Month: October 2023

An Equine Saddle Surprise!

Circus Kids got their own horses in 1986 when the Circus Ponies came out. Did you know their saddles hide a clothing code surprise?

Another surprise addition to the clothing code matrix has been discovered.

There are several CPK horses, and they have been sold by various companies over the years. In 1985, Coleco produced and sold plush horses both with their Western Wear Kids and separately. These horses are called Show Ponies.  Then, in 1986, they put out Circus Ponies as part of the Circus Kids line. They are the same plush horses and came in the same Show Pony boxes, except they had a Circus Pony sticker on the window pane. These horses came with different accessories and different birth certificates. Sometimes they came in a white windowless carton instead of the barn-shaped box.

White plush horse toy inside a barn shaped and coloured box. The horse is wearing a pink blanket saddle, green bridle and has a blue ribbon. There is a 'Circus Pony' stick on the window.
Courtesy of Zopyors.
Sticker that says "Circus Pony' with a white horse wearing a green bridle and yellow head plume.
Courtesyof Ref. #3
White box that was for a Cabbage Patch Kid Show Pony. It has a white sticker at the bottom that says "Circus Show Pony".
Courtesy of Ref. #3

A Circus Pony came with a bridle with head plume, reversible fringed saddle, and leg warmers. There were only two versions of the saddle produced by the CC factory.

White plush horse facing a brown plush horse. Each is wearing a fabric blanket saddle and green bridle and have a plume on their head and leg warmers. The brown horse is wearing a dark pink saddle and the reverse showing below it. The white horse is wearing a light pink saddle with the reverse showing below.
Courtesy of Ref. #3, p. 134

420A: A light pink saddle with dark pink fringe and yellow stars. The reverse side is white with multicoloured polka dots (I think?) The leg warmers are light pink. [I still need pictures if you have one.]

420B: A dark pink saddle with yellow fringe and green polka dots with yellow dots. The reverse side is white with multicoloured square dots. The leg warmers are dark pink.

Top side of the dark pink saddle with yellow fringe. There are green dots with yellow dots on the green dots.
The underside of the dark pink saddle. it has a white back ground with a multicoloured square dots pattern.
Photos courtesy of Lisa Rogers.

What’s so interesting is that the saddles are on the clothing matrix! They have the code #420. Now, it’s hard to keep track of, but there are very few items in the 400s. A few transitional Hasbro BBB outfits (400-403), 1988 regular outfits (402-405), and Furskins outfits (430s). That’s it. So, finding these in the 400s is very random.

I wonder what other 400s items we haven’t found yet. After all, we haven’t got anything with the number 440 or higher! Do you?

Fun Facts

It is interesting that the horses were produced by the Korean WJ factory, but the saddles were made at the Chinese CC factory. No code match here! I wonder if all the pieces were made at the same factory.

This is the catalogue picture used by Coleco to advertise the Circus Ponies.

Two white plush horses with bridles, saddles, a head plume, leg warmers, and award ribbon.
From 1986 Coleco Catalogue, p.96

For more information on Clown (Circus Kids) outfits visit Circus Kids – Call in the clowns!

References:

Ref. #1, p. 150 – 151
Ref. #3, p. 134 – 136