Beckys Blog

(Left to Right: Glitzy Becky, Marathon Becky, Cowboy Becky & Mountain Becky!!)

Hello and Welcome to Beckys Blog! The place to find out what is happening in the world of Utterly Horses.

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2nd July 2009:
Morning :) Today i'm going to share with you another sneak preview of a mid year item and this time, its a product that we've influenced! Breyers Classic horsebox. It features: Hooks to hang your riding tack and a ladder to reach roof deck, two stalls with two rear storage compartments below, rear Dutch doors with fold down ramp, outside storage holds all 8 pieces of fencing, troughs that snap in for feeding, roof opens to reveal an observation deck with TV, visors to block the sun,adjustable mirrors, dashboard with sliding steering wheel and GPS, two fronts seats with seat belts that snap closed for safety, seats swivel in two directions and have storage pouches, rear seat converts to a bed, fold-down stairs and chrome hubcaps, and a pop-up table and a side cup holder.

It not like a traditional horsebox but its something the Classic range is currently missing. Maybe we should re-introduce our Utterly Horses Classic scale horsebox from 2006. Hmmm...

 

Becky :)

 

1st July 2009 (Mid Afternoon)
Gosh, its busy today... new items coming in left, right and center!! The Flamenco set also arrived today and its gorgeous! I might have to have one of these to add to my collection. A real life picture is shown, right.

 

"In the Andalucia region of southern Spain, the tradition of flamenco dancing is rivaled only by the tradition of breeding fine Andalusian horses. Steeped in romance and fueled with passion, the flamenco is the quintessential Spanish dance form, tracing its roots to the Moorish, Jewish, and gypsy cultures. Like the flamenco dancers, Andalusian horses have been known for centuries for their grace, power, and beauty. Given their royal bearing, it is no surprise that they are also the mount of kings--and that they excel at classical dressage. Breyer' new Flamenco set celebrates both traditions with style.
Limited edition of 2,500 pieces"

 

1st July 2009 (Afternoon!):
Its hottin' up here in the office. Not only is it hot temperature wise but Fire the model has just arrived too! Fire, the third model in the Ethereal Series, is an impressive model loaded with tons of details! I quickly snapped a picture of him, right and more images can be found on his product page here. WoW, he is definately one that will be joining the UH teams collection of models within the office!!

Becky

 

1st July 2009:
Good Morning! Its July and officially the start of our UH Summer Sale.  We have lots of horses looking for new homes in all shapes and sizes- we've even found some retired models that had been sneakily hiding in the bottom of our warehouse for the past few months. Please click on the red "Sale" icon at the top left of the website to view the listings or click here.

Also, here is another sneaky peak of an upcoming model: "Introducing Sergeant, the Top Fall 2009 Collector's Choice winner and the first mule in the Collector's Choice series. This program gives Breyer collectors the opportunity to submit their concepts for a dream model and then vote on the results. What could be more fun?

Sergeant is a silvery dapple grey with dark points. Created on the Brown Sunshine mold #484, Sergeant is the result of a winning contest submission from Susan Newcomb of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin and is 10th in the series".



Right i better get back to work, although its gloriously sunny outside- maybe i can move my desk outside temporaily?!

Becky :)

 

30th June 2009:
Morning. Here is another sneaky peak of an upcoming model: Secretariat.

"Ask anyone to name the world's most famous horse and the answer will most likely be Secretariat. His true story is still the stuff of legends. His astonishing 31-length victory in the Belmont Stakes, accomplished after winning the first two jewels of the Triple Crown, has yet to be repeated. In the Kentucky Derby, Secretariat set a speed record of 1:59 2/5, and he captured the Preakness Stakes with ease.

Secretariat was the son of Bold Ruler out of Somethingroyal. Known as "Big Red", the large, beautifully conformed chestnut ran in the blue and white checkered colors of Meadow Stables. Secretariat has been a past model and this is the first time he has been released on the Smarty Jones mould".



Stay tuned for more sneaky peaks tomorrow.

Becky :)

 

26th June 2009:
Our Becki the Bear Promotion has been very popular and all our Becki's have found new homes but we don't like to finish celebrating early and so we have another set of goodies that we would like to give to you, for FREE, when you place an order over £25.00. The goodies that we would like to give you including a Rainbow Colouring Pencil, a red pencil sharpener and a copy of our latest Utterly Horses Colouring Competition. The perfect set of goodies to get you started on your colouring competition entry. How does it work? Its easy! A FREE Rainbow Colouring Pencil, Sharpener and an Utterly Horses Summer Colouring Competition Sheet, will automatically be added to your order when we process it, providing that your order is over the required total value (totalling £25.00 including postage and packing). This offer ends on the 30th June 2009, only 4 days away, so don't forget!

 

Over the next few days, we will be sharing with you previews of the Mid Year models, which will probably reach UK shores later this year. First preview is: #1362 Fun wtih Model Horses Set

"Welcome to Model Horses 101! Here is the perfect introduction to the model horse hobby! With this set you can learn how much fun getting involved in the hobby can be! You can learn about real and model horses, competitions, condition and collectibility. You will see how to add props from other Breyer accessories to create realistic, award-winning scenes from carriage driving to show jumping and everything in between! This set comes with a Traditional size Grey Breyer Model Horse (on the Flash Mould), a halter, a soft travel bag and an informative, fact filled guide to the model horse hobby.

Have a good weekend

Becky :)

19th June 2009:
Hello! Woohoo! Its Friday! Today has already started with a bang! with the arrival of some new products. In our Garden Centre, we have lots of accessories to compliment your stableyard and today we have added even more. New Trees, Window Boxes and Paddocks have been added and they are fantastic for adding to your setups. Get Creative! See them here.

 

Today we also had the new Breyer Puzzles into stock and we can't wait to have a go at them. Each puzzle features a excting model horse themed design and each one comes with a Stablemate model too, which are only available with the puzzles. The UH team will be having a go at the 1,000 piece puzzle this afternoon and i'll let you know how we get on. Knowing us, it will take weeks!! Follow us on Twitter to keep up to date of our puzzle developments.

Don't forget to add these items to your wishlist either! I wrote some how to guides for this section this week, just in case anyone was having problems using the feature. Let us know if you ever have any problems.

Becky

 

17th June 2009:
When we thought that we didn't have any more new items to add to our collection, a few pop up! Four new dogs have been added to our website this morning including Marmalade the Collie and Roswell the St Bernard Dog.

Becky

 

16th June 2009:

Afternoon! Its a day for updates. The New Classic Scale Dogs now in stock including Ashley the Germany Shepherd and Raisen the Golden Retirever Puppy. Click here to see the new arrivals.

Becky

 

16th June 2009:
Morning! Pictures of the winning Spring Colouring Competition entries have now been uploaded and they can be found on our results page here. Larger scans of the winning entries can be found in our Photo Gallery which is located here. Congratulations to the winners and thank you once again to everyone who entered. We had a fantastic time judging the competiton with hundreds of very creative entries. You are all very talented!

Becky

15th June 2009:
Afternoon! I hope you all enjoyed the weekend. Today, we have launched the new colouring competition. This time it features Saracen, the Classic Spotted Drafter horse and we hope you have fun planning what colour you are going to colour him. Entry Forms can be downloaded from this page of the website and the closing date is not until October, so you have plenty of time to create your own masterpiece! Our Spring colouring competition, featuring Newsworthy, has also been judged (it was a very hard decision this year) and the winners have been contacted. Pictures of the winning entries will be uploaded shortly to our Photo Gallery page.

Becky :)

10th June 2009:
Hello! The New Papo horses have galloped into UH HQ this afternoon- and we have several new faces too! Meet the new Papo horses that are not in our catalogue including Alie, Mallow, Marley, Carleto and the very cute Haflinger Pony called Huey. Click here to see the new arrivals. Oooo, i love getting new horses! Its so exciting!

Becky :)

3rd June 2009:
Hello! We have some very cute foals arrive at UH HQ today. Toni, Pinnochio, Arabella and Lilly are four foals from GeeGees that each come with a jewelled leather friendship bracelet for their new owner(s). Each foal has an individual character and comes with its own snazzy foal rug. Click here to be taken to the GeeGees section to see all four new arrivals!

Becky

 

1st June 2009:
Hello All! Pinch, Punch its the first day of the month- its June! Whats happening in the office today? We're busy packing boxes and despatching horses to their new homes and i've been working on our advert for Breyerfest (shown right). UH is visiting Breyerfest in the USA next month. Breyerfest is a model horse convention held in the horse capital of the world- Lexington in Kentucky, USA. We attend Breyerfest every few years and this time to celebrate our attendence, we have produced an Utterly Horses at Breyerfest collectable button badge. If you are visiting Breyerfest this year, come and visit us at the Swap meet (held in the HIN) to collect one of the badges. Breyerfest is in July and we will have lots of pictures and a full report when we return, so keep an eye on our website for more details.

Becky :)

29th May 2009:
Hello! New Horses have just galloped into Utterly Horses on this sunny afternoon. We have seven new additions to the GeeGees range, a range of horses that feature brushable manes and tails and removable tack that can be used on other horses within the Classic 1:12th range. The GeeGee riders are poseable too and are jointed to ride the horses or to help out in the stableyard. Click here to be taken to the GeeGees section on the website to view the new horses. Gonzo the Dressage horse is one of UHs favourite horses so far but shhh, don't tell the other models!

Becky

18th May 2009:
Hello! Wow, what a start to the week. Early this morning Sheik, Kuchi and Saracen galloped into our warehouse in a very large box (and then galloped out again in several smaller ones!). They are three fantastic models and great additions to the range- i'm sure they will become firm favourites with everyone very quickly. I managed to take some quick pictures before they were boxed up again and here they are: Pictured right is Sacaren, the Spotted Drafter and below Sheik Af Hallundbaek (left) and Kuchi the Gypsy Vanner (right).
All three models are available to purchase now and further details can be found here.

 

Fingers crossed that you should have received a copy of your 2009 catalogue by now. Many of the items in the catalogue are available now but there are still some products which we are waiting to arrive, including the new Pony Parade models by Safari. These items are pencilled in to arrive in June and of course we will keep you updated if this changes.

One other bit of good news is that Pippin is due to arrive first thing tomorrow morning! Woohoo! All pre-orders will be despatched tomorrow and an email confirming this will be sent to everyone. OOooooOOo, its soo exciting!! I wonder what exciting thing will happen on Wednesday?!

 

Becky :) 

13th May 2009:
Hello! Sorry for the delay in updates- i've just finished unpacking everything from Badminton Horse Trials last week. We had a fantastic time at the event meeting many customers (hello!) and we even found the time to walk some of the cross country course too. The cross country jumps are huge, with many being taller (and wider!!) than myself! We investigated the Wanworths Brewery jump that must have been at least 2 meters wide!

Whilst i was at Badminton i did come back with a rather unusual purchase though- a new car. Yes, you did read that correctly!! Its not normal for me to go to a show and come back home, driving a new car!! After we set up the stand last week, we went to the local town to get something to eat and whilst walking up the high street we passed a car showroom that had a funky purple mini on its forecourt. I loved the car the minute i saw it and the rest of the UH team persuaded me to take it for a test drive the next day. That was a bad idea as soon as i drove it, it was sold. It was coming home with me!! So meet the latest motor to the fleet- the purple mini which has yet to be named. All the vehicles within the UH team have names weirdly enough- we have Doug and Murphy so far. Each are named after their numberplates. A weird fact!!

Back to UH news. The good news is that the UH catalogue is back from the printers (woo!) and is being mailed out to everyone this week (woohoo!). Keep an eye out for the postman delivering your copy! If you have purchased something recently from Utterly Horses you will automatically receive a copy of our catalogue. If your not sure or what to request another one just in case, you can request one through this page.

To celebrate the release of our new catalogue aswell, we are giving you the chance to add Becki the Bear to your collection, for FREE!! Place an order now over £25.00 and you will receive a Becki the Bear FREE! 

Becki the Bear is the newest (and smallest!) member of the UH team and helped to put together our latest catalogue. She loved travelling to different parts of the world finding exciting new priducts to add to our collection and have even more fun product them testing! Becki the Bear wears a blue T-shirt too, a little souvenir from her visit to Kentucky in the USA where she found many new Breyer Vanner horse (who can be found on Page 7 of our new catalogue). Don't forget that with Becky the Bear you can also enter our unusual competition, details below, for the chance to win £50 of Utterly Horses vouchers to spend on whatever you wish. Details and pictures of Becki can be found here.

More good news is that Pippin the Pony will start to be posted out to everyone next week. He is due into the UK later this week and will be with us next week. I will email everyone when your order is despatched so you know when to keep an eye out for a large brown box. Kuchi and Sheik are also due in around the same time and these spring release models can be pre-ordered ahead of their arrival too. Please click here to be taken to the page with more details.

In other Becky News, did i tell you about my latest tattoo? I got it two days after the marathon on the principal that i got all the pain out of the way in one go!! Its on my foot and is six symbols that represent all the marathons and mountains i've ran or climbed over the last three years. The symbols from left to right are: London Marathon 2007, Mount Toubkal (Morocco), Kilimanjiro (complete with giraffe!!), London Marathon 2008, Three Peaks (Snowdon, Scaffel Pike and Ben Nevis and London Marathon 2009. Phew! Quite a list! I have to admit that is was the most painful tattoo i have had so far but i'm really pleased with it. Can't wait to show it off when the summer comes and flip flops are the footwear of choice!!

There has been lots of news today; its been a week of surprises from our new catalogues arriving Monday, news of Pippins arrival yesterday and today i had another total out-of-the-blue surprise- a HUGE bunch of flowers. A gorgeous bouquet of flowers including roses and those huge daisy looking flowers which i love, now occupy a large part of my desk as i type this! And who sent these flowers? A tall, dark, handsome man that i love very very much, sent them to me just because he could. Aww. Who says romance is dead?!! I love you too, Lee.

Becky :)
(who has had a week of surprises. Who knows what will happen tomorrow?! Stay tuned!)

5th May 2009:

Hello! Hope you all had a good bank holiday. I've had a busy weekend packing our show stand for Badminton Horse Trials, which we leave for tomorrow at the crack of dawn!! (yawn!!) We are located in the Horse Village, within the shopping area of the site so if you are at the Trials, please drop by and say hello!

 

See you there

Becky :)

27th April 2009:
Good Morning! Gosh, do i ache this morning! I ache in places i didn't know existed and my legs are on strike. I'm waddling around the office like a duck and its making everyone in the office laugh. Why am i waddling? I completed the London Marathon yesterday!!! Woo!

 

I safely completed the marathon, for the third time, in 6hrs 30 mins. I was aiming for a time under 6 hours but that didn't quite go to plan after picking up a groin strain at mile 6. Never to be undefeated i plodded on, walking a vast amount of the course but finishing none the less. The main thing was that i completed the course and had a whale of a time on the way around. I met many people, even some famous faces (Peter and Jordan) and to be honest i don't think i've ever waved so much to a crowd before.

 

This year i was dressed as a nurse, as i was running for a medical charity so it seemed quite appropiate. The outfit was quite striking, especially with stripey red and white tights! Here are a couple of pictures from the start, in Greenwich, London:

 

 

The first picture is me and Lee, just before the race and the second one is me limbering up (although i can't believe someone snapped me doing this!!). Haha!

 

Above are some pictures on the course. My support team (thanks guys!), spotted me at Mile 6 and took the picture on the right. It was really sunny yesterday and everyone came home yesterday with sunburn! I have some really weird sunburn lines!! My support team had very red noses last night too after standing in the sun too long, waiting for me to run past!

The first 6 miles were okay and i was plodding along quite happily, waving to the crowds as i ran past. Unfortunately just after Mile 6 my leg began to hurt and i had to slow down to try and give it a rest for 5 minutes. As i carried on, my leg didn't improve but power walking didn't hurt as much as running did, so this is how i completed the rest of the marathon. I did make myself run over Tower Bridge though, much to the protest of my little legs!! You have to run the important bits- the start, middle and the end!!

The second half of the course was tough. My feet were not talking to me, my knees had given up but there was no way i was going to stop. I wandered on, talking to other competitors and the crowd who were cheering me on. I couldn't feel my legs, but slowly but surely the miles clocked up and that finish line gradually came into sight. I turned the corner in front of Buckingham Palace and found a little bit of energy i had stored for the run down the Mall towards the finish line.

The pictures below are me at the finish- still smiling and my costume in once piece! It was a fantastic day, with great crowds, inspirational people and something i glad i was part of. A huge thank you to the MEDICS charity for the opportunity to let me run for them in the Marathon and my support team who came up to cheer me on. A big hello and well done to everyone i met on the course too.

Today i am back at work although i am hobbling around alot. My feet are a little damaged (3 blisters to be exact), and my calves, hamstrings and quads really ache this morning- and then i have a torn calve muscle! Oh well, no pain, no gain and afterall, i got one of these at the end....

Becky :)

 

Above: Lee and Becky at the finish and the Marathon Medal.

24th April 2009:
Hello all! Sorry i haven't written in a while. Its been a very busy week and i have lots of news to tell you. So where to start?
The new 2009 Utterly Horses catalogue is finished and its at the printers at the moment. We were a couple of days behind shedule so unfortunately it won't be launched at Badminton but it will as soon as we return. I'm really pleased with how the catalogue turned out and as a preview, here is a sneaky peek at the picture used on the front/back cover. Can you name all of the horses in the picture and find the three animals also hidden within it too?

The new catalogue is crammed to bursting point with lots of new products, many of which have yet to be uploaded to the website- thats my job for next week. There are new Traditional Horses, New Classic Horses and Accessories, Herds of new Pony Parade items and some new arrivals in the Stablemates section. Keep an eye on our website over the upcoming week to see the products as they are uploaded. The new catalogues are due to be mailed out to everyone around the middle/end of May. I will let you know when we start mailing them so you can eagerly keep an eye out for the postman.

 

In Becky news, Sunday is the big day..... the London Marathon! I'm running in costume again this year and this years outfit is as a nurse. Its a very different outfit and i made it even more snazzy with funky red and white tights. I think you will definately be able to spot me on the course!! My running number for this year is 40828 and i'm raising money for a charity called MEDICS. 

MEDICs are a charity that provide an accident and emergency doctor service. MEDICS Doctors are called out by ambulance control centres to provide emergency medical intervention at road traffic accidents, airport/ rail emergencies, agricultural/industrial accidents, fires, leisure injuries and medical emergencies. 

Here are some more pictures of my costume. My tights are just hilarious!!

  

A huge thank you once again to everyone who has sponsored me... and don't forget if you would like to still donate some pennies towards my fundraising, please visit my justgiving page here: http://www.justgiving.com/utterlyhorses. 

Every little helps as Tescos say!! Also, i wanted to show you this picture- right. This picture is from a wall at the Marathon Expo in which everyone can write their messages of support. This is one of the messages that was left for me. How funky is that!?

Right, i better get back to doing some work. I've had far too much fun trying on my costume this morning and checking out the new 2009 catalogue!!

Talk to you all soon.
Becky (the nurse!!)

:)

 

16th April 2009:

Hello! I hope you had a good Easter. Did you eat lots of Easter eggs? I have to admit i sneaked one egg and ate it in one go! It was soooo yummy!

Its been a busy week already and i've been working flat out on our new 2009 catalogue. Its 48 pages crammed full of horsey goodness and there are lots of new and exciting items in this years catalogue. It is due to be launched at Badminton Horse Trials (on the 7th-10th May) and it will be mailed out to all our customers shortly afterwards. Keep an eye on our website for the exact timings. Would you like a sneaky peak of the catalogue? Tada!

 

In other Becky News, I've finialised my marathon costume and i've decided to run as nurse. The charity i'm running for is MEDICs, a charity who provide an accident and emergency doctor service. MEDICS Doctors are called out by ambulance control centres to provide emergency medical intervention at road traffic accidents, airport/ rail emergencies, agricultural/industrial accidents, fires, leisure injuries and medical emergencies. My costume is hopefully arriving today and i will get some pictures uploaded to you to see (and snigger at- especially when you find out i'm wearing red/white striped tights to complete the costume too!!).

Becky :)

8th April 2009:
Afternoon all! How are you? Are you looking forward to Easter? I've been having a think about my costume for the marathon and have come up with the idea of running as a horse fly... yes, you read that correctly, a horse fly! I plan to have a fairy type costume and then customise it with extra horses on it. What do you think? It would be a little bit different!

Happy Easter!
Becky

6th April 2009:
Morning! Did you receive our Utterly Horses eNewsletter telling you about your Easter offer? If you haven't heard, here is the exciting offer...!

"To celebrate Easter, Utterly Horses would like to give you a gift- a gift that is good for you but its not a Easter egg- its sugarfree! When you spend over £25.00 on your order, you will receive a FREE Wind Dancer Plush Horse, worth £6.95! Wind Dancers are horse Fairies that have beautiful wings that flutter in the breeze, bringing adventure and excitement to those who believe. Let your imagination run wild with these amazing Horse Fairies! The plush Wind Dancers horses are named after the different winds found around the world- Kohia, Aura and Bali. Each plush horse features a baby-soft texture, soft pastel colours, flower accents and decorated poseable organza wings.

How does it work?
A FREE Wind Dancer Plush Horse, either Kohira, Aura or Bali, will automatically be added to your order when we process it, of course providing that your order is over the required value of £25.00. Its a simple as that! To view the offer, please click here.

And... we also have new products. In the Traditional range, Rosie the Quarter Horse, Amy the Rider, An English Tack & Accessory Set, Trotting Poles and a Duo Traditional Rug Set are the latest additions. Rosie the Quarter Horse is a beautiful Quarter Horse that comes with a rug- and is priced at £19.95. Wow! Many of the new products can be found here.

Becky :)

1st April 2009:
Hello! Woohoo! Its April. Did you see or read any weird and wonderful April Fools Jokes today? The one which made me smile the most was on Expedia, who were offering $99 trips to Mars. The listing promised no interplanetary booking feeds and the price offered savings of over $3trillion! Hehe!

 

Today i have some exciting pictures to share with you of our upcoming UK special run model, Pippin. This model is the result of a competition staged by Breyer in partnership with the British Pony Club. Pippin is due to arrive with us in late May and here is a sneak peak ahead of time of what he actually looks like out of box. Enjoy! (Just a note, please don't share these images without permission from Utterly Horses- thank you).

So there you are, Pippin! He is scheduled to be with us during Late May but keep an eye on our website to see if this changes. Pippin also comes with an exclusive button badge which i will unveil to you shortly too. Its all very exciting!

You may have noticed that the red bar on the left hand side of the website has also disappeared. Our sale has ended yesterday but as usual, Utterly Horses always has something else in the pipeline. Keep an eye on our website over the next few days for more details....! Sorry, i can't spoil the surprise just yet! One thing i meant to mention is that some of the hobby items which featured in the sale will be heading to eBay too, so keep an eye out for the listings (and the bargains!). 

My run didn't go quite to plan over the weekend and so its been rescheduled for this week. I did, however, treat myself to some funky new running shoes which i broke in this morning. They are very comfy and i know it sounds daft but i think they make me run faster!!! Zooooooom! Haha. I have my shoes sorted for the marathon but still no marathon costume. Hmmm...

Talk to you all tomorrow.

Becky :) 

 

27th March 2009:
Afternoon All. Its been a manic week and i have to admit i am looking forward to the weekend, although, i have a 20 mile run on the cards for Sunday. Its the last long run before the marathon and i think i'm going to hurt on Monday! I'll let you know how it goes.

Don't forget that our online sale ends this month.  We have models in all scales and sizes in the sale and all the sale items can be found in the sale section of the site. The sale ends on the 31st March 2009 at 12 midnight. Items are on a first come, first served basis so please lasso any horses that you would like as soon as possible. Don't forget to hunt out the bargains, there are some amazing models available at reduced prices.

A little message for UH Club Members- Jaxon is now available to be purchased online. Jaxon, pictured right, is the handsome black Percheron Draft horse who has a jet black coat, a small white star and a greying mare and tail. Jaxon is the first in a series of models to be available through the Model Horse Magazine exclusively for Utterly Horses Club Members. Each Stablemate Scale Jaxon model has been repainted by hand by the Utterly Horses team making each one unique. During painting, we had all the models lined up and it looked like we were setting up a 25 horse hitch! Now there is an idea...! Please remember that Jaxon is only available to Utterly Horses Club Members and you have to have a valid membership to be able to purchase a model. There is no reason why you can't purchase a UH Club Membership and a Jaxon model at the same time though.

Have a good weekend and as mentioned in the eNewsletter, don't forget to put your clock forward a hour on Sunday.

 
Becky :)

24th March 2009:
Morning! More goodies arrived this morning at UH HQ. We seem to have a constant stream of new items at the moment and there doesn't seem like there are any signs of it stopping. New arrivals today including the Traditional Models Shasta Moon and the Black Stallion. We also have the Traditional Scale Trail Class set in stock aswell as a funky Stablemates Carry Case. All items and full details and piccies can be found in the New section, which is here.

Three new plush horses also galloped in this morning. Meet Butterscotch, S'mores and Pepper. Each plush horse is around 18 inches long and features distinctive realistic horse colouring, suede eyelids, and ears, soft manes and tails, suede hooves and the softest coats! Snuggle up with one of these horseys! Pictures and further details can be found here.

I wonder what new items will be arriving tomorrow? Check back tomorrow to see!
Becky :)

23rd March 2009:
Afternoon! Eagle eyed readers of the Model Horse Magazine will have read about two upcoming models- Sheik of Hallunbaek and Kuchi, the Gypsy Vanner Horse. These models are now coming in sooner than planned and they are also joined by a third model, Fire from the Ethereal Series. Pictured below are the new models. From left to right: Fire, the red appaloosa model from the Ethereal Series, Kuchi the Gypsy Vanner and Sheik of Halunbaek the leopard appaloosa. All three models are due to be with us late May 2009. How Exciting!!

 

17th March 2009:
Another post today.... i have sooo much to tell you this afternoon! I'm not sure about you but i'm always on facebook- well, to be honest i don't think the page is ever off my computer! I'm on facebook, as Becky Benfield (add me!) and i've just put Utterly Horses on there too. You now can become a fan of Utterly Horses by clicking here. The page is going to be updated weekley with news from Utterly Horses and pictures of things we get up to and new products that seem to constantly be arriving at UH HQ at the moment! Its that busy time of the year!! If you visit the page at the moment, there is a sneaky peak at a couple of "new" items and pictures of us out and about. Anyway, if your on Facebook and would like to become a fan of Utterly Horses, visit this link.

See you on Facebook.

9th March 2009:
Good Afternoon! I hope you had a good weekend. Today i have been putting the finishing touches to our photo show kit... and having a play with it! The photo show kit comes with 2 x A2 backgrounds, 2 x Paddock Mats, Large Bag of Assorted Moss, 4 x Bushes and a full instruction booklet...e verything to get started really! It even comes in its own cylinder storage tube for safekeeping. All you need is a model horse and a camera and then you can give photo showing a go. We are also going to hold some UH photo shows during the year so if you want to enter, keep an eye on here for more details. I was taking pictures for our upcoming catalogue (oooo!) today and used the kit and the backgrounds for most of them. I took a picture of the setup before i started, pictured right. I have to admit i quite pleased with how it turned out, especially when we originally launched the first version of the photo kit back in 2007 but it never made it fully into production (don't ask!). 2 years in the making. Hahah! Better late than never!!

Becky :)

5th March 2009:
Oo! Oo! An out-of-this-world, what-we-have-been-waiting-for-for-ages, product arrived today. Presenting.... a Stablemate Horsebox (pictured right)! Woo! This horsebox is FANTASTIC! It has tons of features, just check out this list: "It features doors and windows that open, two tack storage areas (one of either side of the lorry), fold down steps, two pull out storage trunks and a fold down rear ramp. The roof of the horsebox also slides off so you can access the inside of the horsebox and the living area, where there is also a sliding internal door. The cab of the horsebox also folds forwards to reveal a sleeping area. PLUS! This horsebox moves! The horsebox is friction powered, so pull the lorry back and watch it drive off into the distance!". Hehe, we have been racing horseboxes in the office all morning and they are quite speedy. We will have to go outside when the weather is a bit warmer and race them on the driveway and see how fast they really can go. Hahah, sounds like our office is a bit more like a playroom than an office and yes, you would be right to think that- as it is!!

26th February 2009:
Morning! Its nearly the end of February and sadly, our February promotion will also end too. So if you would like to take advantage of receiving a free rug with a classic or Traditional horse, please do so sooner rather than later. When you purchase a Traditional or Classic Horse during February we will give you a FREE fleece rug that has been hand-made by the Utterly Horses team. Each fleece blanket features an unique slip on design and is very fluffy to keep your models warm and toasty. To see more details, please click here.

As we end one promotion, it means we can start another. Check back to our website tomorrow to see what we have in store!

The new issue of the Model Horse Magazine (volume 11) is
to released shortly- we are just awaiting its arrival back from the printers. Volume 11's spotlight is on Horses in Japan. We'll learn about the role of the horse is Japan, Japanese breeds, Yabusame (archery) and even a little bit about Samurai warriors. I'll also show you how to Paint Micro Mini Models. And as a first for this issue, we are also offering a limited edition model called Jaxon. Pictured right is a sneaky peak of the front cover...!

25th February 2009:
Afternoon! Today has been a day of new items which i have snuck into the UH website. Can you find them?

The first new item is a Stablemate/Pony Parade scale stable/playmat. Its a very funky item. Unzip this soft country stable and play on the stable scene playmat, then neatly zip it all up again when you've finished having fun. We have tested this product out and it is suitable for Pony Parade and Stablemate horses. And to get you started, two Stablemate scale ponies are included! To view pictures of this item please click here.

New Hobby Items have also appeared. Our Utterly Horses Photo Show Kit has finally made into onto our website and can be found here. The Photo Show Kit comes with 2 x A2 backgrounds, 2 x Paddock Mats, Large Bag of Assorted Moss, 4 x Bushes, each measuring 50mm high and a full instruction booklet with ideas and examples. It also comes in its own cylinder storage tube for safekeeping. The backgrounds are available on their own as a set too if you are looking for just backgrounds.

 Another new Kit is our "Create your Own Magpie" Kit. Magpie Models Horses are usually sold painted but we are delighted to offer you the chance to create your own. Each kit comes with two Magpie "bodies"- one in chestnut and the other in brown and two shanks of hair, also in chestnut and brown, to hair your models with. There are three different horses available- the Hunter, the Arab or the Welsh pony. Magpie models horses are often used in dolls house setups and with this kit you can create your own model, to your own design. Here is the link to the page with more details.

Becky
(who really really really aches at the moment!)

18th February 2009:
Afternoon! You may have noticed a change to the Hobby Items section on the website- i've been pruning. Haha, who would have thought you could prune a website! We have had to say goodbye to quite a few items in order to say hello to lots of new ones. The items that you see now in the Hobby Section will be staying for a while and i will be adding other items over the next few days. One new set of items is hair- hair for rehairing model horses to be precise! Our hair is made from a synthetic material and is similar to the hair used to hair Julip and Grand Champion Model Horses. It is great to use for hairing models and we find its more managable than mohair which can go everywhere (and stick to your fingers!). It also has a lovely glossy sheen, that will give your models the superstar look. Hair is sold in shanks measuring 38cm long and weighs over 100 grams. One pack would do a mane and tail on a Traditional model quite easily. Here is the link to the section.

Becky :)

 

16th February 2009:
Hello! I hope everyone had a good weekend and enjoyed Valentines Day. I got a big bunch of flowers from someone special so i was thrilled to bits! Yesterday was also the day we got to see the 2009 Breyer models in person. There are some fantastic new models in the range including the new mould Idocus model. I took my camera with me and snapped quite a few of the new models, including the Best in Show models, shown right. To view the other pictures, please click on the product pages of the new 2009 items.

Becky

13th February 2009:
Goooood Afternoon. More goodies have arrived at Utterly Horses today! Wahey! We have some new Pony Parade accessories including a two-in-one field shelter/stable and a set that contains feed troughs and a hay rack. There is also a new wooden fence set with a working gate which will look fantastic on your stable yard. The traditional range has some welcome additions too including cats, rabbits and even a guinea pig! Ooooo, the Utterly Horses team will have fun playing with the new products over the weekend!

This Sunday is the BETA awards which i will tell you all about next week, after our return, plus, its valentines day tomorrow! You will have to write to me and tell me if you got any Valentines cards. Did you receive a card you honestly didn't know who it was from? .... oOo, its so exciting!

Happy Valentines Day for tomorrow. Have a good weekend.
Becky :)

9th February 2009:
Hello! Brrrr, its chilly in the UH office today. The snow is still outside and it looks like it should be Christmas all over again. I've been putting the finishing touches on a new advert today for an equine magazine that i started over the weekend. Its a little bit different...! The picture is shown, right. What do you think? Its hard to think that the advert is made up of over 50 images and took over 8 hours to complete. Mad! Either way, i love creating the adverts even though sometimes i think my ideas are a little too "out of this world!". Muhahaha, the next one is going to be even better! Keep an eye out for the advert on the back of an equine magazine at your local newsagents soon.

This week is very busy with events including the BETA awards, the equine version of the Oscars. I've been racking my brains about what to wear at Sunday nights awards. Its black tie so i think my old faithful LRD (thats Little Red Dress- i don't do black) will solve my dilemma- where did i put the matching shoes though!? Hahah. Either way, i will try to get pictures of the event and post them on here next week for you. Who needs the BAFTAs when you have the equine version!!

Becky

Afternoon! I had a little bit of a surprise today whilst wandering route my regular websites that i like to visit. I was on one of them! Spooky huh? Clicking on the "Whats New" section of the Breyer US website, i saw the headline:

Oh! I nearly forgot to tell you about another new model product- Pippin (shown right). Pippin is the new Traditional Pony model based on a Pony Club Pony. This model is the result of a competition staged by Breyer in partnership with the Pony Club. Oliver Jones owns his beloved Pippin, a 21 year old grey Connemara pony. Pippin has helped Oliver, and many riders before him, develope important riding skills and become good Pony Club members. Pippin should be with us in February so keep an eye on our website for more details! Plus! Each Pippin model comes with an EXCLUSIVE collectable button badge, available only from Utterly Horses. Woop!

Hmmm, what else? I'm working on the next issue of the Model Horse Magazine, which will be launched with the new UH Club. This issues main topic is Horses in Japan. We learn about the role of the horse is Japan, Japanese breeds, Yabusame (archery) and even a little bit about Samurai warriors. I'll also show you how to Paint Micro Mini Models.

Afternoon All!

How are we all? Well i hope. I'll feeling very Christmasy this week and have even completed my Christmas shopping which is unheard of. I've even managed to write all my Christmas cards, wrapped all my pressies and are now are slighlty scared of how organised i am!

 

The countdown to Christmas is in full swing and the big day is now less than 10 days away (Whoopee! Not that i am excited or anything!). Our last ordering & despatch date is very close too. Order before the 19th December 2008 to ensure your order arrives in time for Christmas, please. We still have herds of horses looking for new homes to go to over Christmas including some old favourites- Toreo, Azim and Polaris. These models are retired and once they have all found new homes, thats it they are gone. Give a pony a new home today! 

I forgot also to tell you about the rare ponies we currently have in our stable too, at the moment. To celebrate this Olympic year, Breyer created a very special, very limited series of models on the new hunter pony model called The Medalist Series- three ponies made in the colour of the Olympic medals- Gold, Silver and Bronze. There were 350 of each of the ponies produced and were not available to all Breyer stockists. Qualifying stockists were able to earn a limited number of these models based on qualifying criteria from Breyer. This means these models are very, very, very hard to find indeed and UH has manged to find you some. (Click on the image to find out more)

Right, i better be off to go round up some horses and ask them nicely to get into boxes, ready to travel to their new homes.

Ta ta for now!

 

Becky :)

6th December 2008:
Goooood Afternoon! My apologies for the delay in updating my blog. Its been quite eventful the last few days and let me explain why.

 

 

26th November 2008:

Afternoon! Did anyone read the Daily Mail this weekend? If you looked closely at p.81 in the Mail on Sunday, you may have recognised a familar face. Yes, yours truly was featured in the national newspaper in relation to becoming a finalist in the national Everywoman awards. Woooooopeeee! I think i must have told everyone to go and purchase the paper that day! Its not everyday your picture in a newspaper that is distributed all over the country. To view the article, please click on the image, right, or click here.

And don't forget to listen to the radio at 3pm (1500hrs) tomorrow- the 26th November. I will be in the studio of BBC Essex Radio (103.5) and live on the wireless from 3pm! Its so exciting! What a fantastic birthday gift! Yes, you read that correct, its my birthday tomorrow too. I'm a quarter of a century. Eeek!

22nd November 2008:
Morning! Its been a week of Utterly in the spotlight and today is no exception. Today i was lucky enough to have a piece published in the local paper about Utterly Horses and myself. To view the article, please click on the image, right, or click here. It was a fantastic piece and i was really surprised that it was so big! I certainely said "Wow" when i first opened the newspaper and saw it!!

Becky

 

I'm not sure what picture (or even pictures!) they will publish. It will be a case of rushing to the newsagents on Sunday morning to purchase a newspaper to find out! How exciting!! I'm going to be into a National newspaper! Woop!

7th November 2008:
Morning Everyone! Have you seen the new model we have uploaded to the website? Caliente, the 2008 Tour Model, is a fiery dappled chestnut Lusitano whos name means "hot" in Spanish. Each model comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and is stamped with "2008 Breyer Tour Limited Edition" on the belly of each horse. This model was exclusively available at 2008 Breyer Tour Stops including the Utterly Horses Breyer Weekend 2008. It is now available to add to your collection. The model comes presented in Blue Velvet Drawstring bag, with silk lining rather than the Traditional Breyer box. Like a number of items this year, a limited number of models are available.

28th October 2008:
Afternoon! My apologies for not writing sooner. For the last week i have had the pleasure (well, thats not actually true) of the dreaded lurgy and have been tucked up in bed trying to get rid of it. Whilst i have been fighting off the flu, two new arrivals galloped into the UH Office: Matrix and Big Chex to Cash. These models are part of the 2008 Mid Year range and have arrived ahead of schedule. Please click on the "New Products" section to view all the new products and latest arrivals. The Noelle Christmas horse is due into stock early November and as soon as we have some more details, we will let you know.

Also, don't forget that our October promotion ends this Friday. Our October promotion of: "Rugging your Models for FREE" is ideal for keeping your models warm and cosy during those cold winter mornings and the dark nights (plus, they are a great little extra gift if you are buying the models as Christmas presents). Purchase any Traditional or Classic model during October and you will receive a FREE Blanket but hurry, this promotion ends this Friday (the 31st October 2008).

Becky :) 

As i predicted, the mad rush for the shower started at 5pm on the dot. Its a little bit like a military operation making sure you are ready to go on time, not forgetting to make sure that your shoes match your outfit and your not having a bad hair day. Either way, I survived this part of the preparation and the above picture shows us all ready for the event. From left to right: Zoe, John, Fiona, Sharon, Becky and Lee.

Next we set off to the award venue and was greeted by a glass of champagne on arrival (Ooo!). The venue looked amazing, almost like a mini Oscar award ceremony, with very glitzy decorations and lots of flowers everywhere. There were around 300 companies being represented at the ceremony and everyone looked fabulous in their tuxedos and black tie dresses- including us!

Before we got to the award giving part of the evening we had a very yummy three course meal. The nerves had been building up to the evening for weeks and the butterflies were going mad after we finished our meal. Would we be lucky enough to receive an award? The picture below shows myself and Lee just after dinner. Can you tell we are really nervous?

The award ceremony itself is a little like the Oscars. Each nominee is read out and then the winner is unveiled. On each table we were given some "clappers" to help cheer for our companies and the lucky winners. This picture shows Fiona getting ready to cheer Utterly on!

And the Winner is....? The picture below shows me with our first award, the award for Excellent Customer Service. Can you tell i'm relieved and pleased at the same time?

We were already up in the clouds after our first award and then to our surprise we were lucky enough to receive a second award for the eBusiness category. This picture shows me with both awards, although it does look like i am wearing them!! After we had received the two awards, i have to admit we did celebrate in style. We celebrated with a large bottle of bubbley and then proceeded to dance the night away into the early hours. Certainely a night to remember for a long time to come and its a fantastic pat on the back for the hardworking Utterly team. Well Done Guys!

So, there you go, that was out black tie award ceremony adventure.  You don't get to do that sort of thing everyday!! Also to unveil another bit of news is that last week we received word that we had been nominated for ANOTHER award, which is absolutely amazing! I may have to go dress shopping yet again!!

Becky :)

10th October 2008:
Hello! Todays the day! Everyone here in the office is counting down the hours until this evening. Gosh, its so exciting! At 5pm on the dot, there will be a scramble to get in the shower first and have first dibs on the mirror. Hahah, well, i'll let you know how it goes! I'm so excited and feel like a child on Christmas morning!!