Walkabout Farms is one of the oldest and most extensive retailers of Breyer horses.  According to their site's About page, the owner's personal collection numbers over 3,000 Breyer models!  In addition to a physical store in Ohio, Walkabout Farms runs one of the most comprehensive online Breyer model stores available.

Therefore it may not be so surprising to learn that Walkabout Farms has commissioned an exclusive special edition of the Strapless model from Breyer, which they are currently offering as a pre-sale.  Many retailers commission special Breyers, from Walmart to Petco to Tractor Supply Center.  But so far as I know, this is the first case where a dedicated Breyer retailer has its own model for sale.

Strapless is one of my favorite of the more recent models, and Walkabout Farm's Valvella is even more lovely than the original bay.  Valvella is a matte dapple gray Thoroughbred, with some really nice shading work.  Valvella is slightly darker at the shoulders and withers, fading to a much darker gray at the legs and nose.  Her mane and tail are braided, which is a slight variation on the original mold.

I looked at the Strapless mold itself earlier, with the Pottery Barn exclusive Strapless model.  More on that version of Strapless here!

700 are going to be made for the Rolex Three Day Event or RK3DE, which is taking place from April 21st to the 25th.  The Rolex event is a qualifier for the World Equestrian Games in September, which Breyer is sponsoring.  Rolex Kentucky is taking place at the Kentucky Horse Park, and will feature Dressage, Cross-Country, and Show Jumping.  You can even get a special deal on tickets to both the Rolex and the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games if you buy them together!

The number of Valvella models is very limited, and "word on the street" is that Walkabout Farms is planning to only sell a few hundred as pre-orders through their website.  The bulk of the models will be offered for sale at the Rolex event itself, presumably at a Walkabout Farms booth?  I'm not too sure on the details.  But long story short, if you want this model, you really need to order it right now!

Buzz is high on Valvella, which is currently priced at $79.  Although that price is slightly higher than your run-of-the-mill Traditional Breyer models, it includes shipping, which is a pretty great deal!  And according to the website, anything else you order with Valvella will also be shipped for free.

That same mysterious "word on the street" has it that Valvella is named after Val, the wife in the husband-and-wife team behind both Walkabout Farms and Valvella's creation.  Unfortunately it seems that "valvella" is also the scientific term for part of the genitalia of male moths.  So, err, I might suggest a bit more Googling next time before stamping a model with a name.

Despite this bit of indelicacy, Valvella is a beautiful special run Breyer model, and well worth the cost.