2022 model year in review

Every December, I write a post recapping my year in the model horse hobby. I talk about the things I made, the things I bought, the shows I attended and all the new and interesting things happened along the way... Well, this year was definitely interesting, but not a lot of it was new.

I didn't make a lot of tack, and I only added two models to my collection.

At least they were good ones!

I didn't enter any live shows, but I did attend my fourth BreyerWest and and my third in-person BreyerFest, both of which I enjoyed immensely.

Although I'm not sure anything could touch the giddy excitement of the first Corbett era BreyerWest, this came extremely close. After years of pandemic related isolation, it was so good to see so many of my friends all at the same time. I especially loved having everyone come out to meet Olive. From beginning to end, that was a fabulous week.

As far as BreyerFest goes, the third time was definitely the charm. I loved every minute of this year's event, from the moment I stepped off the plane in Chicago all the way to our Covid-free return home. Riding in the car with Tiffany, hanging out with Tara, tack shopping with Stephanie and Emily, judging the Best Customs Contest with Mindy and Lauren, room shopping with Angelo, riding with Fabian and taking over a restaurant with everyone... All of it was so fun and so good.

On a less positive note, despite my best efforts, this year's NaMoPaiMo was pretty lackluster. The month went smoothly enough, but fewer people participated, and the completion rate dropped to just over fifty percent. That felt like a sign, so expect an announcement regarding the future of NaMoPaiMo in the next week or so.

Also, I can not overstate how deeply traumatized I was by last April's basement flood. My hobby area was ground zero, and although none of my models were damaged, there were significant losses in regards to tack, dolls and props. Some of it will probably be repaired or replaced eventually, but truthfully, I don't expect to ever recover fully.

It's been a long year, a hard year but also - sometimes - a good year. Thank you to everyone who's walked through the highs and lows with me. Here's looking forward to a better and less dramatic 2023.