Picnic Day featuring Sweet Clover
The Picnic Day set was one of two sets released in 1991 as a
mini-playset on a theme. Like earlier releases such as the Gymkhana
and Birthday
Party, these sets comprised of a collection of accessories
and one unique pony.
Most of the accessories sold with the Picnic Day set were unique
to this release, although the plates were based on the same mould
of plate from the earlier Birthday Party set.
1990 or 1991?
There is some confusion over Sweet Clover's release, because
her box has the rainbow design from 1990 - featuring Mainsail
rather than the 1991 pony, Rainbow Rider. It seems as
though Hasbro originally intended to make this part of the 1990
range.
Sweet Clover Mint in Box
UK, 1991
However, for whatever reason, Sweet Clover was NOT part of the UK
1990 line. While the reasons for the delay are unknown, it is
pretty easy to prove that one happened. Sweet Clover is not
included in Hasbro UK's 1990 catalogue, which was sent to stores
to show the year's line. She does appear in a UK promotional
booklet from 1991, however, and this booklet announces that the
Picnic Day set is "new" to the 1991 line.
Rosette and Prize Day
New releases in the 1991 UK catalogue
This stop-start on her production may explain why Sweet Clover
never made it into the UK pony comic. She is one of very few UK
released ponies that never appeared in the comic in any activity,
story or artwork, at any point in the line. If she was meant to be
included in the 1990 line, but was aborted at the last minute,
however, she may have simply been deleted from potential
storyboards, and not added again when she actually came out in
1991.
Releases in the UK and in Europe
The lack of comic appearance meant that, for a long time, there
was confusion over her real name, or whether she even had one. To
begin with she was often either just called Picnic-Pony
(Picknick-Pony), Kleeblatt, or the direct translation, "Clover".
She was also mistakenly labelled a German exclusive pony, although
she was sold across Europe. But, as her UK box can confirm, the
set is called Picnic Day in English, and the pony is Sweet
Clover.
The versions of Sweet Clover sold in the UK and in most of
continental Europe are quite distinctively different. The version
most common to the UK is pink (as shown at the top of the page),
whilst the version that appears in promotional material, and which
was sold in places like Germany, was in a lighter peach colour.
Sweet Clover
(Edition commonly found in Germany, France etc)
The fact that this is the colouring that appears in all the
marketing material suggests that this may have been the original
version of Sweet Clover, potentially released in Europe in 1990 -
leaving the UK to play catch up in 1991. This would also explain
the use of the older box rainbow logo, as the box would already
have been determined. It is also supported by the fact Rosette and
Sweet Clover both appear on the German insert for 1991, but
neither product is advertised here as being "new". They were also
promoted in the German comic in the same advert as the Playtime Baby
Ponies, which were also part of the 1990 line.
The English packaged version of Picnic Day was also sold in other
countries, including Greece - although Mint in Box items from
Greece tend to have the pink, rather than the peach version
included.
It may well be that instead of regionally locating these ponies to
the UK and Europe, we should rather be calling the peach version
'1990' and the pink one '1991' - but without more concrete
information about releases, this remains speculation. All we can
say at this point is pink is more common in the UK, and peach more
common on most of the continent.
Sweet Clover's Character
Because Sweet Clover didn't appear in any of the comics, the
only clue to her character is contained in her box story. No
other ponies are named in her story, but it describes her
inviting her friends to the beach for a picnic. Aside preparing
all the food, Sweet Clover also performed for her friends on the
guitar and sang songs for them. There's something a bit bohemian
about this flower-symboled, flower-guitared seaside songstress,
and it is sad that we did not get to see her in the comic,
perhaps holding her picnics on Sunshine Beach.
