Flying High: Bristol!

The Jumper That's Jumped Into Our Hearts

by Jocelyn Cote

There is something inherently magical about a horse “in flight” – the way these large, powerful beings seem to effortlessly soar over obstacles is nothing short of thrilling. In the world of equine sculpture, however, it’s also one of the most difficult poses to capture. With not a single hoof on the ground, a base is required, and designing something both aesthetically pleasing and stable enough to support the model properly can be quite the challenge.

Breyer’s first jumping sculpture was the Jumping Horse, released all the way back in 1965. Breyer’s master moldmaker and sculptor at the time, Chris Hess, was a true innovator, and his Jumping Horse was no exception. To capture this dynamic pose, Chris created a stone wall jump base which used a peg to attach to the model via a hole in the belly. Although the model was resting directly on top of the jump, it was a clever solution to a tricky pose.

Half a century later, Bristol still captures this same excitement but in a much more modern way: tiny details such as wrinkles and horseshoes, a non-intrusive clear plastic base, and interchangeable loose and braided manes and tails. Breyer’s VP of Marketing, Stephanie Macejko, worked closely with sculptor Morgen Kilbourn to make sure everything about this warmblood was “just right” – even meeting her in an airport to go over the in-progress sculpture in person! This day has been honored in his Breyer mold number - #747 is a deliberately-chosen nod to the iconic aircraft.

The original Jumping Horse and Bristol

Bristol led the 2018 Premier Collection in a stunning buckskin tobiano coat which was also designed by Morgen. He continues to be one of the collection’s most sought-after pieces. Another highly sought-after release came in the form of Jackpot, a stunning glossy chestnut leopard appaloosa. Limited to 26 pieces, he was the Sunday raffle model for BreyerFest: Off to the Races. The following year, his original pinto pattern was used in black for his 2019 Best Customs Contest prize release, Leap of Faith. Only six pieces of this stunning alternate colorway were produced.

Bristol, Jackpot, Leap of Faith

In mid-year 2019, Bristol made his regular line debut as a portrait of champion show jumper Voyeur. This release was also the debut of the sculpture’s braided mane variation, and remained in the line through 2021. The braided tail wouldn’t debut until the following year with Barrington, the 2020 Vintage Club Special Run model painted in a vintage-inspired chestnut with red braids. 2020 also brought Redmond, a stunning glossy chestnut, to would-be attendees of the Seattle Soiree Collector Event.

Voyeur, Barrington, Redmond

2021 saw the mold’s first release as a mare with Queen of Hearts, a portrait of a uniquely-colored chimera KWPN who joined us as a guest horse for BreyerFest 2021: Horse of a Different Color. She was released in both matte and glossy finishes, produced in quantities of 3,500 and 1,840 pieces respectively. After the retirement of Voyeur in 2021, Bristol returned to the regular line in mid-year 2022 as Get Rowdy, another portrait model of a champion hunter horse. To reflect this, he was released with both a braided mane and tail.

Queen of Hearts (in matte and glossy finishes) and Get Rowdy

Given the way he “flies” over other models, it was only a matter of time before Bristol was used in the “Birds of a Feather” Web Special series. He was painted as an eye-catching grullo appaloosa to represent the Peregrine, a bird known for its speed and precision. This release was limited to 500 pieces. 2023 saw the sculpture’s most recent releases with Jump and Drive, a BreyerFest Special Run with an even split between a loose and braided mane, and the fall regular line release Clooney 51, a portrait of the champion Swiss show jumper.

Peregrine, Jump & Drive (braided and loose mane versions), Clooney 51

There’s still many years of enjoyment ahead for this fan-favorite sculpture – happy Leap Day!