Bert and Ernie get My Little Pony makeover
Think of My Little Pony and images of rainbows, stars and a haze of pastel colours probably spring to mind. Think again.
In celebration of International Day of Friendship last week (30 July), a selection of famous pals have been given a horsey makeover.
Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie, Clueless’ stylish Cher and Dionne and Transformers’ Bumblebee and Optimus Prime are among the new releases from the franchise.
Complete with spiky hair, stripped tops and Ernie’s iconic monobrow, the Sesame Street characters stand out among the new arrivals.
Television favourites from the past, such as Laverne and Shirley and I Love Lucy’s Lucy and Ethel also now have equine counterparts.
But the franchise is no stranger to the big or small screen.
A television show bringing the plastic ponies to life was first aired in 1986 and last year saw the release of the second My Little Pony film: Equestria Girls – Rainbow Rocks.
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As well as the new collection of pony figurines, an animated series focusing on friendship has been made.
Created by global companies Hasbro and generationOn, the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic series features the core My Little Pony cast.
The initiative invites children and their families to celebrate friendship with acts of kindness and volunteering.
Last year, a survey by online gift shop Gone Digging – now known as I Just Love It – found My Little Ponies to be the most popular toy of the 1980s.
The colourful equines beat Supersoakers, Care Bears and Glo Worms to the top spot in the survey that polled more than 3,000 people.
H&H wondered what some famous horsey friendships would look like with a My Little Pony touch — could Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro be next?
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.