Llama Biography #8: Little Cattessa

Well yet another llama that came along before digital cameras...I promise some of the next ones will have more pictures!

Little Cattessa, fondly referred to as Tessa, was the second cria (first planned one) that was born on our farm.  Her mom, SHAG Cattera, was bred shortly after we purchased her, and Tessa was born the next fall (October 2000).  I remember that she was born while mom and I were at the Blue River Pioneer Fair in Shelbyville, and I went running out to the barn in my dress when we got home!

My sister and Tessa winning Grand Champion Junior Performance at the 2002 Hamilton County Fair.

Tessa was the first in a long line of white crias for Cattera.  Her dad was a gorgeous appy male owned by Shagbark Ridge Llamas.  Tessa had a few red spots, but nothing like her dad!

SHAG Cattera, Cattessa's dam.

Since May (Little May Flowers) was "my" cria of the year, my sister took over Tessa.  They made a great team too.  2001 was my sister's first year in 4-H, and Tessa was her show llama.  She ended up being very well-trained and was very tolerant!  My sister really cleaned up at the shows!  She showed Tessa in 2002 as well, and then she was sold to a new farm in Martinsville.

Tessa went on to have a great show career for her new owners as well.

Llama Biography #7: Casa Loma's Rhapsody in the Rain

Well I can't come up with anything interesting or exciting to blog about tonight, so I thought I'd do another llama biography!  This one will be pretty short, as Rhapsody wasn't at our farm very long.

Rhapsody, fall 2000.

Rhapsody came to our farm in spring 2000 with her dam, Alder Crest April Showers.  Rhapsody is a half sister to our first llama, Casa Loma's Little Sheba (same dad).  Unfortunately Rhapsody didn't get her dad's beautiful coloration, nor her mom's!

Alder Crest April Showers, Rhapsody's dam.

Muellama's Lou Chama, Rhapsody's sire.

Rhapsody spent most of her life at our farm as a pasture ornament.  She didn't quite have the personality for performance, so neither my sister nor I used her for 4-H.  We sold her to a friend of the family in 2001 (along with SHAG Lakota), and they had her bred to Gone Platinum, a gorgeous tan male owner by another friend.  A year later, Platinum's Melody was born.  Melody definitely has the coloration of her grandparents, and the brain for personality like her dad.  About a year after Melody was born, all three llamas came back to our farm.  They were soon sold again, this time to a 4-H family in southern Indiana.  All three llamas were used for 4-H, and Melody became quite the star!  Melody is still winning performance classes today with her 4-H handlers!