Breyerfest 2023 Recap

If you grew up collecting Breyer model horses, but then stopped along the way as you immersed yourself more into the world of horses with fur and hooves (and boarding bills and farrier visits), like me, there’s a chance you’ve never been to Breyerfest at Kentucky Horse Park. I attended Breyerfest 2023 “Driving Forward” with my sister Linda; we had a total blast. And yes, it has inspired me to get back into collecting (a tiny bit). I’m trying to locate the bay Breyer Running Stallion, which was my first model back in the day, and I just bought Justin Morgan (inspired by Marguerite Henry’s Justin Morgan Had a Horse) on Etsy.

Breyerfest isn’t just about plastic horses—it showcases living, breathing horses as well. There are even autograph time slots for several of the real horses who have had Breyer models created in their image. That reminds me of Marguerite Henry signing what she called “hoofographs” on behalf of Misty of Chincoteague, her famous palomino pinto pony.

Fun fact: I just learned yesterday before my riding lesson that my trainer went to Breyerfest in the 1990s with a stallion she managed. If anyone out there has TOF Aristocrat, a Haflinger stallion that you could part with, hit me up. (I also found out she doesn’t have the model; a barn friend and I would like to find one and gift it to her. Bonus points if it has her signature as Aristocrat.)

Click here for a passionate Breyerfest attendee sharing the scoop from June’s Barn Banter.

Highlights from the real horse realm at Breyerfest: the Icelandic troupe, the Kentucky Horse Park Mounted Police (yes, I wanted to bring home the palomino draft) and the minis in the chuck wagon races. The chuck wagon races were hilarious—think the chariot racing scene from the movie Ben Hur, but much, much smaller (and no violence).

I forgot to mention, I was at Breyerfest to launch my new book which is about the life of Marguerite Henry!

Marguerite, Misty and Me is like a horse girl’s version of the memoir Julie and Julia. Taborton Equine Books was kind enough to invite me to do a series of book signings throughout the weekend, along with several other fun equestrian authors.

I set up my childhood Misty and Stormy Breyers, alongside my book piles. They were like magnets. Readers were eager to learn more about Marguerite Henry’s biography, and I lost count of how many Misty fans I connected with who all had special accounts of how meaningful Marguerite Henry books were and still are to them. I only mildly panicked when a child around age 7 picked up my Stormy and held it for a few seconds. “Don’t drop it!” my brain warned as I smiled on the outside. lol!

One bubbly young woman told me she sold her Breyers to buy a real horse (and later a truck), showed me a picture of the Chincoteague Pony she purchased from the Pony Penning Week auction a few years ago. Another saw me, beelined over to the table and said, “I hated reading. My fourth grade teacher gave me Misty of Chincoteague. I read it and all the other Marguerite Henry books. Today I am a reader.” I got the chills hearing that.

Family Fun with Horses

Admittedly, I did not get to experience the fullness of Breyerfest since I was dedicated to promoting Marguerite, Misty and Me and all my other horse books, but I did take in some other scenes and information.

My sister I and learned the organizers’ intent is to create an event that will appeal to an entire family (not just the horse-obsessed). To that end, they had a dock dog exposition, a giant sandbox, a juggler on stilts, an “arena” set up with kiddie-sized jump standards with rails that children (or adults) could leap over and adjust heights. There was a bluegrass band playing (and a few others). There was also a 5K run on Sunday morning. Over the course of some years (I can’t remember the exact number), Breyerfest has raised $3 million to give back to the horse community. They have donated to Old Friends (retired TB stallion farm) and other non-profits.

Next year I have to try my hand at painting a Stablemate (small sized Breyer horses). There’s a big tent where attendees can paint a horse of their very own. Breyer goes through 10,000 Stablemates during the course of a weekend!

In the July Barn Banter episode, we interviewed Stephanie Macejko from Breyer. (It’s a great episode, listen to it here.) She explained how Breyer models and the Breyerfest experience can provide an entry point for people to experience real horses. For families with no horse background, but who have a child who loves horses, the chance to pet a real horse and talk to horse people might lead to calming fears of “horses are too dangerous” or “they’re too dirty.” Their questions can be answered, and it might lead to that horse-crazy kid being able to take riding lessons. I feel like this is a very important point. Marguerite Henry and Breyer model horses opened up the world of horses to me when I had no way to interact with them in person as a child. What a gift!

Model Horse Showing at Breyerfest and Clarion Hotel Madness

I’ve known model horse shows were a thing, but I couldn’t wrap my brain around it. In that June Barn Banter episode I mentioned earlier, our guest Lizzie Orris explains it. I got to see a children’s show in action in a conference room in Alltech Arena at Kentucky Horse Park. I was blown away by the creativity with many of the dioramas. I wish I had taken more photos. In addition to the horse shows on site at Kentucky Horse Park, there were more splendid showcases of Breyers at the nearby Clarion Hotel.

The best way to describe the Clarion Hotel experience is like the Breyerfest after party. When activities ended at 5 p.m. many attendees headed to the nearby Clarion to begin buying and selling in earnest. When you enter the main lobby everything seems like a normal hotel. Once you turn the corner down a hallway, you’ll notice all the homemade ads on 8.5 x 11 paper lining the walls. Ads looking for certain models and selling certain models. Ads for model horse tack. I even saw an ad for Wesley Dennis art. Each hotel room door is wide open, and the rooms are turned into stores. Sellers bring in their own shelving units and merchandise. It’s like a flea market or swap meet. But there’s actually also a swap meet. I didn’t go to it because the line was too long.

The Clairon also features the Artisans’ Gallery. This is where my mind was exploding. Custom model horses and intricate backgrounds, miniature models which were 3-D printed and painted exquisitely, and featured Breyer artists had booths. I met Desert Sun Studios there. She is an ardent Brighty fan. So much so she got married at the Grand Canyon and has a photo of in her wedding dress next to the Brighty of the Grand Canyon statue. How fun is that?

The piece (because it and all the others were pieces of art—not just an off-the-shelf model) that captured my attention was of a jumping horse. I took a photo and sent it to a couple friends and one of them told me later they thought it was an actual horse. Then they noticed the people standing around in the background of the photo. I mean, look at those indoor arena signs!

If you have never been to Breyerfest (or it’s been a while), I heartily recommend that you attend next year. I promise you will have a blast. I thought what was very cool when I asked Lizzie during the podcast episode what her favorite part about Breyerfest was: she said it was seeing friends she’s made over the years at Breyerfest—the people who go every year. I felt the warmth of the community and can see why thousands of people from all backgrounds and walks of life and varying interests in horses make a point to travel to Lexington in July. Next year’s theme will be “Against All Odds.” Hope to see you there!

Your turn: Have you ever been to Breyerfest? What do you love about it? If you’re a regular, share your knowledge with us in the comments section. Thank you!

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