Until the mid-1960s, there were basically two kinds of model horse collectors: adults who wanted them as ornaments, and children who wanted to play with them.
In the 1960s, Ellen Hitchins and Simmie Smiljanic were two girls who loved model horses. Although Ellen lived in California and Simmie in Indiana, Simmie would sometimes fly out and stay with Ellen, and they and their other horse-loving friends would hold pretend shows with their model horses. They created class lists and crafted saddles, bridles and accessories. Each model had a name and was assigned a breed so the girls could keep track of how each horse did at each show.
As the girls entered their teens, their shows became more sophisticated. Instead of play, they now had a hobby. They wanted to continue the shows when they couldn’t all be together, but how?
Model Horse Photo Shows Are Created
The girls found a solution. They and their friends took photographs of their horses “performing” in various classes, then mailed the photos back and forth. Each photo had the name, breed and sex of the horse on the back, and class numbers were written in pencil so they could be erased and changed for the next show. With model riders not available, extra skill was needed to photograph the horses so they looked as if they were performing with invisible riders aboard.
Participation grew as other model horse collectors heard about the new hobby. In 1969, Ellen founded the first club, the International Model Photo Horse Show Association, or IMPHSA, complete with a mimeographed newsletter that contained class lists for upcoming shows, show results, articles and ads. Simmie had printed a few pages of a fledgling newsletter as early as 1967, and a year or two later she created a midwestern club and a newsletter called Pony Express.
Both clubs registered model horses and kept records of show results. The models earned points in shows, and year-end awards were provided. Soon there were photo shows across the USA and western Canada. The first IMPHSA National Show was judged by well-known horseman and journalist Don Burt.
Membership stayed relatively small until articles about model horse showing appeared in a couple of national horse magazines around 1969. Interest skyrocketed. Soon new model horse clubs, many breed-specific, and more newsletters were popping up everywhere. The North American model horse hobby was taking off.
Meanwhile, a similar hobby was evolving in the United Kingdom. North Americans typically showed Hartland and Breyer plastic horses and ceramic Hagen-Renakers. The UK shows focused more on the British-made Julip toy horses. Julips had model riders, so unlike North American show horses, the UK models were always presented with scale riders aboard.
Model Horse Live Show
The first organized “live show” where hobbyists brought their actual models instead of photos was held August 9, 1970, in California for IMPHSA members. Seventeen exhibitors took part, one from Arizona and the rest from California. Among the winners were Susie Figueira, Mary Ellen Hofmann and Laurie Jo Baier. Simmie came from Indiana to judge. Some hobbyists began customizing models (repainting and remodeling them) and making tack and accessories to sell to other hobbyists. Many of these young entrepreneurs were still in elementary school.
The next record of a live show was August 5, 1972, in Michigan. Two more were held in Chicago in 1973 and 1974, hosted by Chicago collector Marney Walerius. This would evolve into a much larger event, the Model Horse Congress. More large shows followed in California and elsewhere. Today, there is a huge network of highly organized live shows around the world.
Model Horse Hobby Expands
While all this was happening, the original model horse showers were getting older. Most had started showing when they were between 10 and 15. A lot of showers put their hobby on the back burner while going to college. But once they entered the work force, they had money to spend on models and tack, and they introduced the hobby to their adult friends. By the 1980s, there were probably as many adults as children and teens involved in collecting and showing. Senior citizens who loved horses also found the hobby was ideal for them.
Live shows pushed the envelope in realism,. Today, tack and accessories are often exact miniatures of the real thing. While photo showing remains popular, live shows have attracted new types of exhibitors, especially serious collectors wanting to display their finest models and professional tack makers and model horse artists who want people to see their work.
The next step was inevitable. Adult showers introduced spouses, children and grandchildren to the hobby. Now some families actually have three generations involved in collecting, photo showing and live showing. Model horse shows also have led to lasting friendships amongst collectors.
And while the hobby continues to evolve, it still includes children playing with their toy horses and adults who simply love to see beautiful figurines of horses decorating their homes.
Model Horses 101 by Janet Piercy has plenty of information and links about the hobby, model horse manufacturers, photo showing, live showing and much more.
Thanks to model horse sculptor and exhibitor Laurie Jo Jensen (nee Baier) for graciously providing additional information. She was there from the beginning!
Additional Sources
- IMPHSA Bulletins from the 1970s
- Pony Express issues from the 1970s
This article is dedicated to the memory of the late Ellen Hitchins and the late Marney Walerius.
Terry McNamee - As a community newspaper reporter for nearly 30 years, Terry McNamee won many regional, provincial and national awards for her writing.
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