Look-Alike: G1 Morgan Stallion

As with the G1 Morgan Mare, the G1 Morgan Stallion has a whole lot of brown going on. Due to the mold's irregular release history, there are a few runs which are pretty much impossible to tell apart. Looking at the mold stamp may provide a clue in some cases, but even so you're more than likely to be left guessing at best.

Conga! G1 Morgan Stallion

The original ceramic Hagen-Renaker mold, #389 Mini Morgan Stallion⁵, was sculpted by Maureen Love Calvert, and leased from the ceramics company by Breyer for production in plastic. Officially released in 1976, the Morgan Stallion mold was discontinued along with the other Generation One molds in 2005.

During this time, Breyer released ten regular runs and twelve special runs on this mold, putting him in second place for the most used G1 mold, eight runs behind the G1 Draft Horse. The popularity of this mold makes it one of the more difficult and expensive ones to conga; the sheer number of releases (especially with those three "Arabians" during the first part of 1975) doesn't help matters, either.

Variation Gallery: G1 Morgan Stallion #5013 & #5035

If you would like to contribute to a future VG post, please check out our list of photos needed.

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment

#5013 Arabian Stallion

1975

And

#5035 Morgan Stallion

1976-88

Variation Spotlight: Morgan Stallion #5036

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment

#5036 Morgan Stallion

1976-88

How much variation can there be in a run of black horses? If that run is #5036, the black Morgan Stallion, the answer might be surprising. Unlike most of the Stablemate variations, the sock variations of this run are unusually well documented.

Footnotes: The Stamp of Approval - A Tale of Two Nostrils, A History of the G1 Morgan Stallion Mold

The popular Morgan Stallion mold always has to be a little different. While a bare-belly on another G1 mold likely indicates an early release, it's not so simple with this mold.

First, bare-belly examples the dapple grey and alabaster models from his "Arabian Stallion" days do exist, though not long into the "Arabian" period he was given the standard copyright stamp; he was dated 1975 even though he was meant to be a later release.⁵

Bare-belly bays aren't uncommon, but hard to positively identify. I have a couple myself, but unless you are the primary purchaser or bought him second hand NIP (New in Package), one cannot say with absolute certainty that particular bay is a 1975 "Arabian Stallion" or a 1976 #5035 "Morgan Stallion". Still, relatively simple, right? Not even close.

Variation Spotlight: G1 Arabian Mare, Morgan Stallion, and Seabiscuit #5650

Regular Run Stablemate Assortment

#5650 Saddle Club Collection

1994-95

Since we've introduced the Saddle Club, let's take a look at a couple of variations from the first release of this set. Today you're getting a three for the price of one as we cover the three models from the set most likely to exhibit variations.


First we have that lovely pumpkin coloured chestnut Seabiscuit. The model on the upper level was from my original set while the lower model was purchased as a single some years later.