating and I think they are going to go big with the Mystery Surprise Horse.

Then, I eliminated Silver. That was hard - while he is highly popular, I think the other two represent the 75th anniversary better. Having said that, Silver is my third choice as to who the model will be and it would not surprise me (no pun intended) if he does, in fact, end up being the mold Breyer uses.

My guess this year is:

1st choice - Proud Arabian MareShe's beautiful,

she's iconic,

she's beloved,

and she is a perfect representation of all that Breyer is. If chosen, I think most collectors will be happy. (And some over the moon, like me.)

2nd choice - Fighting Stallion

He too is beautiful,

versatile color-wise,

iconic,

and would also make a lot of people happy if he were chosen. But he's "represented" the company before - for example, he was the second Vintage Club offering. (Photo used with permission.)

Both would be terrific choices as I see it. Here's what helped me narrow it down to the Proud Arabian Mare:

- The PAM is more conformationally correct, a big plus for those who like to live show. 

- She has never been done in the big four decorator colors (gold charm, wedgewood, florentine, and copenhagen) but the Fighting Stallion has and that would limit some of the options for the colors of the surprise horse if he were used. I think that it is highly possible that Breyer will bring back those four colors for the Mystery Surprise Horse.

(It also wouldn't surprise me if they used a mix of vintage and modern colors along with the decorator colors - charcoal, 5 gaiter sorrel, red roan, and more.)

One last thought, though. There are two models who have been used as the Dinner Model/Celebration Horse twice:

- Rejoice (1998, 2010)

- Smart Chic Olena (2006, 2013)

A precedent for repeating a mold has been set elsewhere. Would Breyer repeat a former Mystery Surprise Horse mold? I don't think they will, but never say never. 

So, I'm guessing we will be seeing the Proud Arabian Mare this July. Fingers crossed, and of course...

Stay 'tooned!! 

Dogwood Spring

Ever heard of "Dogwood Spring?" Our local meteorologist has been using the term the past couple of days as we are experiencing a Dogwood Spring right now. 

It is a reference to a time in spring when unseasonably cold weather comes through and disrupts the usual progression of the world waking up from winter. It is cold outside and I am thinking more about hot chocolate rather than coke right now! 

My lone (and very hardy) wild onion has braved the cold temps and is blooming, but nothing else is at the moment. (Well, dandelions. But they bloom almost year round. LOL)

We had a lot of family activities this weekend which meant that we would be out in that colder weather a lot. Fortunately, the first activity was indoors - Ian's wax museum at his school.

The 5th grade classes put on a wax museum of famous people, and his choice was Enzo Ferrari. 

Craig and I drove out to his school (waaaaay out in the country), but it was worth the drive.  And we were warm, both in the car and at the wax museum.

Saturday was a different story. Ian's soccer team had a match and that was outdoors, of course.

But still, it was worth the shivering - when his team earned a penalty kick, his coach asked Ian to take it for the team. And he scored! 

An hour later, Mila's team also had a match.

Coach Curt out on the field giving her some directions.

Mila usually plays (and prefers) defender or midfielder, but he moved her up to forward. 

She's a good soccer player and he rotates all the team members through positions so they get experience at them. As forward this weekend, she scored a goal! 

Despite the chilly weather, we still go down to the park every morning and play frisbee with Pepper and Tammo. Saturday as I was rolling my walker through the field, my wheel got tangled in something which then wrapped around my ankle and tripped me. 

Fishing line! Yards and yards of it!

I detangled my wheel and ankle and then began gathering it up. It ran all the way from the lake, past the pavilion, and then to the sidewalk beyond. A weight was still attached, but not the hook. I sure hope that that hook is not lying in the grass somewhere for a park user, human or canine, to step on. (I put a note on our neighborhood Facebook page cautioning others about what I'd found.)

When it's Dogwood Spring and so chilly outside, it can be nice to snuggle together in blankets, especially if you've been "forced" to go outside and chase frisbees. Poor, poor puppies! LOL

I soon warmed up and kicked off my shoes while reading.

Naturally, Pepper had to come over and make sure that those bare feet stayed warm for me. I'm her partner, her responsibility, and she keeps a good eye on me. (Meanwhile, my feet were roasting!) Silly, sweet girl!

Dogwood Spring should end by tomorrow and hopefully I can put my jackets and sweaters back into the closet and leave them there until next fall.  But you never know.

This is Indiana, after all.

That super long post intended for yesterday still isn't complete but I'm close. It's my guess for this year's BreyerFest Surprise Horse. 

Stay 'tooned!

Gethsemane in South Africa

Well, Tiztastic did not win the Kentucky Derby; he placed tenth. More importantly, though, no horse or jockey was injured during a race that was run on a very sloppy, muddy mess of a track. Congratulations to Sovereignty for the win!

Photo retrieved from Google Images.

And I came across another YouTube video about Gethsemane. The reviewer is from Johannesburg, South Africa and he does an amazing job of analyzing all the parts of the piece and then explaining how they came together to create such a masterpiece.

Finally, I've been  working on what's turning out to be a very long blog post  since yesterday and it's still not done. Look for it later today (maybe) or tomorrow (more likely.) 

Stay 'tooned!

It's Derby Day!

Derby Day has really snuck up on me this year. I did get my Derby glasses out (one for each of my kids' birth years), but that's it.

An interesting Kentucky Derby fact was circulating on social media last week. Every horse that is running in today's race is descended from Secretariat.

Including Tiztastic, the horse I am rooting for.

He's probably not a contender for the roses, but I am still hopeful. And how can I not root for him when there is a very distant but real pedigree connection to him through my Quarter Horse, Cee Hunt? It's not a direct line, but if you trace back through the Tizzy line, you come to Cee's Tizzy, the King Ranch, and Leo who was my Cee's grandsire.

That's enough for me to be pulling for Tiztastic today!

He is at the 14th post position and his jockey is wearing maroon silks. The original field was of twenty horses, but two have scratched. (Grande and Rodriguez due to foot bruises according to one source, another said cracked heels.)  

The track is also going to be very muddy and that will certainly play a role in who wins. I don't like muddy tracks for racing - I don't want to see a horse slip and fall or injure themselves due to the slick track. The jockeys, too, are at greater risk when the track is sloppy.

Some Derby decor from a past year. That's my carpet herd Man o' War. Such a rich color! Metal race horses, a real shoe from Churchill Downs (complete with track dirt still in it), and my Derby salt and pepper shakers.

A close up of them. Another antique shop find.

Ever heard of a Crying Towel? I had not until I found this one while out thrifting.

They were popular in the 1920s - 1950s for a variety of sports, not just horse racing. I no longer have it as I gave it to a friend.

Mila has a soccer game this morning and Ian one this afternoon, so I won't have time to make a Kentucky Derby pie as I usually do. Here's my recipe in case you do:

Maybe I'll stop by a bakery after one of the games and pick up something to celebrate the race. A cupcake would be just fine! 

Happy Derby Day! And go, Tiztastic!

Gethsemane Redux

Second Post of the Day

While checking to see that this morning's  frisbee video had posted and that its link to my blog worked, this YouTube video popped up. 

Now, I'm only on YouTube when I post a video for my blogs, so I was unaware that reviews had been made of the October and April performances of Gethsemane that Cambria and Titan had sung in.

Charlie Smith, a British vocalist, music producer, and musician, had done a review of the Easter Gethsemane video that was sung with the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. 

He was blown away by it and, from his perspective as a music producer, was able to articulate as to why the song has touched so many lives. (Gretchen H., with your musical background, you might find his thoughts as interesting as I did.)

After watching the Charlie Smith video, another review popped up on my YouTube feed, this time of the Children's Choir's first performance last October and before the Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra joined them. 

In his words, "This is healing. I didn't know what I signed up for."

From what I understand, the Gethsemane videos have had over 9,000,000 views across various social media platforms. (::cough cough:: I've contributed to those numbers multiple times... ::cough cough::) Clearly there is something about the piece that is touching people.

But as I said in another blog post, the video isn't about my grands or the balance of the two choirs and the orchestra. It was one of those rare times when all things come together and you have created something extraordinary. 

These two choirs and the orchestra caught the proverbial lightning in a bottle. 

Not Again!

Oh, Pepper! I am so sorry.

I did it again.

That frisbee is way too high for us to get. We will have to wait and hope that the wind brings it down.

In my defense, it was a very windy day and a gust lifted it right up and deposited it on the roof. But that left Pepper without her frisbee.

I took some good natured ribbing from family and friends as I have done this more than once, and Pepper had to make do with a "half frisbee" - one that she'd loved so much that it could barely fly. Still, it was all we had. 

Two days later, an unexpected box was delivered to our home.

A trifecta of toys! A flotilla of frisbees! (With that lake by the frisbee field, I sure hope they float. I've thrown frisbees into the lake, too.)

With them came a note from someone clearly concerned that their dad would be climbing on picnic tables and then onto the roof of the pavilion to retrieve Pepper's frisbee.

I shared "Master/Best Friend's" concern and had already cautioned Craig ("Mr. Fall on the Ice/Crack That Head Open") three times to let the frisbee blow down rather than climbing up to get it. 

Tammo could not believe his good luck. His frisbee was getting to the "half frisbee" stage, too, and now there were three new frisbees. He'd get one, too!

"Please open these and let's head to the park now!"

Sure love that interior packing - kind of fits us, right? LOL

Oh, what fun we had chasing those new frisbees!

We were also surprised to discover that Pepper's frisbee had finally blown down from the roof of the pavilion!

These two wore themselves out chasing their new (and found) frisbees, and promptly plopped down for a nap together when we got home.

Thanks, Master/Best Friend Kyle. You've made everybody happy with your gift. (And Dad did not climb up onto the pavilion! This time.)

Time Traveling - Ouiatenon's Thought Provoking Artifacts

Leslie and Rick recently taught a seminar for the Tippecanoe County Historical Association on beads and other artifacts found during excavations at Fort Ouiatenon. 

A bone bead (possibly for an ear bob) in the photo behind her.

Lisa and I attended as did our friend Gretchen (who drove me to and from KZoo this year.)

I had no idea just how much TCHA had in their collection of beads and other artifacts. It was jaw dropping. 

These unusual beads (I thought they were shark teeth; they are not) have only been found at Ouiatenon and one other place. 

Leslie also showed us some green beads that have never been found at any other historical site in the country.

Sewing thimbles which were often turned into jewelry like jingle cones.

Part of a bit.

The top of a chess piece, with the original paint still present in spots.

Some pottery that is mostly intact.

Lots of iconographic rings.

It was a real learning experience for me to hear about these artifacts that have been found at Ouiatenon. But there were two things that gave me the shivers when I saw them.

The Ouiatenon cross. There are two in the collection, and the replica that I wear at events is of the smaller cross.

Mine means a lot to me on several fronts - it was my mother's, it represents Ouiatenon and its history, and my own faith means a great deal to me.

To see the real Ouiatenon cross was sobering and I felt a connection to those who had worn theirs at Ouiatenon, just as I do.

The other artifact that was shiver-worthy was also one that made me very sad. To understand, you need a little history first.

Post Ouiatenton was occupied by the French, then the British, then by the Native tribes who used it as a base to resist further European settlement. As a result of that resistance, George Washington ordered the fort to be destroyed in 1791.

Ouiatenon was burned to the ground and never used again as a fort or settlement.

These beads melted together during the burning of Ouiatenon.

I looked at those and was sad for the loss of the fort but even more so for those who were there and had lost their lives. This mass of beads was witness to a terrible tragedy, and I could almost hear and feel the echos of that horrific day as I looked at them.

Those beads will haunt me the rest of my life.

I attended that seminar to learn more about beads but I came away with a different, broader perspective. I can't change history, but I can work harder to honor it. 

The people of Ouiatenon, be they Wea, Miami, British, or French, deserve it.