Hoofbeats & Maple Treats Wrap-Up

by Jocelyn Cote

Photos by Melinda Nagy & Jocelyn Cote 

Every 18 months or so, Breyer Collector Club members have chance to enter for one of our exciting Collector Events! For the first time ever, we went international with Hoofbeats & Maple Treats - our 2025 Collector Event held October 31st-November 2nd in Ontario, Canada. Based in Toronto, this event took us and 200 lucky guests to elite horse farms, social events, and of course, a shopping extravaganza of exclusive Breyer models!

It was exciting stuff to finally hold a Breyer Collector Event outside of the USA! Temperatures were indeed chilly, but Canada isn't nicknamed "The Great White North" for nothing. Friendly faces welcomed us with open arms wherever we went. 

After checking in on Friday afternoon and receiving their Legacy and Tamarkuz models, guests boarded buses for an evening of racing at the historic Woodbine Racetrack. As the sun set over the Toronto skyline, guests were able to watch races from a private viewing area, sample the track's amenities, and enjoy some light bites. An impromptu pizza party was held as guests boarded the buses!

As always, Saturday was an incredibly busy day! Guests were split into groups for tours at our two featured farms, Ballycroy Bloodstock and Lothlorien. Ballycroy is a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm home to one of the event's featured portrait horses, Tamarkuz, alongside other stellar stallions such as Collusion Illusion. Tamarkuz's legacy includes an iconic 2016 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile win where he was ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. Guests learned about Ballycroy's breeding and training methods for their racehorses, many of which have run at Woodbine, and met various stallions, mares and youngsters who are continuing the farm's legacy.

At Lothlorien Farm - a special treat, as the facility is generally not open to the public - guests were treated to a spectacular show jumping demonstration by Daniel Coyle, Legacy's longtime rider, and Vaclav Stanek, a Czech rider who is also part of the Lothlorien roster. They were also given an opportunity to explore the course up close and take in the craftsmanship of the various obstacles. Ariel Grange, owner of Lothlorien Farm and Legacy, provided an engaging, personal tour of her world-class facility.

Halloween might have been the previous day, but we tweaked the rules a little bit for our themed party: the Jack-O-Lantern Jamboree! The costumes on display were truly spectacular - including many inspired by Breyer models! As they enjoyed dinner and drinks, guests also had the opportunity to see the event's Breyer Boutique models in person for the first time, and a silent auction was held.

Attendees also had an exciting opportunity to win Maple, a glossy metallic bay Big Ben (mold #483) - fitting as he was sculpted after one of Canada's most famous equine athletes of all time! For an extra-spooky touch, each Maple raffle model was dressed in an adorable Halloween-themed costume made by Trinity Honaker of Infinity Breyers. She created five costume variations, each of which had its own unique touches: spider, scarecrow, jack-o-lantern, witch, and vampire. To add to the excitement of winning a raffle model, each lucky recipient got to take home the costume as well!

Sunday morning wrapped up Hoofbeats & Maple Treats with the Breyer Boutique, a unique shopping opportunity with exclusive, limited run models available for purchase. Guests were lined up by random draw and were then able to purchase up to two different models from the available selection. And with that, we said farewell to our guests and celebrated a job well done. Where will the next Collector Event take us? Well, that remains to be seen!

Hoofbeats & Maple Treats Exclusive Models

Legacy Event Model 200 pcs.	Tamarkuz Event Model 200 pcs.
Poutine Special Run 104 pcs.	Niagara Special Run 96 pcs.
Pitter Patter Special Run 60 pcs.	Trillium & Bunchberry Special Run 52 pcs.
Caesar Special Run 48 pcs.	Queen City Special Run 40 pcs.