Salinero ~ Mistral Hojris

MIstral Hojris, nicknamed Alf, is a chestnut Dutch Michellino gelding with a beautiful story of overcoming fear to become a champion.  His owner Laura Bechtolsheimer learned and grew with him, and saw his amazing willingness to try as well as his athleticism, even though most other people thought he was a dangerous, loose cannon.  Laura says he was fearful as a young horse, and would often get frightened at sights and sounds in the arena... Then his own reaction seemed to frighten him more, and he'd sometimes bolt during a performance.  Laura took the time to understand her horse, and instead of trying to stop him when he bolted, she spoke calmly, patted him, and slowed him gently.  Her patience and love paid off, and soon she and Alf were coming in second only to Valegro and Totilas at the highest levels of competition!  She retired Alf in 2013 at age 18, when she had to take time off from the sport, but he has a forever home with her, enjoying country hacks and time in the field.

[Mitral Hojris and Laura at the London Olympics; photo credit Ken Braddick / Dressage News]

Breyer's portrait model is on the Salinero mold, which displays the piaffe that Alf was famous for.  It shows off his copper chestnut coat, four socks and blaze.  It was only produced in 2012-2013.

This fellow is in Excellent condition with tiny eartip rubs, some tiny black marks on his hooves and socks, and lots of shiny areas in his finish.  He displays just fine, and features soft shading and bright whites.  The peg from his base has broken off inside his foot (as so often happens), so it will need to be drilled out before fitting him with a new base.  We carry solid steel bases if you need one.

Size:  Traditional

Breyer Model #1480