Ask The Trailmaster

You're right, the Dixie Stampede is a one-of-a-kind experience, not to be found elsewhere. As for the terrific "American Spirit" figurine, as you know, it is currently available only at the Dixie Stampede gift shops in Branson, Missouri or Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (or by calling them - 417-336-3000 (MO) - 865-453-4400 (TN)). Several thousand have been created to date. It has not been decided yet when we will retire this Pony, so we cannot say how many will ultimately be produced.

We are all hoping that Dolly's life-size Pony, "Colt of Many Colors," will be crafted into a figurine. But she is the one who will make the decision if and when.

I'm afraid our national competition is over, but we are always interested in receiving new designs for consideration as a figurine. The only restriction I would mention here is that you cannot use the names or images of trademarked brands or famous people. Finally, it is perfectly okay if you create an original Painted Pony from one of our kits and sell it as a custom Painted Pony.

The fact that you are writing from Canada explains the discrepancy. We created a limited edition of 1,000 pieces for distribution in the United States, and an additional 110 for Canada and Australia.

Yes, all the Holiday 2012 figurines and ornaments can now be ordered through our Official Website Store, as well as a limited number of 2011 Holiday figurines and ornaments.

The numbering of Painted Ponies in The Four Seasons Collection appears on the top of the base, on a medallion, rather than on the underside of the base. These were limited editions of 20,000, and the specific edition number should appear there.

This is a legitimate question, Steve. I’m sure other Painted Pony collectors have wondered the same thing. There are basically two reasons why the time frame between announcing new Ponies and shipping them has taken longer than it did with our previous manufacturer. First, our new manufacturer was more conservative in the initial quantities they ordered because they did not have a sales history to draw on. Secondly, because we decided to recraft a number of our bestsellers (which began with the creation of entirely new molds) the result was a logjam at the factories. This frustrated a lot of people – collectors, retailers, reps, and you can put us at the top of the list. While some of this can be explained as the challenges that accompany any transition, that still is no excuse. So there have been meetings about this and promises have been made that this will change in 2011. We do not want collectors to have to wait more than 60 days from the time a new Painted Pony release is announced, and its availability in stores. And our goal is expedite delivery to 30 days. So far so good. The Ponies that were announced in January 2011 have already shipped. Thanks for giving us an opportunity to let everyone know of our new production schedule.

The economic recession has taken a toll on a lot of retail stores, and department stores are no exception. A recent reorganization within Dillards resulted in the elimination their entire Home Departments, which is where Painted Ponies were traditionally displayed. But our history together has been so mutually rewarding that Dillards did not want to stop carrying Painted Ponies completely. While they will be phasing out the “everyday” Painted Ponies, they intend to have a spectacular display of Holiday Painted Pony figurines and ornaments.

If our logo and the name of the Pony – “Penguin Express” – are stamped on the underside of the base, then yes, this is part of The Trail of Painted Ponies collection. Thanks for checking. We apologize for the fact that there are companies who have come out with other painted horses that attempt to create confusion in the marketplace.

“Desert Dream Horse” was one of the original life-size Ponies that were part of the Santa Fe public art exhibition in 2001. The First National Bank and Southwestern College were its sponsors. Ellen Alexander was the artist. It was a lovely work of art, but it has not yet been crafted into a figurine.