CONGRATULATIONS to Lindsey Betz and the Betz Family Farm on the purchase of Vintage Cashmere's U-Taupe-ia. Taupie will be greatly missed at Rare Gem Alpacas but he leaves behind a number of lovely offspring to grace our herd for years to come! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Taupie is a striking appaloosa harlequin male that is on a roll for throwing spotted and harlequin offspring. He has sired 53 offspring and 74 percent are either appaloosa or harlequin! While dam selection has a significant influence on such outcomes, it should be noted that the majority of the dams Taupie has been bred to have no genetic influence on this outcome. So for those that don't have existing foundation girls with appy / harlequin lineage-- Taupie has proven to be capable of passing along his appy genetics and produce desired results. So how does this happen? Only part of that story is known, but what we DO know is that certain lines of known appy gene carriers are much more "expressive" than others. Taupie just happens to be one of those. His heritage boasts appaloosa genetics on both sides of his lineage with Aussie Rockford out of Hannahruh on his sire's side and Chiquita Import on his dam's side. In April 2016, Taupie's progeny debuted in the show ring taking a blue in walking fleece and the blue in halter at the California Classic. This first boy was then followed by another appaloosa female and then another appy male-- both very similar to the first. The fourth cria, however, is something extra special! This little girl has expressed every color on the chart, not one pattern-- just speckles and spots from nose to toes-- Rare Gem U-Taupe-ia's Appletini! The unique coloring of this cria looks as though the color from Taupie's Grand Dam, Chiquita Import, is coming through and producing the rarest of rare gems-- her beautiful color seems to morph before your eyes! As much fun as it is to talk about Taupie's progeny... more about him! Taupie has a spotted face, spotted belly, spotted legs, and a beautiful solid platinum-taupe blanket. His top line is a nice medium silver grey, then blending into light silver grey down the sides. UPDATE: 2/2019 Leoopard appaloosa offspring, Sleepy Acres App-solutely Adorable "Dorie", takes Reserve Color Champion at Txolan! Congratulations!!

National Velvet "Lizzy" is a true black silky soft female with a short face, broad muzzle and fuzzy ears. She has excellent bone substance and is a fantastic and protective mother. She has a perfect bite with dark eyes. Her sire is none other than Neversummer's US Steel 3 time Futurity Herdsire of the year for the Small Breeder Division and proven producer of beautiful grey color champions. National Velvet's dam is Granite Bay Satin Silhouette, a beautiful Snowmass Satin ReserveXX daughter with excellent bone substance on a stout frame (which is so characteristic of her sire). National Velvet comes from a great line of beautiful animals with excellent milk production and great mothering instincts. On 12/7/17 Lizzy delivered a beautiful fawn boy sired by 2015 Futurity Color Champion-- FTAF Blackbeard. Lizzy’s cria has no fuzzy cria tips... just beautiful bundles of shiny curls! He was born 14 pounds and has doubled his weight in his first two weeks. Even as a newborn, his fleece is something out of the ordinary... and he has been named Silky Sam, I am! 2018 - Lizzy throws a Harlequin female with black spots! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. This pairing has been repeated for a December 2019 offspring! 11/29/19 - Lizzy delivered a stunning dark silver grey female— dense, silky soft fleece and beautiful coloration. Just charmed! 12/18/20 - Lizzy delivered a 323 day gestation true black! He is very handsome and, as always, Lizzy is being a stellar mom. 3/28/21 - Lizzy was bred to harlequin appaloosa herdsire Apache Gentleman. She is behavior testing "positive" for pregnancy after just one breeding. This girl is oh, so easy when it comes to breeding. Lizzy has now been bred just 3 times since her arrival in December 2017. These 3 breedings have resulted in 2 offspring and its lookin' good that she is pregnant now as well for an early March 2022 offspring. Just love it when the foundation girls are this fertile and reproductively healthy. Go Lizzy!! 7/9/22 - Lizzy is currently in Colorado for her breeding to 3X appaloosa champion Apache Gentlemen's Alchesay. She has behavior tested positive and will return to California in September 2022. Lizzy is available as a 3-in-1 package with her male cria at side. This is a limited time offer while Lizzy is in Colorado.

Like his name suggests, Reflection is looking like a body double of his daddy, Sunset Hills Zagato. Zagato was the 2019 Futurity Herdsire of the Year (colored) and has a proven track record of throwing the coloration of the dam while stamping the offspring with his superior fleece qualities. Reflection’s fleece is showing an advanced architecture... brightly bundled and uniform with a high-amplitude crimp structure.