A whole pack of beautiful new models has been announced for 2011!

Steppin' Out
This is a limited edition run on the recently-ubiquitous Esprit model. Steppin' Out is described by Breyer as a "beautifully shaded blood bay," and only 200 will be available! Steppin' Out will be sold exclusively at the equestrian trade show, Equine Affaire Ohio.

Steppin' Out is awfully handsome on his own, but it's kinda hard to get excited about a dark bay on this mold, considering all of the amazing variants it's thrown in the last year.

Gathering Storm
This 2011 Collector's Choice mold was suggested by Kellie DeFossett of Behtalto, Illinois. Nice work, Kellie! Gathering Storm is a "glossy charcoal grey and white pinto with three high white stockings" using the ever-popular Big Ben mold.

Gathering Storm is a tobiano pinto with a solid black leg. Very rare, that, since most tobianos do not have a solid colored leg. Breyer tobianos almost always do, though, which makes it practically a trademark at this point. And we love the rare and unusual color markings on Breyer models!

Confetti
Confetti is the palomino Saddlebred star of Arabian Nights. This handsome devil uses Kathleen Moody's popular American Saddlebred Stallion mold from 2000. A lot of people online are griping about the color being too orange-y and weird, but I have faith that this is just an artifact of a somewhat bad photograph. I have no doubt that the actual model will look a lot nicer in person!

The real Confetti (full name: Confederate Gold) is one of the most popular stars of Arabian Nights, "a dinner show that brings a fairytale to life on horseback" in Orlando. Confetti, the lone Saddlebred among a cast of Arabian horses, is described by his handlers as "a very responsive, agile, and intelligent horse."

Confetti is a Special Run being released for Breyer's Sunshine Celebration in Florida this April.

Weather Girl
A lot of collectors are totally losing their minds over this new announcement! This is a new mold created by Brigitte Eberl, one of Breyer's most popular recent sculptors - and one of the least prolific. Eberl is the sculptor behind Giselle and Gilen, Salinero, and none other than Alborozo, he of the crazy inflated price.

Not only is Weather Girl a beautiful model (a trotting Arabian mare), but she will also be put into semi-retirement after this year. Once the fourth and final Weather Girl model is released, this mold will be mothballed "in the Breyer vault" until 2016.

Just to add to the excitement, Weather Girl is this year's Treasure Hunt model. The idea is that you track down and buy three models, then send in your UPC codes to get a special bonus fourth model. (In practice, most collectors just buy all three horses in a pack from a dealer like The Model Trading Post.)

Weather Girl comes in weather-related patterns. Thunderstorm is a smoky black, Sunny the palomino, and Partly Cloudy (a beautiful gray pinto). The fourth horse is called Rainbow, so I'm guessing it's… very colorful.
   
Expect much collector frenzy over this one!