Live Showing (being a conclusion to the Breyer series)

"Say what?  You show plastic model horses?"

Yep.  I live show them, in point of fact.  Allow me to explain...


"Live showing" is a term for taking your model horses to a location and having them judged in person, as opposed to "photo showing," which is sending pictures (Originally physical photographs, but now conducted almost exclusively via electronic media - email or uploading to a site) to someone to be judged.

"Ok, so...let me get this straight - you pack up your horses and haul them somewhere, and someone judges them?  How?  They don't trot!"

I realize it's a bit strange to people not in the hobby.  So I'll try to make it simple.

A live show is held somewhere, usually a school gym, or a town hall, either by an individual or a group; often the group is a local 4-H or other youth group that focuses on horsemanship.

A class list is provided to showers prior to the event, so they can decide what classes in each division they want to show in.  They send their payment to the show holder in advance, to ensure their spot.  Some shows have a table fee and a fee for each horse entered, while some are a flat rate.  For example, a show might charge $20 for the table, which means the table you sit at and set your horses up on, your "stable" for the day, and then $1 per horse per class.  So if you plan on showing a total of 20 horses, each in only one class, you pay a total of $40.  In this case, you send in your $20 (s)table fee, and then the day of the show you pay for tickets for each horse/class you plan on showing in.

Whereas in a flat-rate show, you pay for the entire day, without an individual fee per horse.  In this case, a show might charge $60 for the entire day, and you can bring an unlimited number of horses and show in as many classes as you want.  However, most shows limit how many horses each shower can put in a class; normally this limit is three horses, just to help cut down on the clutter on the judging table, and to help the judging go faster.

My table (in front) and my friend Steff's table at the Sleigh Rally show this February

At the last show I went to, the Sleigh Rally show held in Columbus, WI, this February, it was a flat-rate fee.  As you can see by the above picture, my showstring was quite large.  I took 63 horses, and bought 2 at the show (after selling three of my own).  The tables were a bit crowded due to their size - Steff had to keep some of her herd in the totes until it was time for their classes!

Many shows are all-halter only, which means you don't need any tack or a rider/handler doll - you just take the horse as it is up to the class table for judging.  But some shows have a performance division, or are a performance-only show.  Yes, model horses can be shown in tack.  In fact, making tack for Breyers and Stones (horses made by the company Peter Stone created after leaving Breyer in 1996) is a big part of the hobby - talented tack makers can charge upwards of $200 for a full tack set (saddle and bridle), which is, unfortunately, prohibitive for many in the hobby.

In order to show in a performance class, you need not only correct tack for the discipline, but also a model that represents the breed(s) most commonly shown in that discipline.  For instance, Friesians wouldn't be shown in an Arabian class, but they would be show in dressage.

Moondust Shadow (in the green & yellow costume) showing in the Arab class

This picture shows five of the Arabian models showing in the Arab costume class at the Sleigh Rally show.  My horse, Moondust Spirit, is an OF on the Huckleberry Bey mold (Nutcracker Prince, the Christmas horse from 2009), and is wearing a Bedouin-style Arab costume.  I have an index card explaining that he is being shown in a British show-ring, where the horses are allowed to trot - in American show-rings, the horses do not trot in costume.

Other Costume class

Here you can see three (and a half) of the entries in the Other Costume class.  This is where costumes that don't fit in any of the other classes will go - the carousel in the front, my medieval set in the back on Sparrow's Spiced Rum (Jack), the circus costume on the alabaster Fighting Stallion behind Jack.  This is a fun class, where creativity really shines.

In the halter division, classes are broken down by breed, and there is a division for the OF models and one for the CM/AR models, often with the same breeds in each division.  (AR stands for Artist Resin, which are model horses made from high-quality resin, and cast by a professional studio such as Resins by Randy.)  For instance, in the AR/CM division at the Sleigh Rally show, I showed three horses in the draft class, placing second, fourth and fifth.

"Ok, so...I still don't get how they're judged."

Each class is announced, and you bring the horses you are showing in that class up to the show table.  Sometimes all three divisions (Performance, OF and CM/AR) will show at once, with a judge for each division, sometimes there will be two judges for the entire show; when all the divisions are going at once you really have to pay attention, so you don't miss a class.  And it can be a bit hectic if you're showing in performance AND a halter class with the same horse.

You set your horse on the table, close enough to the edge that the judge can easily see it, but without risk of the model being bumped and falling from the table. (Although there have been cases of suicidal horses which have tumbled off the table with no one near them; nothing can silence a show hall quite like the sound of acetate plastic hitting the floor!)  You return to your table and the judge begins his or her work.  In the OF classes, they are looking at the quality of the factory finish - are the dapples well done? are the white markings crisp?  are there any noticeable flaws like rubs on the ears or hooves, or scratches? - as well as the breed assignment - are you trying to show a palomino horse as an Arab?

Hmm.  Better briefly touch on breed assignments and naming.  You can keep the breed that Breyer released the mold as - Huckleberry Bey is an Arab, Goffert is a Friesian - but if the model is released in a color that breed doesn't come in - a pinto pattern on an Arab mold, for instance - then you need to pick a breed that can come in that color or pattern.  You're not limited to something as simple as a pinto/Arab or paint/Arab cross, however - you could show him as a National Show Horse, which is a cross between a Saddlebred and an Arabian. 

One of the funnest, and often most challenging, aspects of live showing is selecting a breed for your model.  If you're showing a particular model as a breed that's not as well-known, having an index card with a brief breed description on the table with your model is a very good idea.  Often showers will find pictures online that closely resemble their model, or shows that particular color in that breed, which they'll print out with the breed description.  Shows limit how much space on a table you can take up with your breed information, however, so you're not hogging space with a breed book.

And then there's show names.  In the last two posts, you'll notice in my captions I have "shown as" in the horse's description - that's the show name I gave my model.  For instance, my Goffert model is named Theoretical Silhouette.  His "barn name," or nickname, is Rhett.  Some people adhere to the naming rules of the breed they're showing (Friesians, for instance, have names starting with one of three letters assigned to the year they were born, the name is often Dutch in origin, and is often one word long, sometimes including the ranch initials after the foal name.) while some just pick a name they feel fits their horse.  I like to give all my Spanish breeds Spanish names with time in them, like Noche Sagrada ("Sacred Night") or Bailarin de Infinidad ("Infinity Dancer"), and my mustangs have Native American names of one word, such as Nashashuk ("thundering" in Sauk) and Zihna ("spinning" in Hopi). 

I could make an entire other post just on naming model horses, but I digress.  Back to showing now.

When you show, you tie a tag to a hind foot of your horse (These are the tags you can buy in office supplies departments, often used for tagging items for sale in garage or craft sales) with the horse's name and the shower's initials on one side, and the breed and gender on the other.  You put your horse on the table with the breed and gender side facing up.  The judge will look at the tag to see if you have the horse in the right class - you wouldn't show a Quarter Horse in a Spanish class!  If the judge deems the horse is in the wrong class, they'll announce "I have a British pony in the European pony class."  If you're not sure if your horse should go in that class, ask the judge before they start.  Or if they're busy judging a class, you can ask the show holder/announcer, or another shower. 

Moondust Spirit, showing the tag tied to his hind leg

In judging custom classes, the judge is again looking at the paint job, only now they're looking for brushstrokes, blobs and fingerprints.  And again they look at confirmation of the model (Are the fetlocks too short?  Is the neck too long?) and if it fits the breed description.  

Once the judge feels comfortable in their choice, they'll lay ribbons down by each horse they wish to place.  Some shows go to 10th place, but most shows only place to 6th.  The judge or the scribe will then flip over only the tags of the horses that have been placed, and record the name of the horse and the shower's initials.  Some shows NAN qualify, which means all horses that place first and second in their class qualify for the North American Nationals; think Westminster for model horses.  These horses will get a card placed next to them with the name & date of the show on one side, and space on the flip for the owner to record the class, the horse's name and their own name.

Brychan ap Llewellyn with a (recycled) second-place ribbon & NAN card

After each division has been judged, the first (and sometimes second) place winners will be brought back for "call backs" - the judge will then determine the overall reserve and grand champions for that division.  I've taken a grand champion in the Collectability division (Chumani, my no-spot variation Indian Pony), a reserve champion in OF Halter (Rhett) and a reserve champion in CM Sport Breeds (Desperation Samba).

I've been showing since 2005, and I'm still learning.  I don't show very often in Performance, since I don't have much tack (What I do have I either made or traded for), but I love seeing the tack and creative set-ups people come up with.   One of these days I'd really like to create a set-up of the "flight to the ford" scene from Fellowship of the Ring.  Now, that would be unique!

"If you want him, come and claim him!"

I hope you enjoyed this little series on collecting, customizing and showing model horses.  If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment.