BreyerWest Sunday

The first event on BreyerWest Sunday is the Youth and Novice Show. I wasn't part of the show staff, so I did a few things at home and check in with Olive before heading over to the National Western Complex.

The show was still going strong when I arrived. It was fun seeing Jackie...

and Tara doing their jobs in full cosplay.

I spent a little time talking to friends in the Hobby information area. 

Heather Jackson-Lain

Christine Jordan was there...

with her flat work and deco models,

Jenn Constantine...

had her bony horses...

and Maggie was busy sculpting.

It's going to be so cool!

She also brought some of her micros...

and her 2024 NaMoPaiMo pony. Keep working on him, Maggie. He's going to be amazing!

After a while, I hooked up with Meredith Sanders...

and we headed over to the Events Center, where all the real horses are.

We walked through the barns, taking pictures and petting noses.

We did not pet this one, but we thought about it.

So cute and innocent!

We also watched part of a breed demonstration before heading back to the BreyerWest area.

I found Regan, and we hung out until the start of the BreyerWest Stablemate Painting Contest.

This fun and funky contest, challenges painters to create a masterpiece in one hour using only the paint and supplies provided in the Stablemate painting booth. This year there were three categories: Realistic, Fantasy/Decorator and Mythology.

Usually, I take a lot of pictures, but this I year I spent all my time painting. Perhaps not so coincidentally, I also painted a much better horse this year.

It still wasn't quite good enough to win. That honor went to Stephanie Blaylock's roan. Just look at him!

First runner was Morgen Kilbourn's sabino. Also, amazing.

But look at this! Second runner up! I know it's just a fun contest, but honestly, I was so pleased.

Celeste Plitz won the Mythology category...

and Christine Jordan was the big winner in the Fantasy/Decorator section. I didn't manage to get a photo of her giraffe inspired piece, but here's Tara's boyfriend, Brian, with his runner-up clown horse. The shoes and hat were made with make-up sponges. Amazing!

After the contest, the official part of BreyerWest was pretty much over. I stayed until the end, stacking tables and chairs and generally helping wherever I could. Even though it had been a long weekend, I wasn't quite ready for it to be over.

Fortunately for me, there was still a post-BreyerWest pony party to look forward to.

BreyerWest swap meet

The best thing about attending BreyerWest in Oregon, was that I was able to spend the entire weekend doing BreyerWest and nothing else. Now that it's in Denver, things are a bit more complicated. On the one hand, yay! no travel costs and I can sleep in my bed. But, also, there are a lot more demands on my time and energy. Life has been particularly complicated this year, so despite Saturday's stellar workshop line-up, I didn't make it to the National Western Complex at all. I just had too many other things on my plate.

Olive's run was completely flooded by the melting snow, so one of the things on my to do list was digging trenches and bailing her out.

Fortunately, I was able to get everything sorted before Saturday's evening event, the Swap Meet at the host hotel.

By this time, the roads were completely clear, but for reasons known only to him, Seth still insisted on driving me there. He wheeled in all my sales horses on his new-to-him 1980's era school AV cart.

So stylish!

We got there early and took pictures with our friends, as we waited for the room to open.

Beth Patterson, Jennifer Buxton and Karin Hullatti

Seth and his bestie.

This picture of Glenna Van Dyke and Beth Patterson is one of my favorites from the entire weekend!

Finally, the doors opened and it was time to set up our tables. 

As soon as that was done, I made a quick tour of the room.

There were a lot of really nice things for sale.

So many.

If I was in an accumulating phase, I would have been in trouble.

If wishes were horses...

I was back at my table when the event officially opened.

Business was brisk and I didn't take a lot of pictures. I sold all my expensive horses and about half of the cheap ones. Not bad!

Along the way, I talked to so many people, but two conversations really stood out. Thank you, Jennifer Lambert and Laura Skillern for your kind words. They meant the world to me!

Jennifer Buxton and Jennifer Lambert

Here's my only purchase of the evening. Appropriate.

BreyerWest Saturday was definitely a mixed bag, but fortunately, things were about to take a turn for the better.

BreyerWest performance wrap-up

In the same way that the Western performance section of the BreyerWest Open Show was filled with Dundees, English was all about the True Norths.

There were no less than four of them on the table. Niki's was bay...

but Paige's, Teresa's and Anna's were all the Dani colorway.

There were a couple other one...

and two class horses,

but mostly, it was all True North all the time.

This made for a really interesting judging challenge. With most of the models being the same, it came down to best choice of obstacle, best positioning and best presentation. In the end, Niki's bay was sectional champion, with Paige's Dani in reserve.

I was tired and missed taking a picture of Niki's horse with his prize. However, I did get one of the two of them with their Overall Performance Reserve Championship winnings.

Here's Paige and Purdy Zippin Chic, who were the Overall Performance Champions.

Two very worthy winners!

This was such a fun division to judge. The showers were prompt and prepared and the competition was as friendly as it was fierce.

Thank you, Karin Hullatti, Niki Hertzog, Paige Palen, Teresa Buzzell, Anna Miller and Stephanie Blaylock. I loved seeing all your beautiful entries!