2022 Breyer Stablemates

I've finally managed to find the rest of the 2022 single carded Stablemates. These were a batch of 2021 mid-year models for the USA, but only got a full global release with this year's regular runs - and it's been really hard to catch them all in stock in the UK ever since!

A slightly pearly finish, which as you know is not my usual cup of tea at all, but this one I couldn't resist : the colour is one of my favourites, on a mould I love - a beautiful mulberry grey mini Alborozo. A few years ago I painted one this colour, so it's amusing to have a matching original finish model!

I've named him Ferrando, a Medieval variation of the name Fernando. I bought two of these, so I'd have a spare to repaint, and I'm very glad I did give myself that chance to choose the best to keep, because the other one has a horrible overspray in the paint application - his ginger hair overlaps almost all the way up his neck to his ears, and he's got a ginger bum-cheek too!

This palomino pinto was probably my least favourite from the promotional photos, but is actually much nicer in hand. They're saying he's a Paint Horse on the packaging, but the mould looks much more like a partbred-TB riding horse type than a stock breed, so I've allocated mine as an Irish Sport Horse.

I've given him the name Firebrand, after one of the military horses leading the Queen's funeral procession, as he arrived that day.

This is the relatively new Morgan mould, and the first attainable release after club and exclusive runs only. A pity it's a plain un-shaded colour, but Morgans do come in black so there's nothing wrong with that.

Although I am pleased to have one in my collection at last, I'm not a huge fan of the mould - it looks very pulled-in to an unnaturally short outline, which might look less odd if you had it tacked up and ridden in a scene photo/class, but does look strange for a horse running loose!

Stormcloud, named not just for his colour, but the fact I grabbed these photos in a brief snippet of sunshine between two very low dark looming clouds!

Again Breyer allocated a breed which doesn't suit the mould, calling this one a Mustang despite it's draft horse legs! I've switched mine to being a US draft cross, these chunky lightly-feathered crossbreds are a fairly common type for leisure riders who want a casual easy-tempered and hardy family horse, much like the traditional cobs of the UK.

Along with the Alborozo, this was the release I was most eager to catch, and I had to be patient as those sold out very fast every time, so I think other people agreed with my taste in horses!

A lovely shade of dun on the gorgeous little 'Django' mould, which was sculpted as a Friesian, but they keep releasing him in non-Friesian colours and never got round to black yet - I think I'm going to have to paint one myself.

I think the colour does look nice on him though, and they do call the model 'Friesian Cross' on the packaging so at least they're being nicely accurate there. I've just added mine to my website as a Friesian x Saddlebred, a cross which can be known as a Georgian Grande, along with the bay in the same mould which I got a while ago. My older one is called Duststorm, so I've called the new dun Firestorm so they match.

I already had the Appaloosa Sporthorse, I managed to catch him earlier in the year and added him as an extra to come along with some blind bags to paint, but here's his picture again just to round this post out with the complete set.