When I was ten or eleven, I put a dollars in an envelope and sent it to Breyer Animal Creations.
In return, they sent me four issues of Just About Horses magazine.
The first introduced me to the concept of remaking.
The second to Kathy Maestas.I took one look at this picture and was instantly a forever fan.
Over the years, I accumulated a lot of Double Diamond Ranch sales lists...plus many, many pictures of her work.
Still, I never did manage to score a Diamond of my own.It's okay. I don't need one anymore, but I still like to see them. |
an entry in Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig's A Good Vintage show
BreyerWest 2016 |
As I was looking at the horses in Karin's custom/resin cabinet and I spied a piece with that Maestas look. I asked, Karin confirmed and then she pulled out the horse so I could get a better look.
The saddle was downstairs in the horse room, so I did have to wait, at least a little bit. In my mind, I was expecting a typical Western Maestas, kind of like one of these.What I got was an Australian stock saddle.Wow! That's both historically interesting and also, legitimately good.
The signature on the flap makes it even better. Marney! 1990! I can't quite make out the name of the maker, but I bet someone here can fill in that piece. Sue or Sue, maybe?
What a fun piece of hobby history! I'm so glad I got to see it. Thanks again, Karin!
Oh Wow!! Be still my heart!! Talk about going back down memory lane!! What a fantastic saddle!!
ReplyDeleteKathy Maestas!! Wonder where she is now?? Does anyone know if she's still alive??
I know that I own 8-10 of her models!! My 1st introduction to "live" showing, I won Res. Champ. with a repainted/haired black semi-lepard Appaloosa Perf Horse(which I still own!)
Back in the day, lots of us had sire/dam lists and if I'm not mistaken, that head up galloping chest. Arab. stall. (pictured right above the chariot horses)is "Diamond Saraph",a multi champion at the time and the sire of one of my Arabians who's name still plays a part in my today horses!!
Back in the day, Kathy used to show a lot in the Midwest! I remember that she was a regular at Marney W's Model Horse Congress and I'm pretty sure that somewhere that I have Polaroid photos (ha! you're probably too young to remember polaroid!! Ha!) of that chariot set up along with a few of the models that are shown in this article.
I have that Breyer catalog and that JAH issue too!!
ReplyDeleteThe bad thing about some Maestas models is that if you weren't a talented artist yourself or didn't know a restoration person, then with time, the filler would Crack and lift and seeing as the manes/tails were usually mohair, they became moth eaten!!
Many of my Maestas models would be considered body quality now because of this(although they'll always have a permanent home with me! In their day, every one of them was either a "live" or photo show champion!!)
I think that I have one model of hers that has stood the test of time and if they had vintage classes at "live" shows, I wouldn't hesitate to enter him! (He's a dark blue roan varnish POA stallion on the old POA model)
Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing this bit of model horse history! It really brightened my day!
Sorry, I don't know who made that lovely piece,... Kathy Maestas was alive and well in Albuquerque a couple years ago, managing an animal rescue shelter. She told me much of her tack was made by her husband, Louis, who passed away many years ago.
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