Hold onto your saddles horse fans, because there’s a brand new model of Breyer Horse out, and it’s beautiful! (Click the link to see a photo.)

In honor of the 80^th anniversary of The Pony Club this year, Breyer is introducing its newest character—and he’s based on a real, live British pony named Pippin. A 21-year-old Connemara pony, Pippin is a lovely ash color with kind eyes and a wispy mane, sure to make an excellent Breyer model.

Pippin’s owner, an 11-year-old boy named Oliver Jones of Denbigh, Wales, entered a national essay contest a year ago to have his pony considered for the plastic model. A member of the Fleet and Denbigh Pony Club, Oliver says that Pippin has helped him in many ways as a young lad. Not only has the horse provided a way for him to develop his keen riding and horse care skills; he has also given him a sense of responsibility, which has increased the boy’s confidence in himself and his horsemanship.

The contest called for a “hero pony.” The contest’s judges loved Oliver’s essay about how wonderful Pippin is so much that they awarded him first prize.

Oliver and his mother were given the very first handmade and hand-painted Pippin model. Oliver marveled  that it looks exactly like his own pony. “I think the model is so cool… The fact that it is my pony is the best thing and I feel very proud. I know now I will have him forever,” the boy fondly says.

A portion of sales brought in from the new Pippin model will be donated to the Pony Club as well.

Did you know that a Breyer horse takes seven to twelve people to hand-paint it? No wonder they are so valuable! And aside from horses, Breyer also creates bulls, pigs, cats, cows, dogs, elk, bears, buffalo, elephants, dear, moose—just about every animal under the sun. And I never knew that Breyers made plush horses as well; they are quite adorable. Does anyone have any collectible plush horses in their collection?

Breyer itself has yet to see its 80^th anniversary, having been crafting plastic horse creations since its first Western Horse model created for the Mastercrafter Clock Company in the 1950s; but it’s sure to see it soon, especially if it continues to make lovely models like the one based on Pippin. What model would you like to see next?