aren Malcor
began collecting model horses when she was 3 years old, and began
showing within the hobby in 1972, at age 13. Her first and still
most-winning showhorse was the OF Yellow Mount, King of the
Hill. Karen began repainting horses while still in her early
teens, so that "King" could have some pinto get--Breyer
didn't make many OF pintos at the time. Her first works were done
with acrylic and brushes, but later she evolved to using an airbrush
and acrylics, with hand-painted details. Karen and her studio
stable name of Asthma Hills, "Wheeze the best!,"
was well-known and Karen was sought-out for her striking and realistic
roans and pintos. (Obviously, being allergic to horses never phased
Karen one bit!)
For many years, Karen made a living training real horses as well as customizing model horses. However, her gonzo, all-out inspired, 16 hour-day work habits caused her to develop carpal tunnel syndrome. She reluctantly had to quit doing customs when they started falling out of her hands. Her last customs were done in the mid-to-late 1980's, but she still gets "touched by a muse" once in a while and has several partially completed models that she works on when she can. Most are pretty radical remakes and she hopes to surprise people with them when they're done.
Karen (now Malcor-Chapman) started raising real horses in 1978, and today she and her husband, Michael Chapman, own the Norco, California ranch, KpM Cornerstone Arabians, at which she stands the son of Khemosabi++++, Khornerstone KpM. Many of Karen's personal models are portraits of her real horses, and a number of her customs were done for clients with real horses in training. She usually has to content herself now with the much slower, but perhaps more satisfying--and certainly equally creative--task of *breeding* the horses she envisions rather than remaking them.
Paint at Top: AH Spring Robin, chestnut overo Paint mare customized from the Breyer Traditional Lady Phase by owner Karen Malcor
Arabian: grey Arabian stallion customized from the Breyer Classic Arabian Stallion
Paint Foal: Kitten Cutter, buckskin overo Paint foal customized from the Breyer Classic Andalusian Foal by Karen Malcor and sold to unknown individual
Quarter Horse: Poco's Droxine, bay roan Quarter Horse filly customized from the Breyer Traditional Quarter Horse Yearling and owned by unknown
Bareback Bronc: Nostromo, strawberry roan rodeo stock stallion customized from the Breyer Traditional Hobo and owned by Karen Malcor; tack by Rio Rondo
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