Mike Jackson’s Hartland Photos:
Turf King—The Jockey

Text & Photographs Copyright Mike Jackson 1998-2009

Turf King: #811
This one doesn't really fit the mold of “Westerns” but was sold during the same time. Turf King and Jockey only showed up on some of the earliest brochures starting in 1956. For whatever reason, Hartland discontinued the set shortly after its introduction and did not appear again in the 1957 brochure.

The figure has the stirrups actually molded onto the feet. Once set on the saddle and blanket, it appears to be one. The only loose accessory is the crop and it may be the most elusive small piece in the entire collection. The horse is a bay with black mane and tail. The mane is cropped on most sets, but I do believe some of the earliest sets had the full mane and tail as shown in the photo used in the brochure. Most sets also have the shorter and more streamlined tail. I have seen photos of the jockey on one of Hartland’s Polo Ponies, but I don’t think they were ever sold that way. In fact, the Polo Ponies weren’t even made until late in Hartland’s production while the Jockey rider and blanket were some their earliest.
The Jockey’s hat is actually molded on his head as shown here. The stirrups are also molded onto the legs and feet of the figure—the only Hartland figure to have this.
The black and white photo above is scanned from an actual Hartland 8x10 photo. This is the same shot used in the brochures, though the horses had a cropped mane in the final production pieces.
The Jockey Crop is very hard to find. They break easily when being pushed under the rider’s hand if not careful. I’m sure most were just lost in the carpet or grass.
Mold Marks
Jockey figure: © Hartlands Plastics, Inc. on the back of right arm.
Saddle: “© Hartlands Plastics, Inc.” along the top of the seat.