| The BECF is currently working hard 'behind the scenes' to bring you, the British Model Horse Collector, the best 'one-stop' model horse information site we can. Over the past couple of months we are please to say so far we have;
Updated the BECF website:
•Updated the BECF Committee and BECF Reps Information. BECF Committee Email addresses added so direct contact can be made when required. •BECF Link page updated with a Brand New Look and New Links! •New photos added ... more to come! •BECF Membership Joining Form updated. •New Information Pages added: List of UK Manufactures and Supplies & Mending Broken Breyer legs. •Information updated/added to on several pages as well as a new look for some. •List of 2011 Live shows and contact information. •The BECF Prefix Registry is back! See website for more details. •The 'BECF Newcomers Welcome Pack' has been updated, so if you're a Newcomer and have not yet requested a 'BECF Newcomers Welcome Pack' please see the website for more details – The BECF Welcome Pack is Free! (via email)
Other BECF News:
•BECF Newcomers Show. Sadly the one that was planned for this year had to be cancelled, we are hoping to hold the Newcomers Live in 2011 – keep watch on the website for further details! •BECF Blog The BECF Blog is going well. The BECF try and add information as regularly as we can so if you've not joined please do for all the latest BECF news. •The BECF Performance Guide and BECF Breed Guide are nearing completion, we are hoping at add chapters on Conformation, colour and gaits to the guides, as well as basic judging criteria. We are still looking for photographs for these guides and a list of those needed can be found on the BECF website. •BECF Photo shows – we are hoping to start the Photo shows again very shortly, as well as a series of Online Photo shows too.
New items in the pipeline; •An 'A-Z' list of UK models for the website •UK Hobby History for the website •Dolls Clothes Patterns for the website
Thank you all very much for all your help and support. And don't forget to check the website – we are always looking for feedback or items for the website, so please do contact us if you have any questions or queries.
Happy Collecting! Jackie Radwanski BECF Co-Ordinator |
I won't bore you with the rest of the journey, it was pretty standard issue athough the super-bright, crisp light of the June sunshine made the landscape glow, so as I headed further South into the more rural areas, my jaw dropped regularly with the fantastic rolling hills and distant horizons. I had booked into a Bed and Breakfast about a mile from the Village Hall, called "Week Farm" - I can heartily recommend it. The farmhouse part that I stayed in was very homely, I was welcomed and made to feel at home immediately by Margaret and John, the owners of the B&B and working pedigree North Devonshire stud (for cows, not horses) and who also turned out to be the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of North Devonshire to boot! I was immediately offered a fresh Cream Tea with scones baked that morning, the perfect refreshment after a long drive! Friday evening, after recovering and freshening up I took the short drive to Bridestowe (pronounced bridd-E-stow) and had a pleasant walk around the village. It is a typical old-school small village, with Post Office, pub and church, a primary school and lots of lovely cottages. The Village Hall is just outside of the village, it's a very new building, just a couple of years old, they're still laying the top-finish on the car-park! As far as village halls go, I was pretty impressed - the car park was right by the door, there were large doors to the rear promising some fresh air and the modern wooden-built building sat beautifully in the Devonshire countryside. There was even a field of young bullocks over the fence.
Satisfied I knew my way, I headed back to get ready - I was meeting Lauren, Marion and Dorothy and her husband for dinner at the local pub called the White Hart. We had the local speciality, fish and chips and were not disappointed, Marion's fish was a whopper and after an hour she had to admit defeat!! 
I toured the room and found a fantastic array of models; Julie had, sat on her table in full parade costume, the instantly recognisable Sarah Rose Independance resin customised by Cindy Williams; Deb had a refreshing customised Mini Scarlett resin, with a straightened head which gave the model an interesting twist; Deb also gave me a sneak peek at her show-stopping Independance resin painted by the UK artist Naomi "Nell" Coffin. One model struck me though - a Moore Hall resin painted and shown by the UK's own Heather Irvine, painted in oils to an incredible dappled grey, this was my star model for the day!
The classes kicked off - Lauren's show was an all-rounder; classes for everyone including OFs, customs, resins, chinas (OF and AC), a whole section for AAs, one for Bendies and one for UK Workmanship. Each section had on average about 10 classes which meant some models had to go into a broader class (ie Spanish, Friesian etc all went into "other Light Breed"), but the day saw virtually every kind of model displayed - if you can't get to many shows each year so want to take your whole collection with you, then this is the show for you!
The morning saw the OF and Custom sections, I found myself drawn to the Custom section; there were customs at every level which was a pleasure to see, from those just starting out (very strongly too!), to the likes of an incredible Lynn Fraley custom of, I believe, a Peter Stone draft horse and two awesome Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig ponies. It was a real treat to see some of these models, very inspirational! The Fraley deservedly (IMO) won the CM Champion place, a too-cute-to-be-true tiny CM Welsh pony won Reserve Champion and a custom ISH model won Res.Reserve Champion.
Lunchtime saw the raffle, hot Cornish Pasties which were a great treat and really stamped the South-Westerly identity onto my show memories, the sales tables which are always fascinating, and then onto the lunchtime classes including the Mare and Foal class, Me and Minime and collectors class which held the largest conga of SM models I think I've ever seen! It was great to see a pair of Breyer models, forgive my ignorance - one is the opposite of the other, they have a pinto pattern in a pearlescent purple-green colour and one model is the negative of the other - well anyway I've not seen these models up close before, the colours just glowed and I found them beautiful! OF course it was impossible to capture the amazing colour, but I did try.
After the fun classes, the AR/AC (Artist Resin / Artist China) and AA (Animal Artistry) classes kicked off. My collection includes mostly these types of models so my afternoon was quite busy. I was quite surprised by the quality of the entrants, not just down to the sculpting and finishwork, but down to the presentation - many entries had professional, laminated breed cards placed alongside the horse which made me think... I think there's an opportunity for someone, especially in the UK as our showing rules are slightly different to those elsewhere in the world, to produce these show-cards - I for one would happily buy them, I would even pay someone to research my models for me; sadly I don't have enough time to research my models fully so I would welcome this! Perhaps someone might have enough time to offer this service (hint hint)?
The AA classes were well populated (even taking into account my lot!) and I was thrilled when the model I had pinned my hopes on; a Chasing Rainbows painted to a roan blanket appaloosa made it through to take AA Champion! Reserve Champion position was taken by an exquisite AAA Quarterhorse owned by Diane, and Res.Reserve Champion was won by a custom-glazed Boxing Shire mini, recently glazed by Joanie Berkwitz (and part of my collection too :).
The Artist resin Championship saw an unusally coloured Valor resin, painted to a grey with bird-catcher spots, I don't know the correct term for this colour. Reserve Champion was taken by a resin I don't know the name of - a cutting horse painted to an awe-inspiring appaloosa (ed: This was an Ima Sharpe Cutter resin), and Res.Reserve Champion was taken by a Mini Independance resin painted a scrumptious subtle paint.
The Bendy section passed me by unfortunately, I recognised the Julips, a few Equorum models and a few other bendable models (including an extremely flexible model of Jackie's). The Champ and Reserve both went through to the Supreme Championship though, which I was pleased to see - these were a white-grey Arab I believe, and a big chunky chestnut that I found adorable (and I don't even "do" bendies!).
All considered the day a success, the only mild concern being the heat and humidity but that was out of anyones control and with the doors open we got a slight breeze, the sun didn't cause an issue as the closed doors had curtains to block it out. The show ran smoothly, the atmoshere was light and cheery, and to top it all off the raffle raised enough money to sponsor both a Dartmoor pony AND an Exmoor pony for a year.
On Sunday I took a trip to the other side of Dartmoor to the Miniature Pony Centre - I have NEVER met any small ponies so relaxed around people, even the mares with very young foals were relaxed and happy for even small children to approch the foals and greet them. It's well worth a visit and at £7.50 I felt extremely good value for money. I took a drive back through the middle of Dartmoor National Park which I won't even attempt to describe or this will become an even more epic tale, but suffice to say that my artistic mojo, which has been missing for a few months, has now been thoroughly restored and I am becoming more in love with what this country has to offer - from our artistic talent, our Cornish pasties and clotted cream teas, to our native ponies and the breathe-taking scenery they habit. This continent has so much to offer and I look forward to embracing this in my own work and my travels.
Right, where to next.....!
Well done to everyone who has entered the BECF photo shows over the last year. A total of 888 different models were entered so for those who gained over 100 points (39 models) this is a major achievement.
Supreme Points Champion
Silver Dream (WG)
Reserve Supreme Points Champion
Silver Mist (WG)
Reserve to Reserve Supreme Points Champion
Joliet Jake (CG)
Factory Finish Champion Risky Business (DH)
Reserve Factory Finish Champion Winter Flame (WG)
Artist Finish Champion Silver Dream (WG)
Reserve Artist Finish Champion Silver Harmony (WG)
Performance Champion Joliet Jake (CG)
Reserve Performance Champion Gunnery Sergeant (ID)
Pony Champion Thomas More (ID)
Reserve Pony Champion Campion (LI)
American Champion Silver Mist (WG)
Reserve American Champion Gunnery Sergeant (ID)
Light Horse Champion Silver Dream (WG)
Reserve Light Horse Champion Joliet Jake (CG)
Heavy Horse Champion Silver Harmony (WG)
Reserve Heavy Horse Champion WBP Bilbo (WG)
Miscellaneous Champion Buriana (CG)
Reserve Miscellaneous Champion PR Whispering Breeze (DH)
The Supreme Champion Line-up have received beautiful black/purple/silver rosettes, with the next top 30 models each getting a merit award ribbon. Division Champions and Reserves received mini black/purple rosettes. All models gaining over 100 points have received a certificate.
