I've never tried the process of raku, but admire the unexpected possibilities and beauty of the resulting markings and colors. This was one of those breeding outcomes where you rather hoped for a boy - with the same possibilities and beauty of desired color and markings, and we got one - a very nice one in the color for which we'd also hoped - grey! And, the gorgeous fleece and conformation qualities of both sire and dam have combined beautifully. Morning SKY's Paulina's Raku is the offspring of two of only nine greys in the country to win a Judges' Choice banner in halter competition. Both parents are Futurity Color Champions, too! Raku's first offspring, Morning SKY's Raku's Mercer, is a strong, healthy brown female with bright, crimpy fleece. 2024 Buckeye Judge Amanda VandenBosch loved Mercer's fleece, praising her soft handle and uniformity from shoulder to rump and down to her extremities. Raku's dam, Morning SKY's Paulina is the first grey in the US (in 2012) to be awarded a Judges' Choice banner in halter competition, and the only grey female in the US for ten years running. She also received a Judge's Choice banner for Best Hand at the large MAPACA fleece show. Paulina began her show career at 6 months of age with Color Champion banners that continued through her second year of showing. Among many other awards, her dam, Morning SKY's Royale Ainee (also grey), took a first place at the World Fleece Conference in 2009. Raku's sire, Quixotic's Man of Steel, is the third grey to win a Judge's Choice banner in halter and also had a stellar show career over multiple years. His grandsire, Quixotic, won numerous awards over his career as evidenced by his photo. At the 2020 Buckeye Fall Fest, Raku placed second in a yearling class. (Covid prevented him from showing as a juvenile.) Judge Laurel Shouvlin commented that Raku was well grown for his age, very well put together, demonstrated good proportion and had a fine, very soft handling fleece with a good degree of brightness. Judge Amanda VandenBosch also spoke of his softness of hand at the 2020 Buckeye Alpaca Show. As a 2 year old at the 2022 MABA Alpaca Celebration, judge Robin Nasemann complimented his very fluid conformation and uniform staple from skin to tip as he awarded Raku a first place blue ribbon. Raku also earned a first place ribbon under judge Diana Timmerman at the 2022 PAOBA Breeder's Showcase, at the 2022 MA & PA Alpaca Pronk. Contact us at [email protected] to book a breeding to your beautiful female!

Beautiful daughter of our fine and extremely dense champion and Judges' Choice herdsire, Morning SKY's Taddeo and our fine dam, Silvercloud Farm's Danielle. Elena shows the best of both parents with her impressive fleece, soft hand and calm temperament. She was awarded a third place ribbon at the 2016 AOA National Show, another proud result of our breeding program. Elena's first cria, Morning SKY's Nazca, is our Taddeo line crossed with our late full Accoyo herdsire, Angelis. This produced a white male who is loaded with heavy cutting fleece that is blindingly bright and reminiscent of that of his grand sire, Morning SKY's Taddeo, and his great grand dam, Morning SKY's Grand Alera - both winners of Judges' Choice banners for Best Brightness at large MAPACA fleece shows. Elena had a textbook birth of a beautiful, light brown female cria on May 29, 2023 by Morning SKY’s Paulina’s Raku, son of two Judges’ Choice grey parents. Morning SKY's Raku's Mercer has curly fleece and has been strong from the get go! Her fleece looks promising and we'll be anxious to see how it develops after shearing. If it's anything like that of her sire and dam, we'll be even more excited about her. A breed back is definitely in order!