Yuletide Challenge - Next Year's Grail?

First Post of the Day

Next year's grail? The same as it has been for years. These very rare circus horses, none of which do I really expect to ever find and acquire.

The Melbaware Circus Horses. (I suspect the palomino on the left is the same piece as the one on the right only with faded coloring. Note how its feathers are faded, too.)  Big and chunky and beautiful. If only. Sigh. (Photo from Google Images.)

The Boehm Malvern Circus Horses. No doubt far higher than I'd pay. If I ever found them. (Photo from Google Images.)

The Royal Worcester set that was sculpted by Doris Lindner around 1936.  Out of all of my grails, these are the grailiest. I would expect them to go for thousands of dollars. (Photo from Museum of Royal Worcester.)

The Cybis Equestrienne Extraordinaire. I saw this once on... eBay, I think and its cost was sky high. (Cybis Archives)

and the Cybis Circus Horse Trio "Showtime" - this is the only known photo of the piece and it is believed that only a few pieces were ever produced. Enlarging the photo only makes it even blurrier. (Cybis Archives)

Sometime I'd really like to have the full size china Striking Arabian Circus Horse by Donna Chaney. (Photo from Google Images and attributed to Animal Artistry.) I have seen several of these in person, but never had the opportunity to buy one.

One time I did find a grail and snap it up. And the seller had a second one that I had never seen before and bought that one just as quickly.

The white Metlox Poppytrail Circus Horse

and the palomino Metlox Poppytrail Circus Horse. 

I'd seen pictures of the white piece but had never had any luck finding it. Then, one day I spied one on eBay. As I looked at it, I discovered that the seller had another one in palomino. I'd only recently learned that that color really existed (I'd heard unconfirmed rumors) - to find both at the same time was an exhilarating windfall!

Just as I doubt that I will ever find my other grails, I had doubted that I ever would find these two. These two remind me that it's always possible. You just never know!

That concludes the 2025 Yuletide Challenge. It was so much fun and I am glad I could participate. Thank you, Kirsten and Sarah Wellman!

Circus Time: Wrap Up

 "Really, the restriction of your collection to one subject seems to have resulted in the most amazingly unrestricted explorations imaginable!!  It's almost like magic to me, the way one theme expands to touch so many others."  Susan Bensema Young

When Sue said that to me a year and a half ago, I thought it was a really interesting thought. (If you know Sue, then you know she has a lot of really interesting thoughts.)

Sue and me in the tack room of the new barn in September, 2018.

I saved her comment and planned to use it "some day" when I was having trouble finding something to write about or when I was going to have a surgery and would need to prewrite some blog entries for when I was unable to write.

Sultanna, Abby, Diablo, and Sue in the old barn. Peppermint and carrot time!

My spinal fusion in April seemed like a good time to do this. I anticipated maybe 5-7 days of posts and then returning to writing about other things as I healed.

Hah! Talk about an underestimation! I started the series on April 22 and ended today on May 28. And while there were a few non-circus posts mixed in, I ended up writing 9 posts in April and 20 in May for a whopping 29 blog entries about my circus pony collection!

Honestly, I had absolutely no idea I had so many circus ponies and related items in my collection. After writing the Circus Time series, though, my circus collection is much better organized and I know exactly what I have. 

But there are still a few elusive circus ponies that I am actively looking for.

 The Melbaware Circus Horses. (Photo taken from Google Images.)

The Boehm Malvern Circus Horses. (Photo from Google Images.)

The Royal Worcester set that was sculpted by Doris Lindner around 1936. (Photo from Museum of Royal Worcester.)

The Cybis Equestrienne Extraordinaire (Cybis Archives)

and the Cybis Circus Horse Trio "Showtime" - this is the only known photo of the piece and it is believed than only a few pieces were ever produced. Enlarging the photo only makes it even blurrier. (Cybis Archives)

And sometime I'd really like to have the full size china Striking Arabian Circus Horse by Donna Chaney. (Photo from Google Images and attributed to Animal Artistry.)

But it's okay if I never find any of those pieces. I love what I already have in my collection, from the lovely Hagen Renakers to the big clunky Freeman Leidys, the circus dogs and seals, the bridle rosettes, and more.

As Sue so aptly pointed out, the restriction of my collection to one theme led to some really amazing explorations and tangents. I hope you were amazed - I sure was.