Lipizzaner
Farfrae Alonzo Cortez de Baptista III
Andalusian Stallion
Lipizzaner Mold
Shortly before Lake District Live 2016, I purchased a small herd of Julips from Canada.
With luck, they would arrive just before the show, but instead they arrived the day after. Though the postal service was slow in this case, at least they didn't damage the models.
Alonzo Cortez de Baptista III was the model I was originally after, but when I found out he was on hold for another buyer, I started seriously looking at the other models on offer.
Fortunately for me, the first buyer decided not to take him, so I was going to get my first Lipizzaner after all!
Upon arrival I removed his synthetic hair and replaced it with black mohair. He has some cracking on his hind legs, but it is only noticeable when he's in certain positions and the legs are still quite flexible.
Alonzo was made around 2005/06, making him an early example of this mold.
I was so excited about him that I had him named and a story idea in my head before I even knew for sure I would get him. And thus began my Lipizzaner obsession.
Farfrae Álvar Orlando Domingo
Andalusian Stallion
Lipizzaner Mold
I very quickly went from one Lipizzaner to three. Not long after Lake District a light grey model with chestnut dapples and rather short white hair popped up in a Facebook sales post.
I hesitated a little as I wasn't totally in love with him, but I had been wanting a dappled chestnut with the large 2000s dapples and I had a "mulberry" grey Lipizzaner on my special order list, so I messaged his owner minutes after she posted his picture.
When Álvar arrived I was surprised by how dark he was. I had only seen the pictures on my phone, so I was expecting a very light, almost white, model with chestnut dapples, I was delighted by the beautifully shaded, brown-toned model I received.
I replaced his white nylon hair with a mix of brown mohair. Álvar was a special order from 2007.
Farfrae El Greco Dali
Azteca Stallion
Lipizzaner Mold
I'm not usually a roan person, but the Lipizzaner just looked so smart in this colour, and I do love flaxen chestnuts.
El Greco Dali was part of the same sales group at Lake District as Rose and eventually found his way to the Horse Room.
He was a Spare from May 2007 and was originally named Kismet.
Since I already had a Lipizzaner with a long mane, I thought I would try something a little different with Dali.
When I replaced his synthetic hair with mohair, I had a go at making Empire braids. I'm not sure if my nerves are strong enough to do that again.
Farfrae Farfalla Fantasia
Andalusian Mare
Lipizzaner Mold
Farfrae Farfalla Fantasia, Butterfly Fantasy in Italian, is one of the few second-hand Julips I did not re-hair upon arrival; She had already been re-haired for the previous owner by EG.
Normally I like longer hair, but I think she looks adorable with her sporty cut.
Farfrae Calico Rose
Andalusian Mare
Lipizzaner Mold
I've admired Callie-Rose from Miss Stacey's collection since I first edited her picture for Julip ID.
I was surprised to see her come up for sale and quickly pointed her out to my husband as a great birthday gift. Callie-Rose, now Calico Rose, was rehaired twice after joining us.
The first time I tried a gold-ginger colour which looked okay, but not great, especially in certain lighting.
The second time I used a dark chocolate mohair which was much closer to her original nylon, which looks much better.
Calico was a spare from 2007.
Rio Taió Artemisia Absinthium
Mangalarga Marchador partbred Gelding
Lipizzaner Mold
Absinthe is a rather flashy model from around 2007.
When I got him I airbrushed a bit of shading on his muzzle, darkened his eyes and hooves, and rehaired him from peachy nylon to a mix of flaxen colours.
Farfrae Art Nouveau
Azteca Stallion
Lipizzaner Mold
Nova was made around 2008.
He originally had dark brown nylon hair which I replaced with mohair.
Farfrae Le Fauve Valentino
Azteca Stallion
Lipizzaner Mold
Le Fauve was a rather monochrome model with orangey nylon hair which matched the shading on his head and no white markings.
At first, I wasn't even sure if I was going to end up keeping him, he left me that flat upon arrival, but after I brightened him up a bit with a dark flaxen mane/tail, and a small star and pastern, my attitude changed completely.
Le Fauve was likely made sometime around 2008.
Farfrae Felix Felicis
Andalusian Stallion
Lipizzaner Mold
Felix is from a 2019 Spares Night and is an absolutely lush flaxen liver chestnut.
At the time I had just finished binge reading the Harry Potter books and a large amount of fanfic, so the models from this time tend to be a little Pottery.
Felix Felicis is a good luck potion, which I thought was particularly appropriate for a Spares Night horse.
Farfrae Andrés Pizarro de Baptista VI
Andalusian Stallion
Lipizzaner Mold
When I bought Alonzo, my first Lipizzaner, I thought he might be a Catalogue "Diablo" which was made briefly in 2007; he wasn't, but I still wanted one.
In 2019, one came up for sale on the forum which I committed to buy, but the seller kept disappearing for weeks after each email.
After two months I got fed up and posted an In-Search-Of post for a Diablo on Facebook.
I got a response within minutes and was unpacking the model two days later.
Like my other Julips, I immediately rehaired him from nylon to mohair.
Andrés is a brother to Alonzo and eventually they'll be teammates for a carriage I have planned.