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!

 

Tallulah Tacked Up

There's a December Photo Challenge on Instagram (@StormyStrike) that I'm doing and today's photo theme is Performance. 

So I decided to tack up Tallulah in some of my turquoise western tack. 

The halter and reins were made by me (Sea Storm Tack which is currently available on my Ebay). The saddlepad and leg boots are by Breyer. I don't know who made the saddle but I've had it for a little while. 

When I first got Tallulah I was a little meh on her, but now she's grown on me a lot. Her eyes still kind of bug me, but other than that I really love her. 

Micro Mania Photo Show Results

All the ribbons and prizes I got from HoneyHeartsC for the Micro Mania Photo Show.

I collected (or more like played with) Breyer Mini Whinnies before I started collecting any other scale of Breyer. I have always loved them, although for a while they were set aside while I focused my collection on the bigger horses. But now they got their chance to shine again...

I am still absolutely shocked by what I received in the mail a week ago. (You can watch the video of me opening up the package here.) I got all these beautiful ribbons and rosettes for my entries into the Micro Mania Photo Show hosted by HoneyHeartsC (Original contest video here). 

Overall Champ and Reserve Ribbons and prizes.

I am especially shocked that within the package was an overall champion and overall champion reserve ribbons along with the two special Micro Mini Creata Whinner's Choice Test Run models from Candace Liddy!

The rare test model sample pieces that were the prizes for Grand and Reserve Champ.

They are even more awesome in person and I can't wait to show them in May at the Anaheim Mini Show.

 I also love these cute buttons and necklaces I got as well! I'll definitely be putting at least one of the buttons on my backpack. 

Division Champion and Division Reserve Champion Ribbons.

 Okay enough about all the pretty shiny satin ribbons and prizes, because now I need to move on to show some of the pictures I had entered into the photo show!

Photo entry for Class #7 Western Pleasure. "CC Hollywood" jogging on the rail with his rider.
Won First place in the class, CC Hollywood won Western Division Champ, and Overall Champion.

I spent a lot of time setting up and taking all of the photos.

Photo entry for Class #8) Western Games/timed events. "Ebony Lightning" barrel racing bridless.

Won First Place in the class and Ebony Lightning won Western Division Reserve Champ.

All of the photos were taken outside.

Photo entry for Class #16) Costume, Native American. "Blackfoot Eagle" 

Won Second Place in the class. 

The riders and saddles were made by Breyer, but all the other tack I made myself. Which was a lot easier said then done. Making tiny bridles, martingales, girths, saddle pads, and costumes is easier said than done. 

Photo entry for Class #2) English Pleasure, Hunt Seat. "California Marigold" 

Won First Place in the class and California Marigold won English Division Champ, and Overall Reserve Champ. 

It was also very hard to get the tack to stay on the models. Lots of sticky tack and patience was required.... 

Photo entry for Class #12 Other Western. "Ebony Lighting" herding cattle in to another pasture.
Won First Place in the class and Ebony Lightning won Western Division Reserve Champ.

A lot of the props had come from Breyer Mini Whinnie play sets, such as the fencing, jumper jump, and water trough. (The cows were also Breyer, but actually came from Stablemate sets.)

Photo entry for Class #9 Western Trail Arena. "CC Hollywood" jogging into an "L" element.
Won First place in the class, CC Hollywood won Western Division Champ, and Overall Champion.

Photo entry for Class #4) English Trail, Arena. "California Marigold" walking over ground poles.

Won First Place in the class and California Marigold won English Division Champ, and Overall Reserve Champ. 

I did however make the blue and white poles used for the arena trail classes.

Photo entry for Class #6) Other English. "Inspector Cookie" doing cross country.

Won First Place in the class and Inspector Cookie won English Division Reserve Champ.

I took dozens of different photos for each class and then narrowed them down to just one.

Just to give some perspective on the 578 photos...

I took a total of 578 photos, which were all narrowed down to just the 14 I entered into the show.

The final four photos I narrowed down for the Hunter, Jumper class. I ended up choosing the bottom right photo to enter.

In some cases I had multiple photos I had narrowed down to and it was hard to decide on the final picture. For example the four photos above were hard to decide on which one to enter. 

Photo entry for Class #5) Hunter Jumper. "Inspector Cookie" doing jumper.

Won First Place in the class and Inspector Cookie won English Division Reserve Champ.

Overall I had put in a lot of time and work for the 14 photos I entered and I am happy with how all of them came out. 

Photo entry for Far Out Class Outer Space. "Cosmic Blue Star" (horse on the far right) and other horses are weary of the new visitors from outer space, but the foals think they are fun new friends!

Won First Place in the class.

 Much thanks to my mom for letting me borrow her Kozmic Kiddles (from the 1960's) for the Outer Space class. 

Photo entry for Far Out Class Famous Movie Scenes. "Little Creeks Rain" tied to Spirit in the famous movie scene from Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron.

Won First Place in the class and won Far Out Class Division Champion.

This Photo Show was super fun to do and I am still so beyond shocked by my placings! I love the two test run Winner's Choice horses and they'll always be a permanent part of my collection.

Much thanks again to HoneyHeartsC and Candace Liddy!!!

You can watch this video here to see some of the other photos I didn't include in this blog that were entered into the Photo Show:

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.