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!!

Meet Knee Deep! She is our latest acquisition 'hit' here, as we searched for a prospective girl for an APPY breeding we found she had some really cool spots. She is a ‘Fewspot’ appy with brown on it, fawn coloration. She has dark spot gene and spots quietly appear on neck, legs, hip and both sides of blanket. Knee Deep comes from a white sire with brown spot, and a dam with some agouti and dark spotting, with a white spot on chin. Knee Deep was born a lighter version of her mom, grey nose with a notable brown spot on blanket. Into adulthood, the same colored dark spot started becoming apparent on neck, hips, back of leg... and you get the picture. She isn't a 'loud' pattern at all, no white just brown spotted over light fawn. EPDs are nothing to scoff at on eiher side of her lineage - but her claim to fame will be DENSITY. If you wish to add density on the dams side into your program, shear more fleece weight, and have the density to win in the showring, this female totally has it. Its like supernatural density, swear! We'll run a follicle biopsy after shearing this year.