I'm a firm believer in only collecting the things that I love, and so I'm very particular about the horses that find their way into my model horse herd. Especially given that space is limited in my home.

There are many model horses out there—

some are just not my cup of tea;

some are pretty but done on a mold I'm not a fan of;

some I wouldn't mind owning, but I'm simply not head over heels for them therefore they aren't worth the shelf-space;

And then there are the very select few that are love at first sight—the ones that I simply have to have.

These are the ones I call my Heart Horses.

This is Oriole, the latest in the Birds of a Feather series, and she is one of my Heart Horses.

Oriole is done on the Mustang mare/Forever Saige mold. Her finishwork has minimal white overo markings against a radiant amber dun pinto coat inspired by her namesake.
Oriole's paint design was done by Sommer Prosser—the very same artist who did the design for Peregrine (my other Heart Horse), so it's no wonder I immediately fell in love with Oriole when Breyer sent out the email.

I'm generally not lucky when it comes to these Collector Club lottery draw models. I only have one account which decreases my odds significantly against folks who have multiple accounts. But I entered anyway and got to wishing, hoping, and praying.

Not only did I want this model, but I also specified that I wanted to be drawn for her.
I didn't want to obtain her secondhand, or be chosen off of the waitlist.
I wanted to be selected off of the FIRST drawing for her.

And my wish was granted. ♥