WOW… just WOW! We were over the moon when given the opportunity to add this handsomely spotted harlequin boy, Howling Hill’s Conspicuous, aka Spike, to our herd sire line up. No doubt, Spike is striking in color, but take a look at his fleece traits and genetic potential for reproducing, because truly, that is what a breeding pairing is all about! Spike’s Harlequin Appaloosa gene can be traced back to Legend Maker and Black Epic, two of the most prolific Harlequin Appaloosa producers in the US. His sire is none other than Red Granite’s Man of Mystery (formerly known as Pinktus), who now resides at Willow Wind Alpaca Farm in Westcliffe, CO. Man of Mystery is a beautiful representation of a harlequin, and at 127.2 follicles/ square mm in density, he is the densest alpaca biopsied by Ian Watt in the US…and to quote Ian Watt, “Overall, this is the best alpaca I have tested in the US.” To add more to the table, Spike’s dam, ELK Matrix Haley is a Snowmass Matrix daughter, adding more powerhouse genetics and uniformity. Here’s what the judges have had to say about Spike: - Very strong and well balanced - Impressive from his head style throughout his body balance - Incredible amount of fiber across his frame - Fleece opens up cleanly - Good solidity in his fleece - Striking color - Maintaining good softness throughout - Spectacular coloring - I actually heard myself say WOW when the alpaca came in Spike truly has ALL you are looking for in a harlequin appaloosa program- Color and conformation without sacrificing fleece traits!

All we can say is WOW! This little girl has it all, excellent conformation, phenotypically correct with heavy bone structure and fiber to die for, oh and did we mention APPALOOSA!!! When we purchased Amelia with an Sopris Oberle Cria on board this is exactly what we were hoping for, a home run. So much so that we chose to rebreed for hopefully a carbon copy this year. Amelia has proven her worth as a producer with her previous cria winning in the show ring against the strongest of competition. She has amazing fiber even as she gets a little older. She is passing on those genetics to her offspring. Sopris Oberle has it all, phenotypically correct in all aspects. Heavy bone, stout frame, with a gorgeous head and fiber for days. Density and length while maintaining fineness. This boy is just starting his breeding career but I expect him to do great things with his offspring. Watch for his cria in a show ring near you. Due to some unforeseen med issues for me, we missed the spring show circuit with Vega but her fleece is on its way to a fleece show near you. We have purchased a breeding to Howling Hill's Conspicuous to bring a cria next year, This breeding is super exciting as it exactly what we want to bring out those Appy traits, all the while focusing on a fine fibered, fleece producing machine. Update: Vega was sent to Montana with the fine folks at Mule Train Alpacas and has been bred to their gorgeous Herd Sire Howling Hill Conspicious for a fall 2025 cria. Spike is a Superb appaloosa macho who immediately draws your eyes to him with his striking pattern and remarkable presence. We purchased this breeding two years ago the first time we saw him, and Spike has continued to wow and bring home the hardware. We are beyond excited to see what this breeding brings to our program. Cross your fingers the next knock out appy fleece may just come from this breeding. Check Angi and Udo out at Mule Train they are making some really smart moves and furthering the appy/harlequin breeding scene along with their other fabulous animals.