Where do WIA models go!!

So I've put this question out on Facebook and got alot of different answers!

Are WIA classed as 'rubber like collecta' or other plastic?

I was showing these on here as 'rubber'' etc like collecta/schleich as we do in the uk. I was then told by a judge they are not like collecta etc and should be in other plastic. I changed all their details to other plastic but then recently another judge has now told me they should be in rubber!!!

I can't seem to win either way and keep getting told they aren't in the correct class. I think we need some confirmation and should be known across the board or they should have their own section? What do you think?

Personally, as an experienced judge and long-time collector, I classify WIA as rubber, no question.

I do think there is a lot of controversy over it, as you have said, but I think on the whole they are considered rubber. Their material is fairly flexible, and the scale is generally a rubber scale. I believe most (if not all) retail sellers market them in the rubber category.

I could be wrong, but that's my personal opinion. :)

I think the way the hobby has settled on the word 'rubber' for these models, is what causes this confusion!
Sure, WIA aren't made from actual rubber - but nor are CollectA, or Safari, or Mojo, or Schleich. They're all PVC, of varying types, and are sometimes described as rubbery because the PVC has a varying amount of softness and flex to it, rather than being solid like Breyer and Stone plastic.
WIA being that bit more realistic make them stand out as definitely not a kids' toy like a Schleich, which is why some judges probably take one look at them and decide they don't belong in the category, with 'it isn't rubber' being a reason to exclude them - but NONE of that whole category of mid-sized PVC plastic models are rubber, really.
If we're being accurate to the terminology, the only horses in a Rubber class would be made by Julip, Rubbernedz, Equorum, Rydal, Isis, Pegasus... and those wonky made-in-china packs of roughly horse shaped rubber animals that you see in the farm toys section, which I doubt any of us are wanting to show, hah. But that's not the way things really go, we show those other brands as Latex to clarify the difference, while 'rubber' has become the hobby's go-to term to mean any PVC plastic horses, generally of around Schleich/Collecta scale (but minis and 12th scale ranges by the same brands are often included, unless the show's also splitting by size).
It's a bit confusing, but it's kind of equally wrong for ALL the PVC brands - if a WIA isn't rubber then nor is a Schleich, this incorrect term isn't something to divide them because of, if you see what I'm getting at.
As soon as I realised all these brands were being referred to as Rubber here on OMPHS, that's where I put them, I'm happy to go along with whatever terminology's in use : the word doesn't always have to be technically accurate to be the accepted and understood hobby term - like we all know what a 'longears' class is, or that 'clinky' isn't the real word for china and porcelain materials, hah

I've always considered them as "rubber" for my shows, but I agree with HarecroftHorses that "PVC" might be a better description, or possibly an edit to the Rubber designation as "Rubber/PVC." I don't think WIA should be excluded from the rubber type just because they tend to be have more realistic detail closer to a Breyer or Stone. IMHO, they are definitely in the same material category as CollectA.

Ask any WIA owner who's dealt with the infamous WIA wobble, due to their legs warping under their own weight, and they'll tell you RUBBER, no question about it. ;-P

Harecroft makes *great* points about the inaccuracy of the rubber designation altogether, and I'm with Zia about WIA being comparable to CollectA, and not only material-wise. Since Deb McDermott started releasing her sculpts for CollectA production, I personally think many of those models are on a par with WIA for detail and realism. I show both makes, and they're quite competitive against each other. There's some nice Schleich molds out there too, for that matter; you just have to keep an eye out for them. ;-)