50th Anniversary: Lifelong Friends - Beth Dickinson

Sue Seese was not the only penpal that has remained a lifelong friend. Beth Dickinson also responded to my 1970 penpal ad and we became dear friends and are still writing each other.  

Both women have known me longer than Craig has!

Beth was a lover of drafters and then later moved on to chinas and resins.

She was also vice president of the club I formed, the All Breeds Model Horse Shower's Association. If I remember right, she also took it over when I graduated from high school and went off to college.

Beth enjoyed photo showing and did some really nice set ups.  During the 1980s and 90s, we "leased" models from each other just as people do in the real horse world.

These photos were taken by Beth and are from the 1990s.

Take a look at this early Tiffany Purdy Arabian costume! She had a similar one in red and black at Lincoln Land Live (a live show I held in the 1990s) and I liked it so much that she agreed to make one for me.

Beth loved my 1970s Sherry Cook repaint, Midwest Tumbleweed, and leased her from me for years.

She sold me this Cantering Welsh Pony with gold braids. Sadly, I sold her in the 2000s.

Beth has won big at many NANS. This is NAN 1995 or 1997 in Lexington, Kentucky.

Beth, me, and Stephanie Clift at BreyerFest in 1999. I wish I still had that tee shirt with Breyer's porcelain Saddlebred on it!

Speaking of tee shirts, note that drafter tee she's wearing! Beth and me at BreyerFest 2017. 

I saw Beth in passing at BreyerFest 2019 but she was helping Jennifer Danza with a seminar and couldn't talk. I was only there one day as we were traveling down to Nashville the next day to celebrate Music City Son Cole's birthday, so Beth and I never did get an opportunity that BreyerFest to chat.

Like Sue Seese, Beth is not on social media much. She does have an email address, but we mostly communicate the way our friendship began - through letters sent via snail mail. And you know what? It's still just as thrilling to open my mailbox and see a letter from these two dear friends waiting for me as it was back when we were kids.

Entries end for the cowpokes haversack Thursday night at 11:59 PM EDT. Comment to win the cowpokes haversack and the surprises inside! 

(The horse is not one of the surprises.)