This weekend is Breyerfest here in Lexington, an event that promotional banners at our airport have heralded for at least three weeks. 

For those of you unfamiliar with Breyerfest is, it’s a celebration centered on Breyer horses, plastic models that represent famous horses and various breeds and disciplines. (There are also some nonequine animals.) Attendees watch riding demonstrations; participate in exclusive raffles, shopping events, contests; and meet the horses that inspired popular models, among other activities.

In the mid- ’90s my family (including my beloved horse, Icy) traveled from our hometown in Central Virginia to the U.S Pony Clubs Championships/Festival for combined training. One night, as we were headed to the hotel room, there were a curious number of people lining the halls of the hotel, browsing Breyer models for sale in the common area and even in sellers’ rooms. The sheer number and variety of models was dizzying.

We had stumbled upon Breyerfest’s hallowed swap meet. And while we clearly weren’t as dedicated as these collectors, I’ll admit that we had (have?) dozens of Breyers in my childhood home. Some are mine, some are my sister’s, some are my mom’s. Maybe you had a few as a horse-crazy child as well