Road Apple Live 2016: Placings and Photos

Division Champion Trophy made by Suzie Francis.

On February 6th, 2016 was the first "Road Apple Live" model horse show hosted by Susan Gage & Alicia Miller, located in Apple Valley, California.

The show was a blast! 

Division Champion Trophies made by Suzie Francis.

I judged the CM Mini Division, which kept me busy, hence the lack of many photos.

My showstring of seven custom Breyers and one artist resin.

I also showed a small handful of models and I'm pleased with their placings.

"Tom Hiddlehorse" custom Cigar by myself got first out of two models in the class.

"Hint of Crimson" classic Breyer custom by G.H. got third place out of five models in the class.

There was an awesome raffle at the show with so many wonderful items people donated!

Some of the raffle items.

Some of the raffle items.

I am also very excited and happy about the items I won in the raffle!

Raffle Win: Breyer 2008 Glossy Big Chex to Cash with ~ 500 made.

 To see the other models I got, check out my YouTube video here.

Raffle Win: Breyer Classic Chestnut Haflinger Mare.

And I adore the model I purchased as well. 

My purchase at the show: Breyer 1997 Stardust from Toy's R Us Medellin Series.

Overall it was a great time and I hope Road Apple Live makes a comeback next year!


EDIT: I forgot, I also got a New in Box Wild Blue model who I forgot to show in the video!

 

The Mystery of the Missing Rajah

I’m still not entirely sure how I managed to lose one of my Breyer horses for several months.

Rajah is a Breyer Collector Club Exclusive model on the Marwari mold from 2014. I got him directly from Breyer and loved him when I got him. But then I lost him! I searched everywhere for this silly horse for months and I just could not find him. He was nowhere on my shelves and not among my show string. I never took him to a show, so I couldn’t have lost him somewhere outside the house. I racked my brain and looked for him for at least a good hour one day. For a while I just gave up the search for him and hoped I didn’t lose him and would find him eventually.

Last Saturday night, I was going through a cardboard box that was falling apart. Then, low and behold, I pull out something wrapped up in bubble wrap. I unwrapped it and was completely shocked to see I was holding Rajah in my hands. The little baggie with his tack was wrapped up with him too.

I had searched for him for so long and yet here he was in this box the whole time. I still have no clue how he got there. I don’t remember sticking him in there, but I must have. Perhaps during a rush to pack up for a model horse show?

However he got there, I am ecstatic to have found him. It’s like getting him for the first time again. I took him out on a little photo shoot the next day to appreciate him even more. Even though my shelves are packed to the brim at the moment, I managed to make a spot for him, for this boy deserves to be out and loved again after all that time lost.

A Brief Introduction

Photo of me from BreyerFest 2015 in July, at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Hello, my name is Stormy Strike and I'm addicted to model horses. 

I've had Breyer horses ever since I was a toddler. I had a small herd of vintage models which I will eventually find more pictures of and do a complete post about later. I played with my Breyers outside in the dirt and my most memorable ones are in the photo below: an original black Foundation Stallion and palomino Cheyenne Prancing Western Horse. I still have both models and the Foundation Stallion has become one of my favorite molds with a conga of 18 and counting. 

Actual photo from my childhood, roughly 13+ years ago.

I started officially collecting Breyers in December 2009. -- I realize, I should probably mention that before Breyers I did collect Schleich horses for a long time, and actually Breyer Mini Whinnies too. It really was only a matter of time before I got into Traditional Breyers. -- I had my small herd of childhood Breyers already at the time. I went to our local tack store with my Christmas money (I believe it was around $100) and decided to pick out a Breyer. I ended up getting Treasured Move on the Lady Phase mold, Takota foal on the Amber mold, a Breyer western tack set, and Breyer western trail set. 

After that, there was no stopping. 

My collection grew exponentially ever since. I started making Breyer YouTube videos and getting into the model horse community. I found out about BreyerFest and managed to go for the first time in 2011. That also marked the time of when I started model horse showing. Now I go to 2-5 model horse shows each year and have been a judge twice (three times in February 2016). 

Me with my Costume Entry from Sleepy Hollow Live 2014 in Norco, California.

This past year (2015), I went to BreyerFest for the second time and I hope to go again next year. It was a blast and I finally got to meet my best friend, who I met online, in person for the first time. I actually met her and became friends with her partly because of our shared love of horses and model horses. 

Some of my shelves (which are currently a complete disaster) showing about maybe a quarter of my collection? Photo was taken in September, 2015.

As of now I mainly collect OF (Original Finish) Breyer, but I also collect Peter Stones, Customs, North Light Resins, Hagen Renakers, Schleich, and CollectA. I mainly collect Traditional and Stablemate scale models, although I have some classics and a few paddock pals as well. I collect vintage models to current ones, from LSQ (Live Show Quality) to body/play/shelf quality, from the limited to the common regular runs. I sometimes collect variations and enjoy some oddball models. 

I customize models by etching, pastels, airbrushing, and acrylics. I'm currently just practicing and self-teaching myself to get better. I already have a few customs that have been LSP (Live Shown Proven), but I'm constantly aiming to improve. At the beginning of this year I started getting into some tack making as well (Sea Storm Tack) which will be for sale online.

"Wounded Rose" Stablemate Custom re-sculpted and painted by me. Photo from Sleepy Hollow Live 2015 with 2nd place + NAN card in Breed. (Also got a 2nd + NAN card in Workmanship.)

As some probably already know, another main focus of my models is making videos with them on YouTube. From reviews to haul videos to tutorials to slideshows and to narrative films. My current model horse series is called Crystal Sins, which was started all the way back in 2010, but has been in the process of being remade since 2014. There is also another form of video my models are going to be involved in, but this is currently a total secret until it will be officially announced (sadly this is probably going to be at least a year away, probably longer, but the wait for it should be worth it.)

I finally decided to start a blog to show and talk about model horses in ways that are sometimes harder on my YouTube Channel, FaceBook Page, Instagram, and Website. 

In this blog I'll be sharing my love and current knowledge of model horses through short stories, tutorials, custom WIP photos, collection photos, news, events, and more!

If you would like to follow my life beyond just model horses, you can also check out my other blog (will be up a few days after this post) which will have things about my art (tutorials, information, tips, etc.), real horses, other things I collect, and more.