BreyerMidwest Open Show!

We are so excited to be bringing the BreyerMidwest Open Model Horse Show to EquiFest of Kansas!  Thanks to our new, dedicated space in Kenwood Hall, we are going to be able to increase the capacity of the show slightly – there will still only be ten (10) full tables available, but we are able to increase to sixty (60) half tables!  Registrations for this show will be open in early December!

Our team of fantastic judges and stewards is looking forward to welcoming you!  This year’s roster includes:

Jamie Rott, Regular Run Judge

Jamie has been collecting Breyer horses for as long as she can remember, a passion she shares with her family, especially her mom, Yvonne, and daughter, Emily.  Over the years, she has immersed herself in every aspect of the hobby—collecting, showing, and judging.  Jamie has served as the President of Great Lakes Congress (GLC), a model horse organization that hosts six to eight live shows annually, since 2007.  Beyond her love for model horses, Jamie is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Illinois and holds the distinction of being Rockford's first female Water Superintendent in the city’s 100+ year history. 

Jackie Rossi, Performance Judge

Jackie hails from New Jersey where she has been an active hobbyist for over 40 years. She loves performance showing, particularly English disciplines, and judging and is looking forward to seeing your entries!  She cohosts the Mares in Black podcast and the BreyerFest Resin Renaissance show, as well. She has previously co-chaired the North American Nationals as well as other shows. When not model horsing, she can be found fixing broken pets, chasing accordion players with her husband, or prancing about in her elf suit.

Kerri Gehrmann Johnson, Special Run Judge

Kerri has been a model horse hobbyist since 1979, collecting, showing, and painting model horses. She is a past President of NAMHSA and the founder of Great Lakes Congress, Inc., the country’s only 501c3 non-profit organization focused on education about the model horse hobby. Kerri has managed and judged numerous live shows throughout the country, including GLC Live and Stone Horses Country Fair, in addition to judging at North American Nationals multiple times. Her most recent endeavor is Model Horse University, seeking to grow, inspire, and connect hobbyists around the world.

Melissa Steinkamp, Limited Run Judge

Melissa is a long time Breyer collector, who fell in love with Breyer events after attending her first BreyerFest in 2002. Since then, she has attended every BreyerFest with her mother and sister, and is excited to add BreyerMidwest to the list! When not judging at BreyerMidwest, Melissa enjoys, playing dungeons and dragons, making Breyer TikToks, hanging out with her husband and four cats, and laughing at her own jokes.

Angelo Zunic, Open Show Steward

Angelo is a part time Colorado artist who specializes in manes, tails, trace clips and everything HAIR. They enjoy customizing OF models and resins alike! Angelo has carved out a niche in the hobby assisting live shows, stewarding, holding workshops and helping artists!   Angelo will be there during the open show on Friday to answer your questions and help horses end up in their correct classes! Feel free to say hi!

Lara Heidkamp, Mini Judge

Lara joined the hobby back in 2017 when she vowed to only collect Friesians (her favorite breed), which swiftly turned into collecting all the pretty things. She is an active live shower, primarily in the Midwest, and loves being a resource or even just a friendly face for anyone who is interested in joining the community. Lara is easy to spot with her bright Crocs and bun on her head, so come say hi if you see her around!

Eleanor Harvey, Collectibility Judge

Eleanor began collecting model horses after years of pleas for a real pony fell on deaf ears. She began showing and judging model horses in the 1980s, focusing on English performance and collectibility. She has attended most BreyerFests since 1993, and judged the Children and Youth shows for many years before becoming co-manager of the shows with her good friend, Kim Bjorgo. When she's not playing with her model horses Eleanor is an art museum curator in Washington, DC, where she organizes exhibitions and writes books about American art.

Beth Patterson, Custom Breed Judge

Beth joins BreyerMidwest as the incredible judge of the Custom Breed classes for this year’s Open Show! Part of the dynamic team behind Maggie Bennett Sculpture, Beth is known and cherished for her fierce but loving spirit. Her unwavering advocacy and encouragement to artists of all ages and capabilities has been a core support for many in the model horse hobby.  She is looking forward to seeing your entries in the show ring!

Lesli Kathman, Custom Workmanship Judge

Lesli works as an artist producing custom-glazed ceramics through her company Blackberry Lane. Her real passion, however, is horse color. Her research in this field grew out of a desire to create more detailed, realistic model horses. For the last thirty years, she has written books and taught seminars designed to help others better understand colors and patterns.