Chris Hess: The Soul of Breyer Animal Creations

By Jocelyn Cote

There are many names that are synonymous with Breyer model horses, but one stands out above all: Christian “Chris” Hess, a Breyer icon from the very beginning. When the Mastercrafters clock company approached the Breyer Molding Co. to create a horse to adorn a mantle clock, it was Hess that sculpted what would become Breyer’s first model horse: the Western Horse. This was the first of many that he would go on to sculpt for the company over the course of three decades, creating a vast majority of the Breyer lineup during that time.

Chris Hess sculpting the Little Bits Morgan Stallion, circa early 1980s

Born in 1916 in Breyer’s hometown of Chicago, Illinois, Chris attended the Art Institute of Chicago before beginning his career as a commercial artist. He started as a wood carver and architectural sculptor creating decorative elements for buildings, but eventually found his calling in mold-making, which led to his occupation with the Breyer Molding Company.

Chris had a unique perspective that no other Breyer artist in history has had – not only was he a sculptor, but he was also Breyer’s main tooling engineer. Working alongside two other craftsmen, Paul Olson and Gordon Johnson, they created the injection molds (referred to shorthand as “tools”) from which all Breyer models created on those original sculptures have sprung. The tool that molded your 75^th Anniversary Western Horse model, for example, is the very same tool engineered by Chris and his team all those years ago – and that same tool also molded the original palomino #57 models that adorned the Mastercrafters clocks. When you hold any model sculpted by Chris Hess in your hands, you are quite literally touching Breyer history.

Each Breyer model in 1:9 and 1:12 scale is molded in two separate halves in a tool that can weigh nearly 2,000 pounds – as much as a real draft horse! Those pieces are joined together after the plastic has cooled on special fixtures that help them retain their shape as they settle down to room temperature. These tools and fixtures were the responsibility of Chris and his team to make.

When sculpting, Chris’s intimate knowledge of the production process allowed him to create pieces that were breathtaking and dynamic, but also easily moldable with the technology of the day. He would make important decisions such as the best place to put the seam line to divide the sculpture in half, and what areas of the model could be hollowed out and which needed to remain solid for structural integrity. Along the way he did leave a hallmark or two on his pieces, such as the small "C. HESS" mark that can be found on the inside of the Cantering Welsh Pony's right hind leg.

"C. HESS" mold mark on the Cantering Welsh Pony mold

“Chris’ superpower was his ability to create and maintain the organic integrity of the original sculpture yet ensure manufacturability,” say Stephanie Macejko, VP of Marketing and Product Development. “For over 30 years now, one of my key roles at Breyer has been interpreter and guide between our horse owners, sculpting artists, tooling engineers and the manufacturing team – and each of these four groups has their own important perspective and needs. It’s so critical to understand how one affects the other – and Chris made it look so easy! His ability to make it work no matter the breed or pose still informs our process today.”

Chris also had incredible ingenuity – for example, decades before Breyer would create a jumping model with a clear stand, he balanced his Jumping Horse sculpture on a peg sculpted into its stone wall base, allowing the horse to effortlessly soar with all four feet off the ground.

Although Chris was not a horseman by trade, he had a knack for discerning the small differences between horse breeds that the average person may not notice. The gentle dish of an Arabian’s face, the short stature of a Shetland Pony, the specific leg positions in a Saddlebred’s rack – as early as the 1960s, Chris was creating sculptures that were incredibly breed-specific in a time where horse-themed toys were often generic. Although he did visit a handful of his real-life equine subjects in person, most sculptures were created from 2D reference images. (The most eagle-eyed Breyer fans have occasionally identified some of these reference materials!) He made the whole process from clay to finished model seem effortless. “It’s easy,” he said in a 1977 issue of Just About Horses magazine. “Just get some wire and clay and sculpt a horse.”

Olympic Gold Medalist Touch of Class was one of the handful of subjects that Chris observed in person while sculpting. Her model was released as part of the Artist Series in 1986 and was Chris's penultimate piece for Breyer.

Even after Breyer was acquired by Reeves International and moved to New Jersey in 1984, Chris still worked closely with the company. He would continue to make occasional appearances at model horse shows and collector events, often with a casting of an upcoming sculpture in tow. His final sculpture for Breyer was one that fans had been requesting for over a decade – “Big Red” himself, Secretariat. The model debuted as part of the Artist Series in 1987, and Chris would sadly pass away the following year.

With over 100 different molds created for Breyer over the course of 37 years, the legacy that Chris Hess and his peers created for Breyer was, quite literally, the foundation of the company we know today. He dedicated countless hours to sculpting, perfecting, and engineering so many model horses and animals, and new colors continue to be introduced on his sculptures decades later. Although they may not be as refined as those that would come later in the company’s history, these pieces have an undeniable charm and welcoming presence that continues to resonate with Breyer fans of all ages.