Et cetera : Local Benton County Farm Takes National Livestock Championship Honors

Aulds’ Lluminous Llamas of Van Horne, Iowa, owned and operated by Steve and Sandy Auld, has just returned from a very successful showing at the 2011 Alpaca & Llama Show Association’s (ALSA) “Grand National Show of Champions.” Of the 5 llamas the Aulds qualified to enter in the annual end of year national championship, all 5 received top 8 placements. Among those 5 were 1 division Grand Champion, 1 class Grand Champion, 1 class Reserve Grand Champion and 2 class 3rd placements. Started in August of 2006 with just 4 female llamas, Aulds’ Lluminous Llamas began breeding llamas that summer and welcomed their first crias (baby llamas) in June and October of 2007. They began showing these crias in April of 2008 where their first cria, Mercury, was awarded a Reserve Grand Champion the very first time in the show ring. Aulds’ Lluminous Llamas is now home to 30 llamas and 1 alpaca. While the 2011 show season is at an end, the Aulds are already in the planning stages for the 2012 season. With several new crias on the ground this fall, it should prove to be a fun and exciting 2012 watching the new show prospects mature and learn the ropes. Several shows in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska will keep them very busy next summer. The Iowa State Fair Llama Show, traditionally held closing weekend of the state fair, is always the highlight of their show season as it has the greatest public interaction of any show at which they appear. The Aulds love to share their llamas. Outside of the show ring, the Aulds love to take their llamas on public relations appearances. You may have seen them in downtown Vinton, IA the last two years during the holiday open house weekends, or at many of the local parades in Blairstown, Atkins, Van Horne or Palo. They have taken their llamas to nursing homes, day cares, church youth groups and farmers markets. Their farm, located 2.5 miles northwest of Van Horne, is open by appointment to visits, tours and llama 101 classes. The Aulds’ main goal in raising llamas is to educate the public on the many uses of this versatile species and to dispel all those nasty stereotypes of the “mean spitting creatures” which can often be seen on the myriad of home video shows on television today. Llamas are fun, loving and intelligent creatures. Once you’ve seen what they are really like, you’ll want several of your own. To schedule your own up-close-and-personal llama experience today, give Steve or Sandy Auld a call at 319-228-8581 or drop them a line at info@lluminousllamas.com.