The lightest of the grey G2 Clydesdales is the white grey #5904 Light Grey Shire (2003-06). The white grey colour has lightly shaded grey joints, dock, mane, and muzzle. It has four airbrushed stockings, light cream rear hooves and grey fore-hooves. These models can be found in regular and translucent plastic.
At first glance #711215 Ronin, the 2005 BreyerFest Single Day Ticket model, looks a lot like the #5904 Light Grey Shire, but this model has a high gloss finish and light grey dapples.
Besides being porcelain, #8137 International Miniatures Collection - English Shire (2004-05) is the only one of the mid-grey models to have airbrushed dapples. The legs on this model are light grey with black hooves except for the off-hind leg which has a distinct sock and a cream-coloured hoof. This porcelain piece is attached to an oval cobblestone base.
The other dapple grey G2 Clydesdale is from the #31002 Horse Play Card Set, 2nd Edition (2009-11) and has water-resist dapples. It has a white mane and tail, four socks, cream hooves, eye-whites, and a bald face.
Models from the Just About Horses #790798 Special Edition Stablemates Gift Set (1998) were produced in old plastic; this plastic had a slightly translucent glow. The paint on this model appears to be thicker than that of other models. The white markings - bald face, four stockings, and belly spots on both sides - are unpainted plastic. The body colour is a blue-grey with a white mist of 'roaning' applied over the top.
While the other three models in the BreyerFest Breyer Store Special Mystery Box (2004) appear to be the same as the original JAH issued models, the G2 Clydesdale was very different. The paint was much thinner, only one layer of a slate grey and no overlay of roaning.
At a glance the BreyerFest Gamblers' Choice One-Day Ticket Model #711141 Moonraker (2012) is rather similar to the Just About Horses model. It too has a blue-grey roan base colour, four high white stockings, and a bald face which wraps around the muzzle. Unlike the stenciled spots on the JAH model, Moonraker's markings are spritzed on with an air-brush, giving him a "frolicking in the snow" look. His blaze is also more complex with lacy edges and pink shading. Pale shell-coloured hooves, pink shading on the nether regions, eye-whites, and a high gloss finish complete the look.
German SR & Off-side of #5651/5995
The model on the top left is from the Regular Run Gift Set #5651 5 Piece Stablemates Collection (1998-2000) and is the same as the model from the #5995 Stablemates Gift Pack (2001). This model is generally quite matte and has four high white stockings - the off-hind terminating in a large hip spot, and a bald face with a large snip. The hip spot on this model can cause some to describe it as a black pinto, which can cause confusion with some of the other models.
Greyingham Lucky Lad from the BreyerFest Breyer Store Special #711080 Stablemates 20th Anniversary Commemorative Set (2009) on the top-right is also a black pinto, but his spotting is less noticeable in profile.Like all of the other black models, he has four high white stockings and a large blaze ending in a white muzzle. He also has eye-whites, light cream-coloured hooves, a satin finish, and a big white spot on his belly.
The UK exclusive #1402 British Breeds 4 Piece Gift Set (2006) on the bottom-left is the only black Clydesdale model with dapples. The model has four socks, a large blaze, wide snip, eye-whites, and painted silver shoes.
On the bottom-right is the most extensively spotted Clydesdale. The "Gypsy Vanner" from the #5412 Stablemates Horse Lover's Collection Shadow Box (2011-Current) is a black tobiano with a large blaze, white muzzle, and four stockings.
Finally, there is the rarest of the look-alikes, the 2006 German special run. He has a high gloss finish, an apron face, a blue eye on the near side, and four stockings. The off-side is spotted in a similar, though more extensive, way as the #5651/5995 model.
The most distinctive of the bays is also the most used. He first appeared as #5604 Clydesdale (1998-02) in the Stablemate Assortment. A couple of years later he was re-released in the #5905 Wood Display Shelf (2002-03) and then again as a special run in the TJ Maxx #701774 Horses of the World (2004) set.
All these models are identical, allowing for variations, with a bald face, white muzzle, four socks, and black shading.
While many of the models in the Toys 'R' Us #760218 Stablemate World of Horses Shadow Box (2010) varied enough from their original releases to be considered a separate release rather than variations, the Clydesdale from the set was identical to the original release, the Target #720216 Pony Gals - Clydesdale (2009). Models usually have a satin finish, and have large blazes, white muzzles, and three stockings (not near-hind). This run is darker than the #5604 and more plum than red in tone.
In the promotional pictures the bay Clydesdale from the #9176 Best of British Pony and Draught Set (2015-Current) looked identical to the #720216/#760218 models. Collectors were relieved when the actual production models proved different from the pictures. The body colour is similar as is the blaze, but the black on the legs is lighter, the socks are air-brushed rather than stenciled and there are four of them.
Though the top model is flaxen chestnut, some people insist on referring to him as palomino. At this time the only true palomino Clydesdale is from the JCPenney #410443 Stablemate Parade of Breeds (2010). It was actually meant to be gold champagne, but it makes a better palomino. Colour accuracy aside, the JCP special run should have a blaze, pink snip, eye-whites, and four air-brushed socks.
#5910 Medieval Play Set (2003-04), the flaxen chestnut, is very similar to the spotted black #5651/5995. The finish is usually satin to semi-gloss and it should have a large blaze, white muzzle, four stockings, the off-hind terminating in a hip spot and the mane and tail are yellowish.
Many thanks to Melisa Diaz, Deb Walsmith, and Sharon Walbridge for providing pictures for this post!
Wow, I never knew about the 2004 Mystery Box, I always thought I owned 2 different variations of the Clydesdale.
ReplyDeleteWhen I look online, all of the JAH Clydesdales appear to have the masking of the near-hind leg more to the side than both your and mine "different" Clydesdale too. They both missed the ragged seams between white and grey as well. Could I conclude I own a 2004 Mystery Box?
I would tentatively say, yes. I only know of a couple of other people with the mystery boxes - not to say they're the only ones, but they're the only ones *I* know - and their models are the same as mine, grey instead of roaned, with smooth milky markings. That is not to say that they were only released in the Mystery Box.
DeleteWhen people received their JAH sets, there was a lot of complaining about several of the models, three of which ended up in the Mystery Box and there were rumors of replacement models being sent out. The MBox models may well be left-over replacement models, so the grey sabino Clydesdale could be a replacement someone received (I've only ever heard of these as a rumor and can't even come up with the source any more) or the MBox model.