It's a sad day this August when we lost our Jumper to a closed head injury, hitting his head on a fence post in a freak accident and having to be put down after losing the ability to walk. :( He only just started in our program, leaving one son and two daughters on our farm.
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As a four year old with awesome fleece that is maintaining fineness, uniformity, and crimp as he matures, Smokejumper is taking home champion fleece banners, along with the coveted "Spirit of the Industry" awards (along with glowing comments from the judges!).
We had quietly tucked him away on our farm as a hidden gem, since each year's new crias took precedence in our limited show string. Until one day we looked at him, now a mature male, and were amazed at his fineness, crimp style & consistency, and uniformity across his blanket.
Jumper's dam is our champion grey female, Rosie, who herself has carried a fine fleece long into her maturity. Her other sons, Dauntless and Longbow, also have won their share of banners. Longbow himself won color champion with his 3 year old fleece! Jumper's sire is none other than the pivotal male Patagonia's Lennox -- a world before his time in propelling dark colored programs into fine and crimpy fiber.
Jumper has secured excellent placings from his juvenile days, showing against his sire's other sons and grandsons, that hinted at the genetics that would have him continuing to produce fantastic fiber as he matures.
His first show as a juvenile was wet, humid and freezing. Coming from our dry cold Colorado weather, this was a trifecta of distressing environmental conditions! Nothing like having the fans on for the humidity when you are so cold that your teeth chatter! His fiber still looked fantastic, and he placed 2nd to none other than his 'nephew' from Patagonia, an Ernesto son. A tough competition, with these young males standing like matching bookends at the top of the lineup. The judge commented that we were really going to like his fleece when his cria fleece comes off!
Jumper held his head high at the 2013 Futurity in Dark Bred & Owned Juvenile to secure 1st place among a lineup of several impressive animals from CCNF and Snowmass in the B&O classes.
His last show as a juvenile in 2014 was the always-competitive, level-V Great Western Alpaca Show. He took 2nd in a close pairing to his (same age) nephew, with them standing there like brothers rather than uncle/nephew, over males of notable bloodlines.
At 2015 GWAS as a yearling, Jumper secured an hard earned third in another tough class, standing shoulder to shoulder in good company: below a Snowmass Matrix Majesty son and above sons of Crescent Moon's Simtustus and Aussie .38 Special! Along with Dauntless, he helped to win 2nd in dark Produce of Dam for our Frosted Red Rose -- an amazing feat for a grey and brown for their grey dam, since solids usually beat out greys!
5th - 2015 AOA National Halter show, MB Yearling
3rd - 2015 GWAS - MB Yearling males
2nd - 2014 TxOLAN, MB Juvenile males - H.Humphreys (1st was a Patagonia 'nephew')
2nd - 2014 GWAS, MB Juvenile males - P.Kennedy -- out of 10 in his class with 1st/RC and the CC being his Patagonia relatives.
2nd - 2015 GWAS, PRODUCE OF DAM for Rose, along his LRG brother Dauntless -- A grey and brown taking 2nd, that's great!
2nd - 2017 TXOLAN Fleece Show, Mature fleece (class "C"), Medium Brown, A.VandenBosch
1st - 2014 Futurity, MB Juvenile males - A.VandenBosch - B&O Males
1st - 2014 ABR Fall Festival, BREEDER'S BEST THREE
1st - 2014 ABR Fall Festival, MB Yearling male - K.Buhrman
1st - 2015 TxOLAN Spectacular -- MB Yearling males - A.VandenBosch "advantage for degree of fineness within his fleece," "very nice uniformity... carried through with really, really fine and soft handling fleece", "pleasing style and frame".
1st - 2017 TXOLAN, Mature class MB, Amanda VandenBosh. Good comments
1st - 2017 MOPACA Invitational Fleece Show, Dark Color Mature fleece (class 'c'), W.Gease
1st - 2017 MAPACA Jubilee Fleece Show, Brown 2 yr old fleece, D.Timmerman
1st - 2017 A0A National Fleece Show, Brown 3 yr old fleece
1st - 2017 AOK Blastoff Fleece Show, Brown 4 yr old, D.Barboza
1st - 2017 ABR Fall Festival Fleece Show, Brown 4 yr old, D.Timmerman
1st - 2018 TXOLAN Spectacular Show, mature brown, J.Anderson
1st - 2018 TXOLAN Spectacular Walking Fleece, mature brown male, A.VandenBosch
1st - 2018 TXOLAN Spectacular Fleece, class 'D', A.VandenBosch
1st - 2018 ABR Fall Festival, S.J.MacClennon
1st - 2018 VAOBA Fleece Show, K.Klay
Reserve Champion - 2014 ABR Fall Festival, brown males, K.Buhrman -- as a Juvenile!
Reserve Champion - 2017 MOPACA Invitational, Dark Color fleece, W.Gease -- Behind our multiple black color champion! (with his 2 yr old fleece!)
Reserve Champion - 2018 VAOBA Fleece Show, K.Klay
Color Champion - 2017 AOK Blastoff Fleece Show Brown Color, D.Barboza -- from Class "D" (4yr old)
Color Champion - 2018 TXOLAN Spectacular Halter Show -- at 56 months old! J.Anderson had favorable comments about his fantastic uniformity, fineness and density.
Color Champion - 2018 ABR Fall Festival Fleece Show from the "E" class! S.J.MacClennon
Color Champion - 2019 Carolina Alpaca Celebration Fleece show, from the "E" class, C.Gehly
Best Prepared Fleece - 2017 AOK Blastoff Fleece Show Brown Color, D.Barboza
Spirit of the Industry - 2017 AOK Blastoff Fleece Show Brown Color, D.Barboza
Spirit of the Industry - 2018 VAOBA Fleece Show, K.Klay
Spirit of the Industry - 2019 Carolina Alpaca Celebration Fleece show, from the "E" class, C.Gehly
Spirit of the Industry - 2019 TXOLAN Fleece show, S.Glyptis
Judge's Choice - 2018 VAOBA Fleece Show, K.Klay
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