"To this day there is one horse that has held the record for the most gold medals won from the Olympic Games since 1960: that horse is Hans Günter Winkler’s Halla. This talented and quirky Standardbred mare defied all odds and became one of Germany’s most decorated show jumpers. After 125 recorded jumping competition wins, Halla retired in 1960, the same year she won her third gold medal at the Rome Olympics. To honor the amazing mare, a statue was erected in front of the German Olympic Equestrian Committee headquarters in Warendorf, Germany. It was also decided by the Equestrian Federation that no competition horse is to compete under the name Halla again. To honor this incredible German mare, Breyer’s original Halla design has been given a modern makeover specially for BreyerFest: Prost! Done on mold #63, sculpted by Chris Hess, this beautiful girl has been re-done in a rich bay with subtle dappling, just like the real mare she was sculpted after. This Halla portrait is extra-special as mold #63 is no longer in use. First released in 1977, the metal tool was permanently altered in 1992 to create Bolya the Akhal-Teke. As such, only a finite number of unpainted Halla models are available for Breyer artists to use, adding an extra layer of collectibility to this beautiful model!" www.breyerhorses.com.
