Cindy's BCC entry

Today is the official deadline for entry in the BreyerFest Best Customs Contest. Across the land, artists are putting down their paintbrushes and showing us what they've been working for all these months. Today's featured model comes from Cindy Evans-Yates. Here she is, in Cindy's own words.

The Making of Merry Jubilee

by Cindy Evans-Yates

At last, my Best Customs Contest entry for this year! And with over fifteen hours to spare!

I could think of no better model to glow up for Breyer's 75th Anniversary than the original Western Horse; the one who started it all! I took the model down to almost bare bones on the legs, neck, and head, but still retains her "core" barrel for the most part, so the original western saddle still fits! (Not bad for 75 years old!)

I decided to model her after Saddlebreds, Morgans, and Tennessee Walkers of the time - mostly focusing on Tennessee Walking Horse two-time Champion stallion, Merry Go Boy - who were more likely to be seen in parades out west at the time the model was created.

The result is a solid, alert, and yet fancy mare... yes, mare! Though I'm sure the Western Horse was meant to be a stallion, the soft, kind eye, elegant look, and longer back really said "mare" to me. And honestly, it's been a lot of girl power in recent years in both the company and the hobby! She represents everything I've come to love about Breyer.

I've named her "Merry Jubilee" and she's a love letter to both Breyer and the Western Horse mold itself. The iconic and popular palomino coloring, pushing the envelope for realism, style, and dynamics, in addition to a nod to the engineering that Breyer has employed throughout the years. I chose to make tack that was molded to her, but removable! Everything sets nicely on to her, secured with magnets that have been implanted in both her and the tack. And finally, she rests on a mirror (in reference to the original mantle stand), reflecting on the past, but looking just a little higher towards the future, as the clock beneath her steadily ticks on.

I chose a Trigger body to craft her. Trigger was my very first Western Horse mold, as I joined the hobby shortly after Breyer's fiftieth anniversary. My mother grew up in the 50's during the time of Trigger and Roy Rogers, and the model shown to compare my custom with is my Trigger that sat on her dresser in her bedroom during my teenage years. She is no longer with us, but I know she'd be excited for and proud of this model.

Congratulations, Cindy. I agree. This was the most perfect choice for the Cheers to 75 Years! BreyerFest Best Customs Contest Glow-Up division. Good luck in Kentucky!