Stephen S. Hull Jr., Ph.D., president of Timberlake Farms Inc., in Edmond, Okla., says Aspen Ridge is “in the top 5 percent of farms that I have visited and critiqued. Their structures, fences, gates, water systems and management are all excellent.”

Alpacas are easily trained to a halter and lead, according to Wright and Simons. They trot aboard a van or trailer, and kush (a kind of lying down with feet tucked up) for the trip. Alpacas do have enemies, such as coyotes, mountain lions and bears, although at Aspen Ridge they are safe, under the watchful eyes of Honey and Meatball, two Anatolian Shepherd dogs who share the barn and paddocks with the Aspen Ridge alpacas.

Just returned from New Zealand after an intensive four days of alpaca shearing lessons, Wright and Simons hold seminars and clinics on one or two weekends a year when they focus on such skills as spinning, shearing, washing and carding. Normally, alpacas are sheared once a year and produce three to 10 pounds of raw fleece per animal. Unlike sheep’s wool that contains waste material and lanolin, alpaca fleece contains no lanolin and is usually a relatively clean, dry fiber, and sells for $40 to $80 a pound.

Alpacas are now native only to South America and live almost entirely in Peru, Chile and Bolivia.

There are also other important alpaca centers, and this past November, Wright and Simons visited New Zealand to learn some of the Kiwi shearing techniques.

Here at Aspen Ridge, Wright declares that “there’s nothing less stressful than sitting out in your rocking chair, watching alpacas.”

Wright says she and her sister are already known in the Jemez region here as “The Alpaca Ladies.”

“I just LOVE visiting our animal area and hanging out with the pacas on their own territory.” When an alpaca is upset or unsure of its surroundings, it may emit a soft hum. On the other hand, if it is alarmed by a predator or unknown human, one alpaca sounds a shrill alarm to warn the herd of the stranger.

“Some of the nicest things about alpacas are that they’re cute, don’t smell bad and just about everybody loves them,” Wright says. “We think they’re practically perfect.”

Aspen Ridge Alpacas belong to several professional alpaca organizations:

·         AOBA – Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association

·         ARI – The Alpaca Registry, Inc.

·         NMAB – New Mexico Alpaca Breeders

·         TxOLAN – Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico Breeders

·         ABA – Alpaca Breeders of Arizona

The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, Inc. publishes the Farm and Ranch Guide each year. Wright and Simons can be reached by phone at (505) 829-3312, at their Web site at www.aspenridgealpacas.com, or by e-mail at aspen.ridge.alpacas@direcway.com.

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© 2006 Mirror Image, Inc., Albuquerque, NM