Breyer Horse Festival Coming to Kentucky in July 2022

My Breyer Horse Obsession

How It Started

Growing up, my family had a tiny farm in Masonville, KY. And by "farm," I mean, my parents had a field, an arena, some woods, and a horse barn. When I was in 4th grade, my mom surprised me with a horse of my very own. We didn't know all that much about horses at the time - I knew I wanted a small black horse and she found me one. She was young and the intention was that we'd grow up together. Now I know, children do better with OLD horses! She was a good little gal and taught me a LOT. I only had to wear a neck brace to school once! But man, I rode her all over Shawnee National Forrest, Mammoth Caves, and Land Between the Lakes. Small but mighty and not scared of anything! Just... opinionated.

When our family friends decided to sell their son's black and white paint horse, Stormy, my mom thought I needed a bigger horse - and one that was maybe a little safer. From then on out, Storm and I became inseparable. He was a grouchy old man and I loved him so much.

I loved all horses - and I loved them so much that my room was decorated in all things equestrian. My most prized possessions were my Breyer horses. My cousin had collected them in the Seventies and Eighties and I inherited her stash when she outgrew them. Then every birthday and Christmas was an opportunity for me to get new Breyers!

Time marched on and I too outgrew collecting the sweet model horses. But they were a huge part of my childhood. So, my mom packed them all up and stored them away safely in the loft of the barn.

How It's Going

Fast-forward to about five years ago, and another little girl was getting old enough to fall in love with horses just as her mom did thirty years before. On her fifth birthday, my daughter started receiving her round of Breyers. It was important that she was old enough to understand that you have to be very gentle with them. One drop and they are pretty much done. She has about 45 (mostly vintage horses) lined up along her playroom and more come out every birthday and Christmas.

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What are Breyer Horses?

If you aren't familiar with the Breyer brand of model horses, Breyer makes the world's most realistic and authentic model horses and accessories for play, collecting, customizing, and showing. Many of the collectibles are modeled after real, living horses. The sire of my mom's current horse - she calls him Scooby because he's always hungry and kind of dopey - has a Breyer model. (This is kind of a big deal in the horse world.)

Meet Breyer Reeves 'Southern Sunrise.'

Breyers aren't just toys - they are a HUGE deal to lots of people - especially since Breyer spans so many generations. They've been around since the 1950s! (Read more about the history of Breyer here.)  For some people, it's their only chance at owning a horse. For others, it's a tangible connection to childhood. For kids, they are just pure magic because each figure is unique and anatomically modeled after real horses. And believe me, kids know and appreciate the difference.

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BreyerFest: Prost! 2022

From July 15-17, 2022, the biggest Breyer party of the year will take over the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. This year's theme is BreyerFest: Prost! Fans will take an exciting journey through Germany and they'll get to meet famous German horses.

"BreyerFest: Prost! will be celebrating all things German - from music and food to art, literature, and culture.  Germany has a long, rich history and we are excited to be bringing that to life for all our fans in the unique way only BreyerFest can.  We have been inspired by the beautiful countryside, the folklore, the festivals, the food, and (of course) the amazing horse breeds found all over Germany!" -breyerhorses.com 

If you can't make it to Breyerfest, this year they'll also be hosting a virtual show.

This year’s event will be the first-ever in-person + online BreyerFest celebration! Breyer fans can participate both onsite in Kentucky and online from anywhere in the world. To honor its theme of Prost!, BreyerFest will be featuring and celebrating all things German – including music, food, art, literature, culture, and the famous German horse and pony breeds, of course!

Some of the on-site activities include meet-and-greet sessions with live horses, shows, model horse workshops, crafting, seminars, horse shows, films, and a special appearance by Youtuber My Froggy Stuff.

Breyerfest: Prost! 2022 Quick Guide

• Click here for ticket info
• Kentucky Horse Park
• Eat
• Stay
• Shuttles
• Shipping Models Home
• Breyerfest 5K
• Meet Author Carrie Seim
• Featured Horses at Breyerfest
• Workshops
• Seminars
  • Seminar Schedule
• Free Things *included with ticket purchase

I am really hoping we are able to go celebrate Breyerfest with my daughter this year. We are on the waitlist for a KY Horse Park campsite! Fingers crossed!