This is the boy I had been waiting for. The only problem with him was that he was on the other side of the country, but he was just too good to pass up -- all of the parts were there. Thus, arrangements were made, and 'Bota came East. How awesome is 'Bota? Well, let's start with his lineage, since that was what really hooked me. His sire, Altair's Vito, is a multiple-champion and proven champion producer. Even more impressive than that is the fact that one of these championships was for fleece … At GWAS – one of the largest shows in the country … For his 66 month fleece! A son of CL9 Altair, Vito's genetics are uncommon on the east coast, and he is a total outcross to all of our herd. It was 'Bota's dam, though, that really caught my attention. A classic harlequin, Calliope had also taken a color championship – for her solid grey fleece – at GWAS. Her lineage traces back to one of the best true appaloosas of all time, Curly Calib, a descendent of the great Peruvian Platinum. So: Fleece champion, bred to fleece champion – we are stacking the deck in favor of some serious prepotency for killer fleece. Not shockingly, “killer fleece” is one of 'Bota's defining characteristics. He is possessed of terrific brightness, excellent fineness (16.6 AFD on his first shearing) and uniformity. His biopsy results confirm this (please see "Histogram" page). He has a high-frequency, high-amplitude crimp style which is consistent throughout his blanket, and excellent fleece organization. His fleece is abundant, with great apparent density despite his fineness. His fleece has been shown three times and received a blue ribbon each time. … Not that the rest of him wouldn't rock the show ring as well. In addition to his fleece, Kubota is a solidly-built, stocky boy with heavy bone and terrific substance. His conformation is perfect. He has the heavyset, compact build that I find most ideal in alpacas, with an ideal tie of his neck and shoulder and flowing lines. His coverage is outrageous – he has fiber absolutely everywhere on his body, including his toes and his muzzle – and he has a beautiful, typey head. A shy juvenile, 'Bota has matured into a very assertive male. He matured rapidly, with excellent reproductive development – another trait that we value in alpacas – and began his breeding career before his second birthday, getting it right on his very first try! Despite this, he is a sweetie who loves people. Kubota's offspring have started to arrive, and ... Oh. My. Goodness. Spots. And fleece. And wow. Kubota is closed to outside breedings. This is a special boy ...

Georgia is a lovely little female sired by impact herdsire, Snowmass Nova. How much of an impact does Snowmass Nova have? Well, for starters, he has 275 registered offspring and has been awarded "Herdsire of the Year." His get are foundation animals in the most elite breeding programs in the country, including Snowmass Alpacas, who produced him, and Cas-Cad-Nac farm. His offspring have won countless championships, but more importantly, their offspring have won countless championships, and their offspring's offspring, and on down the line. Nova is one of the cornerstone sires in the black and grey alpaca industry. What is neat about Nova daughters is that, although he has many outstanding sons, it is his daughters that appear to truly shine in their offspring. Nova daughters are found in the pedigrees of rock stars, multiple champions such as CCNF Man in Black. Some males are dam sires, and their daughters are especially coveted. I believe Nova to be among them. Continuing on Georgia's pedigree, her dam sire, NZ Maori Magic, is a "sleeper sire" -- not too many have heard of him, but his name appears in the pedigrees of elite champions such as NM Beethoven -- again, as a dam sire. Georgia's dam, Ginger, is out of a daughter of Peruvian Dakotia, sire of MFI Peruvian Jericho. Georgia herself is a wonderfully built animal. She is compact -- our ideal size -- and utterly square in her proportions. Her conformation is spot-on. She has good bone and coverage and lovely breed type, with a square, well-formed muzzle. Georgia's fleece is bright, with a nice staple length and great hand. Georgia gave birth to one of the first ever crias by our elite appaloosa herdsire, Que Sera's Kubota. This cria is very interesting -- she is white, or possibly very light beige, with light fawn spots only on her topline. Is she an appaloosa or a pinto? I'm not sure yet. What IS clear is that she has perfect conformation and a nice head ... And as she's matured, and her fleece is starting to really come in, it is evident that Kubota is PRODUCING. Photos to come. Most dramatic of all is the fact that Georgia is a POWER MOM. I routinely catch her nursing 2-3 (yes three!) crias at once ..! Despite this, her own is growing great, and she is keeping condition very well. She will be re-bred soon -- if purchased before she is bred, it can be the buyer's choice. Based on the caliber of her daughter, I'd probably go back to 'Bota.