Julip Spares Night, 2022

As an alternative to the annual Julip live show when we could buy brand new one-off Julips in person, the company now runs a photoshow, along with a big Spares Night with lots of horses prepared specially to sell online, on the weekend the show would've been held, toward the end of September each year. 

There's strict one-per-customer and first-bid-claims-the-horse rules, but there's always more people than there are horses to go round, so there's a huge amount of competition for every model, as we each to try to be first on the ones we like best.

This year, I thought I'd been unlucky on two in a row, with someone else getting in before me both times. But while I was waiting for more chances as the evening progressed, a couple of friends pointed out that they thought I had got one - I checked and it turned out that the person who beat me retracted their bid, leaving me as the 'winner' after all, and I did get to buy the exact horse I'd tried for first!

Here he is straight from the wrapping, with his mane and tail all fluffy. With just a little mousse to tame it he would've looked fine, and I was really tempted to do exactly that and leave it, but that keeps on happening : I have ideas for plaiting a new Julip I'm waiting for, then can't go through with it cos the loose mane is so nice. So I decided to at least try this time!

After all, I could always undo it if it didn't look like I hoped, and cos the style I had in mind didn't need any cutting, or gluing, the long hair would all still be in there - there's nothing stopping me unpicking the braid in years to come if I ever do decide to go back to loose again.

And here he is! I think it looks fine, just like I'd hoped and the braids are really firm and tight so they lie nicely on the neck, and shouldn't ever start coming undone. The bows are silk ribbon I had left over from another project, it's very fine and thin, and looks less plasticky against the natural hair than synthetic satin ribbon.

The tail went curly on it's own, all I did was comb it through, add some mouse to stop the flyaway fluffiness, and left it it dry.

This is my first time seeing this mould in person, it was sculpted as a Lipizzaner and that meant I never really thought about the possibility of wanting it in any colour other than grey! I think it makes a lovely historical/Iberian horse, and would even work as a dressage warmblood. The face shape is lovely too, very kind and gentle-looking.

I knew he wasn't going to stay as a Lipizzaner cos of his dun colouring, but it took me a while to decide whether he'd be the Spanish PRE (Andalusian), or the Portuguese Lusitano. In the end I decided to go for Lusitano, as he isn't quite so chunky in the neck as a typical PRE stallion. I haven't entirely settled on a name yet but I'm considering Próspero or Valério; I think the latter suits him better, and I already have a Prospero without the accent.

Here's the other side, you can see how his forelock's tucked to one side, I tied it to the mane braid to keep it from hanging down in front of him, in real life they're usually tucked into the bridle or halter.

I was planning to make a bridle, but I got halfway then had all sorts of issues! My glue wouldn't stick unless I held each join together for ages, the paperclip I'd found to make the bit cheeks with was too hard to bend properly, the beaded tassel idea I'd got for the browband wouldn't work when I tried it, and I couldn't even touch the horse to try for size cos his mousse wasn't dry yet - so that hasn't happened!

As well as horses, ponies, and donkeys, the Spares concept also applies to the other, smaller animals which Julip make to go with their equine models, and we get the chance to buy all kinds of dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs, foxes, and even some domestic and wild birds.

New this for this year was the dachshund mould, just like the horses they're hand made in latex and each one is slightly different. Competition for the Dachshunds was fierce, so I was very pleased to manage to catch one of the very first batch made!

I've named him Henry, after one this colour I only met once - he started chasing me up the lane while I was biking home, and it took quite some effort and multiple attempts to return him cos he was so determined this cyclist had to be thoroughly chased off (in the end his owner's neighbour picked him up and held him til I was out of sight, so he wouldn't wriggle out under the fence again, and they were going to Henry-proof the gap once the owner got home!)

A second photo cos I made him a little collar. Even though all the dachshunds in the group were slightly different anyway (he has more brown than some, less than others, and little anxious eyebrows!) I always like to give my Julip dogs collars, just for a bit of extra individuality.

And finally, my second cockerel. I had plenty of hens, and two henhouses, so I decided it was time to add another cockerel, cos in real life once they think they have 'enough' girls each, they'll live happily without fighting. And this was the exact colour I had in mind, the bright multi-coloured sort, to contrast with my original grey one. So when he came up in the Spares I decided to ignore all the other chickens this time, and focus on trying for this one, so I was delighted to get him!

A dappled grey day

Last sunday evening, Julip Originals held another of their special Spares nights.
A batch of one-of-a-kind handmade models are photographed and posted online, with their prices, and as soon as the posts are unlocked on the designated date, the first collector to reply with a 'Buy!' comment claims the Julip. Each person is restricted to buying one horse, pony or donkey only - otherwise those with the fasted internet or deepest pockets would have much more chance of buying whatever they wanted.
One per collector means lots more happy customers getting an exciting parcel, so it's a fair and welcome rule, even if it does make for some heart-wrenching decisions about which posts to ignore in the hope of trying for your absolute favourites. This is especially stressful when the horses you like best of all are due toward the end of the evening, then you have to sit on your hands and leave any number of beautiful Julips you'd be delighted and proud to own, holding on for something which won't be unlocked til later on - something you still might not win the race to get!
This was the case for me this time round, with the two Julips I most wanted to try for, being late in the run. My top pick was the latter one of the pair, but knowing his flashy colour and popular mould would make him extraordinarily sought-after, I decided to try for my slightly-second-favourite on the way past, one I couldn't just let go without even trying, even though it would mean leaving the other horse for someone else.
With rising heart rate I waited, waited, refreshed the page, and as soon as I saw the topic was unlocked, sent in my 'Buy' comment, and waited to see how many had beaten me to him...

But my luck was in, my reply top of the list, and the Julip was mine!

He arrived earlier in the week, and now I've had chance to get his photographs taken, out in the glorious spring sunshine.

Look at that beautiful dappling! I love the way it fades in and out, darkest on the shoulders and quarters, blending into a nearly white face and back - a proper rocking-horse dappled grey. 

I think, though, what made me want this horse so badly wasn't just his colour, but his face. The farm cob mould has such a long, noble, handsome face - a serious but gentle kind of horse, who'd be a total gentleman to ride and look after, and appreciate a good pat and treat for his polite behaviour.

Despite having accumulated quite a lot of Farm Cobs (including their close relative the adapted Feathered Cob mould), I've somehow never bought a grey one til now! There's some moulds which just don't seem to crop up in certain colours very often, but I think they're a wonderful combination.

Look at that glorious mane! 

I considered, while he was on his way, the possibility doing him up with a running plait and folded-up short tail braid, decorated with the traditional ribbons and flights, to show him as a percheron. But certain horses just seem to call for long flowing hair, and this was one of them, so he's just had a light trim to feather out the ends of the mane, give him a forelock, and stop his tail trailing on the ground.

He could still be a percheron in my herd, many real draft horses are allowed to grow a full long tail if their owners don't show (or only show in ridden classes), but he wouldn't be correctly turned out for model showing now I've decided to leave him unbraided.

Poor boy looks a bit damp here, like he's been caught in a summer downpour! I use a can of human hair-styling mousse (bought specially for the Julips!) to tame the fluff to a better texture, and I think it needs a second run of the comb through now it's dry, just to break up the hair a little bit.

His mane and tail are carefully made up with a mix of white and dark hairs, a lovely detail to make him more realistic when using plain white would've been so much quicker and easier. It's these little touches which make Julips so individual and lovely to own.

You might've spotted in the last couple of pictures, but here's a better shot - he's already gained a headcollar and leadrope of his own since he arrived here. I picked a couple of colours which looked good against his pale colouring, and used the fancy leather-ended straps a lot of the more expensive headcollars are made with these days. 

I don't really like all the (mainly useless) fashions in the real equestrian world, and try not to go along with them in my model-making either, but this one's not too bad cos there's at least a practical reason for the leather bits being there, rather than decoration for the sake of trends which must be followed to show you're posh/rich/flashy and in with the right kind of horsey set, heh

He's made a friend in my herd already : my previous Spares Night purchase, Holly Blue the dartmoor pony. The chances of getting two Julips the same colour in a row are miniscule, with how difficult it is to even grab a spare in the first place, and each batch being made up from a wide variety of colours. I promise this wasn't done on purpose, but the co-incidence did make me laugh when I realised what I'd done!

One thing he doesn't have yet, as you may have noticed reading all the way through his introduction post, is a name!

Some Julips are easy to think of something for; either a moment of inspiration, or a name which has long been on the notepad and they seem a perfect fit to take. This chap doesn't seem to want any of the names I have here waiting for a horse to suit, nor has anything sprung to mind while I waited for him to arrive, or even once I'd got him in my hands.

We'll have to wait and see what some pondering can produce!

Harecroft Holly Blue

This year brings the 75th anniversary of my favourite model horse company of all, Julip Originals. Made and painted by hand since 1945, Julips today combine the quirky charming cuteness of their toy origins, with detailed, realistic paintwork - each horse, pony or donkey is a little one-of-a-kind work of art. It'll come as no surprise to you if you've checked out the rest of my blog, but I collect a lot of model horses. Current total stands at somewhere over 1,600. But a Julip arrival is special, somehow - they're expensive but worth it, each one precious and full of character - they somehow count more than any other model horse. And they're highly addictive, I don't think there's any such thing as buying one Julip, they very soon work their magic and you find you own an ever-growing herd of them.

The annual official Julip live show has always been a highlight of the year for fans; a chance to get together in person, to meet new collectors and catch up with old friends, as well as taking our models along for competition classes, and if we're lucky, come home with a new addition from the 'spares' table.
Spares are a concept which might seem a bit strange if you're more used to collecting models with a production run, so let me explain : rather than being made to a range of set designs, Julips are a true mix-and-match kind of creature - usually, you choose the mould, the colour and markings, maybe send in a reference picture, and it's made, specially for you. But now and then, Julip make up some random mould and colour combinations, and because these spare models aren't set aside for any particular customer, they became known simply as Spares.

Because this year's Live show had to be cancelled, the Diamond Anniversary celebrations were adjusted into an online event : instead of a live show in a village hall, Julip ran a photo show, the specially resurrected old mould made it's debut online, along with the announcement of commemorative rosettes and pets, and instead of selling the spares in person, they were sold through the forum. Needless to say, they were very sought-after, with more people than ever hoping to get their hands on one of this anniversary batch of Julips.
Their photographs went up in the days before Spares Night, and we each had chance to draw up a little shortlist of which models we liked best, which we hoped to try for - to make it fair, there was a limit of one Julip per person, so you really had to be sure you were aiming for your favourites, and cross your fingers you'd manage to get hold of anything at all in the mad rush! My first choice sold in the blink of an eye, so it was on to concentrate my efforts as hard as I could on my second favourite - and to my astonishment, I got him!

This here is one of the most adorable Julip ponies I've ever seen, with his soft glowing colour, gently faded dappling, and sweet, innocent face. I don't have many greys, and almost all my dappled ones are very dark (by chance, not choice - that just happens to be what's come my way over the years), so he instantly stood out as one I'd love to own, though it's so hard to grab a spare I tried not to get my hopes up!

I've named him Harecroft Holly Blue, as earlier on the day I bought him, I'd seen holly blue butterflies on a country walk. He'll be Blue for short, although I don't mind Holly for him either - speaking as a Red Dwarf fan, it's definitely a boy's name!

The other side, showing his beautiful mane. I used hair mousse on it to help tame the over-the-top fluffiness, and that's brought out the lovely natural wave in the hair.

Of course, I couldn't leave him long without some tack of his own, and the first thing I made was this little headcollar and leadrope set, inspired by the silvery grey and blue shades of his namesake butterfly. My superglue wasn't the best, so it didn't end up quite so detailed as I'd like (I planned a blue thread trim between the braid and the grey edge), but I think it suits him well.

As well as his headcollar, I wanted to make him an in-hand bridle inspired by the same blue butterflies which gave him his name - a bright sky blue, a soft deeper blue, and the braid enhanced by thread in silver and metallic royal blue laid carefully along the ribbon overlaps, which shines when the sun catches it. Usually I'm all about traditonal, workmanlike turnout, but some ponies just seem meant to carry a bit of bright'n'sparkly (as long as it's not pink!)

Another angle, which shows the touch of grey at the base of his tail, and that lovely dappled bum.

And one final pretty portrait to end on - welcome to the herd, Harecroft Holly Blue, and happy 75th Anniversary, Julip!