Breyer
1708
Snowman
Traditional Series 1:9 scale
"A big gray horse with an even bigger heart, Snowman rose from obscurity
to become one of show jumping's most beloved heroes.
His rags-to-riches story began in 1956, when Harry de Leyer, a Long Island
riding instructor, went shopping for potential school horses in Pennsylvania.
Arriving too late for the auction, he spotted "rejects" being loaded
onto a van bound for the slaughterhouse. Though bony, beat up and filthy, one
plow horse showed enough spark to catch his eye. De Leyer made an offer, and
for $80, the 7-year-old gelding was his.
Quiet enough to be a lesson horse, the new rescue was a hit with children, who
dubbed him "Snowman." But when sold to a local doctor, he kept
jumping fences and returning to de Leyer. Recognizing his talent, de Leyer
began training him for the show ring.
Soon, Snowman was meeting and beating the country's best jumpers everywhere he
went. He'd clear anything from a 7'2 obstacle to another horse - and do it with
care. Yet this child-friendly, 16h giant could still win a leadline class on
the same day as sweeping an open jumper championship.
Snowman was champion at the 1958 National Horse Show, winning the stake there
the following year. In 1958 and 1959, he was named both the American Horse
Shows Association Horse of the Year and the Professional Horsemen's Association
Champion.
"The people's horse," he made appearances abroad, became a television
celebrity, and was the subject of several books. Even in retirement, Snowman
remained a popular attraction at de Leyer's farm, where he died in 1974.
Eighteen years later, he was inducted into show jumping's Hall of Fame.
Snowman's legacy lives on as the subject of Elizabeth Letts' New York Times
bestseller, The Eighty Dollar Champion, which tells his amazing Cinderella
story."
Brand new shop stock
See our other listings for more Breyer and other horse related products.