Auction Models & An Updated Guess

Earlier this week Breyer revealed the last five auction horses that they planned to announce. Note that last part, "planned to announce." As I scrolled through this batch of auction pieces, Breyer had a blurb written at the end:

These are all the auction models we can show you now! We have held back four special lots that will be revealed on Friday, July 12 at the Kentucky Horse Park and in the online catalogue. We promise these four are worth the wait!

So, there are four more special lots that will be revealed. (If you remember, I mentioned that the web address showed that all the auction models were not yet listed in the program.) My guess is that one of the auction lots will be a complete set of the Mystery Surprise Horse.

So, here is the last revealed auction lots.

I sure like the color on this piece. I am not a member of the Premiere Club, but I think this is one of this year's new releases and the auction piece is appearing before the release. (As you might imagine, I have fallen behind in keeping up with fact-checking.)

I like both these molds already, and I really like this color on them.

So, how does my Mystery Surprise Horse look now? I'd said that my list would probably change before BreyerFest, and it has. Here is my new list of guesses:

Lynn's Most Recent Mystery Surprise Horse Guess

1) Wixom

2) Lippizaner Mare 

3) Weather Girl

4) Proud Arabian Mare 

5) Lady Phase 

HM) Marabella (long shot)

Wixom

I'm staying with Wixom, even though she is an auction horse, and many hobbyists are certain that Breyer would not use an auction horse as the Mystery Surprise Horse. 

Screenshot from Amazon.com

However, Wixom's last appearance was as Puffin in the Birds of a Feather series in 2021 and only 380 were made. She's a large, heavy mold; it makes sense that if they were going to run her mold, they'd run more than 380 and an extra couple of pieces for auctions, etc. She also fits the BreyerFest theme well.

Andalusian Mare

The Andalusian Mare, who is also an auction horse this year, has been removed from my list. (She was at #2.) Unlike Wixom, the Andalusian Mare has been used quite a bit recently. 

Making her the Mystery Surprise Horse along with an auction model, would be over exposure. She's completely off my list.

Lippizaner Mare

The Lippizaner Mare (moved from #3 to #2 on my list) follows a similar path to the Andalusian Mare's when you look at production. But, she is not an auction piece this year. (Although she could be one of the four lots Breyer will announce next week. )

The Lippizaner Mare appeared as last year's Volunteer/Ambassador model but has not appeared anywhere in 2024 yet. She is very popular with collectors and I think she is a strong candidate.

Weather Girl

This is a new addition to my list although she was in consideration on an earlier one. Last appearing at BreyerFest in 2019 as a special run and then in 2021 as an auction model, she's due for some limelight.

An Eberl sculpt, Weather Girl was seen in 2022 as Flamingo in the Birds of a Feather series and has not appeared since. I think she is a good contender for being the Mystery Surprise Horse. I may move her up the list in a day or two.

The Proud Arabian Mare, Lady Phase, and Marabella remain on my list. 

Lady Phase and the PAM are two of Breyer's most popular molds ever, despite being two of their oldest molds. (PAM 1958; Lady Phase 1976.) 

The Lady Phase mold is really popular with me as you can see from this photo from December, 2020 when I celebrated the Twelve Days of Horsey Christmas.

Photo from Identify Your Breyer.

Marabella doesn't have the fan loyalty and is an older mold (1997), but she is a lovely mare and has not been in use for a while. She remains on my list but I consider her a very long shot.

There are some molds who have appeared both as mares and as stallions depending on how Breyer has modified the mold. It's possible a mare version of one of those could be used. It is also possible that Breyer might modify a mold that has not been changed before, too. I felt I could not keep up with those possibilities and left them off my list.

We will find out who the Mystery Surprise Horse is in less than a week! Stay 'tooned!