Morgan Horse a Hit at BreyerFest
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Rum Brook Immortal Star, aka Blackjack,
with Holly Feld
(photo by Debbie Uecker-Keough)
The weekend of July 22 saw large crowds at the Kentucky Horse Park for BreyerFest, a popular, annual event for collectors of Breyer Model Horses. In addition to seminars, model horse shows, and a busy vendor area, several special horses who were the inspiration for some of the new models traveled from all corners of the country to attend. One of the celebrity guests was a jet-black Morgan Horse, Rum Brook Immortal Star (Immortal Command x Rum Brook Aphrodite), affectionately known as Blackjack.
Blackjack traveled from Massachusetts with his owner, author Ellen Feld. All of the horses in Ellen’s award-winning Morgan Horse series are based on real horses, Morgans that she owns. Blackjack is the star of the first book, Blackjack: Dreaming of a Morgan Horse. Breyer Animal Creations noted the popularity of this series and made a model of the horse and is currently selling it packaged with the book. Earlier this year, they invited Blackjack and Ellen to attend BreyerFest.
Each day Blackjack and Ellen were kept very busy with an autograph session where lines of people waited to have models of Blackjack signed by the author. Next, they’d meet Blackjack and have their picture taken with the handsome Morgan. Ellen also read from her book to groups of children in the activity tent. Finally, Ellen’s daughter Holly rode Blackjack in the coliseum to standing-room-only crowds as the announcer talked about Blackjack, his role in the book, and the Morgan Horse. It was the first time many people had seen a saddle seat rider and horse as quite a few asked about the style of riding. After each performance, groups of people followed Blackjack back to his stall to learn more about the star of the book and the Morgan Horse.
BreyerFest was a very successful event and wonderful opportunity to promote the Morgan Horse. As Blackjack again and again greeted new fans, he surely left an impression on the beauty and sweet disposition of the breed.
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