Last month the model horse hobby lost one of its beloved and respected OG members, Karen Malcor-Chapman.
Like most of us, Karen grew up as a stereotypical horse obsessed girl.However, unlike so many of us, she took that obsession and turned into something real.
Her life was filled with horses, most notably her two famous stallions: Khemosabi++++// son Khornerstone KpM (Beau)...and Woodstock North's Who's Appy Now (Appy)... as well as her current and last "big" horse, Champagne Bubbles, an amber champagne Friesian Heritage Horse..
My first "contact" with Karen came though the pages of the model horse magazines of yore. That Southern California address - so near to where I grew up! - caught my eye.As did all those fabulous customs.And that tag line - Wheeze got the Best! - who could ever forget that?Decades later, we connected more through Facebook and, later, my blog. We chatted a bit here and there - mostly about negotiating the health care system for aging parents - but our relationship never made it past the computer screen.
That doesn't sound like much, but really, she was the best kind of social media friend.  |
Karen's 2025 Christmas photo. The caption read: Happy Holidays from (non-snowy) Southern California! Photo taken yesterday by my dear daughter Jenn... the 4 of us, (l to r) Khonshu, me, Luke & Bubbles were all standing together in costume! Luke: "why am I here?" Bubbles: "why is the dog here?" Khonshu: "can I go now?" Karen: "y'all keep standing still!" |
Her feed was filled horses, dogs, cats, alpacas, goats, life...
I always hoped that someday there would be a less frantic trip to California, and we could meet for real. |
| with fellow hobbyist, Juan John Vallejo |
Godspeed, Karen.Wheeze got the Best, indeed.
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A horsewoman through and through
ReplyDeleteBack in 2003 she sent me a reference photo of that very same last subject. The horse is standing still with no rider, the better to view the tack. I still remember her thoughtfulness.
ReplyDeleteRest easy Karen.
Now -this makes me wanna cry--only because of the memories that it stirs up!
ReplyDeleteI never met Karen in "real " life--but who, amongst the "oldies" doesn't remember Asthma Hills?? I believe she was one of the "big name" horse artists at the time!! (I *know* that I probably still have my old model horse newsletters with her advertisements still in it!!
How cool!! I remember Khornerstone too!! Khemosabi was "the bomb" back in the day and I I know some of my model horses still carry his bloodlines!! (So much for getting rid of old papers , books or magazines etc.!! Where else can you go back in time and remember,? Social media doesn't always cut it!!)
R.I.P Karen!! You will be missed!!