Fun, One Class Photo Show!

Adah Richards of Spotted Dreams Studio is having a fun photoshow from now until February 27. Its just one class and looks like a lot of fun. I entered and can't wait to see the pictures!

With Ada's permission, here is the blog post about her show.

I've been wanting to host one of these since I opened the blog, but the Breyer news was pelting so rapidly this winter that I hadn't had a chance.

The title says it, I am hosting a ONE CLASS FUN SHOW from right now through midnight EST on the 27th.

The theme/prompt for the class is "Best Friends Come in All Shapes and Sizes". I know it is an old, worn-out theme, but I want some entries and I'm hoping a generic theme will bring that in.

No entry limit! Enter as many times as you wish. No physical prizes or ribbons, however, the winner will receive a digital certificate. This is kind of a test show, to see how many entries I can get. If it goes well, I'm hoping to host more (maybe even with prizes) over the summer.

Since this is a super informal, unconventional, ridiculously relaxed show, I will just be using the "judges choice" style of judging. I do not care about your model's anatomy, color, or biomechanics. I do not care if the backdrop is a stunning diorama or if it is a messy kitchen table. I do not care if your model has more scratches and rubs than he has paint. I don't even really care about the quality and clarity of the photo. 1st place goes to the photo I personally like best.

Please remember, my blog is youth friendly. No vulgarity, foul language, or otherwise tasteless entries. Thank you.

You are welcome to add a paragraph (or more/less) explaining your entry when you enter. It will help me make my decisions.

All entries (in good taste) will be posted to my blog (unless the owner wishes to keep it private).

You can enter by emailing me your images (no videos) to SpottedDreamsStudio@mail.com. I will answer every email, so if I don't get back to you in 24hrs, email again. I probably didn't get it. Please include a title for your entry, as well as the name you would like me to use for you when I post your entry on the blog. Initials are perfectly fine. :)

Please share this post with your friends, on your blogs, on your social media, anywhere you can! Remember, the more entries I get for this "test run", the more photo shows I will host. 🙂

I'm so so excited to see what you have! Please don't hold back, I want to see all of them!

Indiana, a Hotbed of Showing: Last Insight/Wrap Up

This series about live showing in Indiana was prompted when a new show in Indiana, The Clover Classic, was announced. As the series progressed, there was a question that was asked on the Region 8 Facebook page about how many NAMHSA members there currently were.  

Here's a reminder:

R1: 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming)

R2: 13 (​California, Hawaii, Mexico, Nevada)

R3: 11 (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah)

R4: 15 Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, North & South Dakota

R5: 19 (Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana)

R6: 20 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North & South Carolina)

R7: 28 (Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee)

R8: 35 (Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan)

R9: 24 (Delaware, Maryland, D.C., New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia)

RX: 21 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island)

R11: 5 (Canada)

Region 8 rep Chris Wallbruch's response surprised me, and led to a discussion as to why Region 8 had more members than any other region. (I would have guessed Region X which is a very active region with a large population.)

It is interesting to note that 3 of the 7 of the Hoosier shows (Indy Blooms, Clover Classic, and Dark Horse) are in their first or second years while FAMulous is only in its third. The "hotbed" is either recent or heating up again, depending on how you look at it.

Will the trend continue? Or, as it did in the late 1980s/early1990s, will it fade again?

Hard to tell, but I am curious to as to what the future brings to showing in Indiana. Something I will "stay 'tooned" for myself!

Indiana, a Hotbed of Showing: River City Classic 5

River City Classic is held by Angela Morlock in Evansville which is at the very southwestern tip of Indiana and on the Ohio River.

This will be its 5th show and it is a benefit for the Posy County 4-H Club. (All photos used with permission.)

The show accommodates 50 entrants, and this year's show on April 1st is full with a waiting list.

Tables are color coded to help entrants get their models into the correct class. and this year's show is being held at the National Guard Armory.

The ribbons for the show are lovely

and there are trophies, too! (In the early days of live showing, trophies were seen far more often than they are now.)

The 2022 ribbons - I love that pop of blue!

I was excited to see that a Youth division is also available to children 14 and under.

Things to know:

- There are two Facebook pages for the show and both are kept up to date and are current.

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/1877889812477938

    https://www.facebook.com/RiverCityHorse

- The show's web site can be found here:  https://rivercityclassic.org/?fbclid=IwAR2Hp_tYSAqRivpOOp8XPiLkwW6pHtBAI_slQ19pSwtwETSjsQhCpfxr5Vo%2F

- Show divisions are OF Breyer/Other, OF Stone, Minis, Artist Resins, Customs, AR-Customs, Micro Mini, Medallions, Performance, and Children's.

- Friday set-up is available at 6:00 PM, and doors open Saturday with the show beginning at 8:30 AM Central time.

- The entry fee is $50.

- Your show string  (with your assigned numbers, names, breed, and gender) must be submitted by March 15. No models are allowed to be added to your show string after that.

I've heard good things about this show but never attended - maybe in 2024. (And I might even bring Pony Pal Mila for that Youth show!)

Tomorrow I'll wrap up their series. Stay 'tooned!

Indiana, a Hotbed of Showing: Fall Stone Shows

Thanks to Shannon Call, we have some information on one of the Stone fall shows. She writes,

That is so weird - everything about Stone's model horse show last fall is gone from the site. It was The Little Horse Show so Stablemates, Pebbles, and Chips. I attended and it was a lot of fun. My husband and I stayed the night and made a weekend of it. I hope they have it again at the same place.

 Pokagon State Park, where the show was held, is in northwestern Indiana close to the border with Michigan and Ohio.

https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/inns/potawatomi-inn-at-pokagon-state-park/

It has a lot to offer, and is well known for its toboggan run. The run has an elevation of 90 feet and takes you down a 1/4 mile track at speeds of up to 42 mph.

It's not for the faint of heart (which would be why I have never been on it. Nor will I ever!)

Here are some pics from Shannon from the show weekend - like the spring shows, the fall ones have activities along with a model horse show.

The inn where attendees stayed and the show was held.

One of Shannon's big winners.

A lake in the park. (That part of Indiana is riddled with lakes.)

Horseback riding was one of the activities.

Hiking.

Shannon and her husband.

Thanks, Shannon, for sharing - I knew there were Stone fall shows but I could not find the info. 

One more Hoosier show is left on the list, so stay 'tooned!

Indiana, a Hotbed of Showing: Stone Shows

The Stone Horse Country Fair, sponsored by Stone Horses, has been going on for years. In some ways it is like a mini BreyerFest for Stone collectors as it spans several days. Each year has a theme and attendees not only have a show to attend, but opportunities to go inside the factory, a swap meet, dinners, costumes, and more.

This year's event is Thursday, May 4 - Saturday May 6 and the theme is Yellowstone.

Thursday's Activities:

- Paint & Snack activity in the factory.

- Swap meet

Friday's activities:

- Dinner and activities (dress as your favorite Yellowstone character)

- Stone sales

- a Dinner Model for attendees only

Monster Magnet

Saturday's activities:

- Live show 7 AM - 4 PM

- Special guest Monster Magnet

- NAMHSA approved

- a Limited Run model

- Stone sales

Divisions are OF Stone, OF Breyer, Custom, Artist Resin, Stone Mini, Breyer Mini, Stone Dec/Collectibility, Breyer Deco/Collectibility, and Performance.

I attended the Stone Country Fair in 2018, but I only ran up to Shipshewana for the show and didn't participate in any of the activities. (I was still teaching and May is a very busy time for teachers.)

I hung out with Liz and her husband, Sam, and had a lot of fun.

Peter was there and he came over to talk to Liz. (He hired Liz to be the first editor of Breyer's JAH. They go way back.) Too shy to go say hello, I snapped this photo, little realizing that in 2021 I would be working with both Peter and Liz on The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation. I'm not too shy to talk to him any more!

There has been an event in the Fall in past years, but I cannot find any information about one for 2023.  If you are interested in the Stone events, keep an eye on their web site.

One more show to go and then I will wrap up the series. Stay 'tooned!

Indiana, a Hotbed of Showing: Clover Classic Model Horse Show

Clover Classic Model Horse Show is a brand new show in Northwestern Indiana with its inaugural show being held on June 10, 2023. 

The show hostess is Debbie Sajdera and the show's location is the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point, Indiana.

Some things to note about the show:

- The show hall will open at 7 AM and the show will start at 8:30 AM (Central Time Zone). The show hall is air conditioned.

- Entry fee is $50 which includes a day pass to the Livestock Expo that will be going on at the fairgrounds at the same time.

- Proceeds from the show will be donated to the Lake County 4-H Horse Judging Team.

- As of this writing, judges have not yet been listed on the web site.

- Divisions are OF Plastic, Customs, Rare OF Plastic, OF China/Porcelain, Artist Resins, OF Plastic Collectibility, Custom Glazed China, Custom/AR Workmanship, and CMG Work/China Collectibility.

- The show has been NAMHSA approved.

There is also a Facebook page that you can check for links and information.

Sounds like a fun show! If I can, I will run up to Crown Point and check it out. Best of luck to Debbie and all those who will be showing!

Gone Riding - in a Manner of Speaking

We are dog sitting Teacher Daughter Lisa's dogs this weekend while she is out of town and I love having them here. They're well behaved, sweet, and good company. It does complicate our schedule, though, when it comes to Molly.

Molly is a rescue from a puppy mill where she was a breeder. She came out of there traumatized and very, very shy. Rarely does she let anyone else besides Lisa, Craig, and me touch her. And when she is staying at our home, she likes one of us to always be in sight - it makes her feel safe. 

Couple that with the fact that she's arthritic and stairs are hard for her, and that means I need to write downstairs on my ancient laptop instead of upstairs on my desktop. 

That's not usually a problem, but this morning my laptop is not working. It's 5:30 AM and Craig (who is a night owl) is asleep and can't spell me so I can go upstairs to write. 

So, I've sort of Gone Riding. Hopefully I will be back tomorrow; if not, then Monday. And now I'd better head back downstairs to check Molly.

Stay 'tooned!