Changes To RTB In Light Of Recent Events

 The last few days have shown to me that tensions are undoubtedly high. Everyone has their opinions and on a personal level, I respect them all.  However, I have to make a stand myself for my group, for the company that I very vocally fan girl over, and for a part of the equine industry that I am involved in.  Please read this all before you make a decision as I have always asked people to make informed decisions. 

The choice of Celebration Horse was a Halter Horse.  I have been in the Stock Horse Industry for 27 years and proudly admit that. The horse, while he had some conformational flaws, was a nice example of a very loud and colorful horse.  Make sure to read that last sentence carefully. He was loudly colored and was a prime example of the BreyerFest 2021 Celebration, Horse of a Different Color.  He certainly was that.  However, people that are not in the Stock Horse Industry decided to make a judgement call that they did not have the right to make.  They called into question his HYPP Status. For stock people, that is exceptionally important. Horses that are positive for HYPP cannot be registered as a breeding horse in AQHA.  Horses that have Carrier Status are allowed to breed, but responsible breeders will check the status of the mare, if the carrier is a stallion.  HYPP needs two copies to pass on. Intuit was HYPP NN. The website that was used to check his status is the Wikipedia of the Horse Industry and can be changed on a whim. He does however have PSSM1, which is a genetic disease in multiple horse breeds. Breyer chose for color, but members protested due to claims they did not research.  But my feelings and personal words will not be brought into this group and blog, so please do not ask.

Politics and Religion was also brought into the fight. The owner was a Republican and he was a Christian.  He did not support the LGBTQ+ members. But no one asked him personally.  However, in my humble opinion, that does not matter. Those things do not matter to a horse. They do not matter to a hobby. Hobbies, especially here in RTB, will always be a safe place for everyone and I mean everyone. Anything otherwise, especially in our FB group, will result in harsh re-education on tact and etiquette. Hate mail and death threats were all sent to the owner as well as people swearing that they would kill the horses on his property and much more.  While not all of this came from the model horse community, it sure did not make the hobby look like an ideal place to showcase any horse.

That all being said, I stand with Breyer. I am and will likely be for some time, their biggest Fan Girl. I would not be surprised if they chose to cancel BreyerFest 2021, especially since they do not have a Celebration Horse now.  Of course, things can and will change in less than a day and I can't wait to see what the future holds. 

In my FB group and here, I absolutely do NOT allow Politics, Religion, Harassment, Bullying, Real Horse Breeding Practices, Real Horse Genetic Diseases, The Pandemic, and topics associated with them. The consequences for breaking this rule is harsh, believe me, because I am tired of the hate in the model horse hobby and I am tired of the hobby being absolutely ridiculed. 

Make sure to use common sense before you post a comment. Will your thought hurt someone else? In a time when everyone preaches inclusiveness and equality, is what you are about to say taking into account everything surrounding the situation? Will you be able to start a change and stick with it? Will you be able to find out where you need to start the change? You cannot start a protest and leave because you did not get your way immediately. You absolutely must start in the proper channels to voice change and sadly, the model horse hobby is not it, especially not at this time. Think before you act and you will have supporters behind you that you would never believe! 

Another side note is that all of our BreyerFest information and help will now be located on the FB group. I did not want to have to say that, however there are a few groups that are doing what we do now. While I wholeheartedly support everyone in all of their endeavors,  I ask that my hard work not be plagiarized. I do not mean the blog posts from Breyer, I mean the behind the scenes information that I have provided over the years. I am sorry for the drama on that end, but it did need to be said. 

I am sorry for this absolute depressing post and I hope that you will continue to stick with Road To BreyerFest for all of your BreyerFest information.

BreyerFest 2021 Information

 The celebration horse was announced and then redacted by Breyer and the owners. That is the official information, but here at RTB, we are known for reporting and verifying all of the rumors so that the information that you have is correct.  So today, we will share with you what Breyer has said about the whole ordeal. 

This is what Breyer has to say:

There’s a first time for everything!  We know that we are all operating in uncharted waters here. It’s been a tough year and the anxiety that we are all living with is beyond anything that we might have ever anticipated. We are extremely disappointed that the posts related to our BreyerFest Celebration Horse, Intuit, included personal attacks and misinformation to such an extent that, for the first time in our history, we've removed the entire post.

We appreciate our fans communicating their thoughts with us, and we thank those who expressed their opinions with civility. However, we will not tolerate personal attacks, politicization, broad characterizations and sweeping vitriol. 

We are all passionate for the horse industry. Finding places to learn about horses and interact with them is becoming more difficult in many parts of the country, and it is our goal to help make that first introduction to horses - that is our vision! We seek to connect people with this magnificent animal, especially children, and celebrate the wonderful breeds and disciplines found in the horse world. We're appreciative of all the generous horse owners, riders and trainers that come to BreyerFest to share their love of horses with fans from all over the world. Where we have difference, there can be meaningful dialogue and discussion in a respectful manner.

In a statement from the Bradshaws, “It is with a very sad heart we relay the news that we have elected to withdraw Intuit as the 2021 Celebration Horse for BreyerFest. This has been a difficult decision on our end as we were honored to have this opportunity for Intuit and be a part of something greater. We want to thank Breyer Model Horses and Reeves International, Inc. for supporting and appreciating Intuit as we do. We know this was never the intent or foreseen outcome.

Unfortunately, due to the negative comments surrounding Intuit as the Celebration Horse, we feel as though this is the best decision. We fully understand and respect the fact that each individual has the freedom to their own opinion and personal view on each discipline, but it is our duty to be the advocate or voice for Intuit, who did not ask for this attention. We wholeheartedly love our horse and because of this we only want the most positive life for him.”

Breyer embraces the horse world in all its diversity and wonder. We have a genuine desire to encourage and include people to share their love of horses. That’s what Breyer stands for. And we hope you’ll stand with us.  

The complete article, copied here on this blog, can be found here  

No matter your feelings about a breed of horse, the breeding practices of the said breed, to genetic diseases of said breed, there is never and will never be a call to make threats against a person, their family, and the horse. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and with the right channels, their opinions can be heard in a tactful and respectable manner. Change may start with one small voice, however you absolutely must start it at the correct channels and the proper way.  What was done in the span of 48 hours was absolutely not the way to advocate change and RTB stands with Breyer. I ask that you please respect others surrounding you and think before you comment on any and all posts, especially if you want change in any area of your life. 

Thank you, 

  Rachel 

BreyerFest 2021 Horse of a Different Color!

 Welcome to October 2020 and the very first post about BreyerFest 2021! I don't know if you are as excited as I am about the possibilities of this BreyerFest, but I hope that you are! 

In Breyer's post, which can be found  here  , they talk about all of the colors that we will see during BreyerFest 2021.  From Appaloosas to Paints to Brindles and so much more! The Celebration Horse will be released soon and I know that we are all super excited about it! 

What do you expect to see at BreyerFest 2021? What color of horse makes you sigh with happiness?

 

 

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Things Are Happening!

 This is normally a lazy time for Road To BreyerFest, however this year things are still chugging along and the Facebook Group is still going strong with almost daily updates of what is happening.  However, I have decided to update the blog since some people read it as well.  

First update: RTB now has a Ko-Fi account where you can donate towards the group and running of it.  However, this is only if you wish to do so.  I will never ask for anyone to donate as I strive to keep all of the information free to everyone that is interested.  RTB is quite like a job for me as I do not just do this for one weekend a year for eight hours, but rather I do this all year long and do much more than just to supply information. If you do not wish to donate, please do not berate me for trying to better RTB as I have been berated recently. The link for the Ko-fi is: Here 

You can also just use paypal, if you are not set up for Ko-fi: Here

Second update is that I now have a merch shop.  While the merchandise is not amazing and it is just two designs right now, I am hoping to have much more in the future. Through Redbubble, I am now able to offer stickers, magnets, and much more.  I would love for you to purchase something, but as with the donations, you absolutely do not need to do this and please do not feel pressured to do so. The Merch Shop is Here

Another thing that I am doing is looking for some new artwork to use for the logos, the merch, and the giveaway swag. This is a paid thing, so you will get paid for your time and the items will be sold or used to better RTB in some way, so know that it will be used for those purposes.  The artwork must include one of the mascots or all of the mascots in some way.  Please do not use the whole name Road To BreyerFest as we do not want any kind of copyright infringement, but feel free to use RTB, if you wish to label it.  If you are interested in participating, please message roadtobreyerfest@gmail.com with your fees, samples of your artwork, and if you are alright with me selling the design as stickers and magnets. 

The first bit of swag is here and will be revealed with weekend along with a peek into what will be available for live in person giveaways when they become a thing again.  I like to think on the positive side of things so I am praying that everything will slowly start back to normal soon so that we can all meet together again soon for in person events.  I hope that you are excited as I am about these reveals!

Now, for the fun part, everyone wants to know exactly who the mascots are for RTB. Aria is already in the logo and is a snarky little palomino pinto Breyer Stablemate.  But there are three more members of the mascot team that are not always talked about since well, they just kind of appeared.  Treasure is a dapple grey draft horse that was literally found in my front yard.  I have no idea where she came from, but she is absolutely perfect! The other two are twin Oaks from BreyerFest 2020 that were named Glitch and Refresh in honor of the craziness that was BreyerFest this year.  At the bottom of the post there will be photos of these babies for everyone to see and enjoy! 

There are still some changes coming to RTB soon, but these are not horribly big changes and will only better RTB in the long run so I hope that you will stay with me and enjoy everything that I am bringing you by not only helping with information about BreyerFest, but also offering a positive community where you can escape the real world and talk about plastic ponies and real horses alike.  

Thank you all for being Roadies and know that I love each and every one of you!