Lost Creek Troubadour

Combed out nicely and growing well (a bit too well in the belly, thanks to mom's genetic contribution).

Grand Champion Classic Male, OFFF 2009 This was Troubadour's first show and he was the "right" balance between "freaked" and "remembers how to stand still". Judges like llamas who look "alert" (translation — not quite scared enough to teleport to the next county, but pretty close). If you look closely (easier if viewed large), you can see the "worry wrinkle" below his eye. The background where the photos were being taken this year was not to my liking (too "busy"), but not much I could do about that.

Watching the new baby with interest. Age 38+ months To date, all males I haven't castrated were moved from this gelding and immature male pasture (which shares a fenceline with one of the females' pastures) no later than 28 months. Troubadour remains, in part because he is growing physically and maturing sexually much more slowly than the norm (even more slowly than the normal Classic llamas I raise). That part is very, very good because slower maturation is directly correlated with longevity and maintenance of physical soundness throughout life. That trait is something the "investment" llama breeders detest since how fast the babies can have their own babies is their top priority — theoretically generating income (that's theoretical because unsold llamas eat, and generic llamas haven't sold well for the last 15 years or so ... ). But for a working llama, longevity and soundness are absolutely essential. The downside to this is it does lead me to wonder if Troubadour lacks something important in his rear end structure. His dad has always been reluctant to stand on his hind legs (Cappuccino would rather sweet-talk his potential mates into lying down for him rather than jumping on them and forcing them down) and I'd always written that off to a combination of acquired wisdom and the difficulties of aging. But Troubadour has also refrained from trying to "get taller" at the fenceline, as most young males are wont to do. Perhaps he's just not feeling adequately motivated YET ... perhaps it's something he can't do. The latter, if true, could prove to be a concern, but only trail time will tell. I'll be easing Troubadour into light packing this summer — emphasis on LIGHT. He's large enough for a pack saddle to be fitted correctly, but he's also still growing, so I will limit his loads to the 15-20 pound range, which is the saddle, panniers, a couple of sleeping bags for bulk (so he can learn to maneuver with a full-size load), and basics such as a first aid kit, an extra jacket, tether line for him and maybe some munchies for me. And that, in turn, means just day hikes, no overnight stuff. It's much more important to have Troubadour be sound and capable many years to come than to have some short-term gratification with long-term negative consequences! Sadly, the "investment" breeders try to turn over their "production" as soon as possible, and typically start loading up their "packers" (physically and tempermentally suited or not!) at 18 months of age. :-( Years ago, I fought to have the show association remove the weight requirements for the pack classes for llamas under 3 years (should have been 4 years, but that show association decided llamas would be mature at 3 years, don't confuse people with the facts). I was young and naive. All that work was simply negated the following year. Worse still, the recent rival show association is calling llamas mature at 2 years. There are times I wish animal breeding was regulated in the same way that some of the European countries regulate horse breeding and training. I personally would hate it (since I'd have to give up my best animals to someone else to train, and I wouldn't have any input into breeding choices), but it would be better for the animals — they wouldn't be the victims of financial explotation, pressed into adult roles long before they're even adults, nor bred for hypersexual behavior over sensibility, nor looks over performance and temperament. And defective genes would be actively weeded out of the population, too.

b. 12.07.2007 photo taken on the frosty morn of 12.31.2007

Troubadour kushed on his picket line at the 2011 BCL Rendezvous, Cutsforth Park. He's not entirely sure he shouldn't be on his feet, though. I took Troubadour so I could evaluate his behavior around other llamas in a non-show setting. He did as well as could be expected for a rookie; he did particularly well at tolerating several clueless people parading their females under his nose. As I expected (given his less-than-ideal gaits), the hiking part was a lot of work for him. No, he did not carry a load — one of the many things that didn't get done prior to the event was introducing Troubadour to his pack saddle, and the last thing I want is for him to associate a pack saddle with being in new and stressful situations! Different, vastly lighter camera (hopefully a solution to lugging the D700 on pack trials where I'm not allowed adequate time to set up, change lenses, etc). I already screwed up and shot in JPEG instead of RAW, and now can't adjust the white balance to my liking. Learning curves for both me and Troubadour ...

He's gotten to be a "chunky monkey" and will have to move to the "fat boy paddock" soon.

Highlight is waiting in the horse's paddock.