Grahams' alpacas impress on provincial stage once again

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

Lucknow-area alpaca farmer Dee Graham and her animals have had a successful year at the province’s alpaca shows, building upon a successful stint that has now surpassed 15 years.

 

This year’s success has been all thanks to Heaven’s Just Fabulous, a light-coloured male alpaca who has tremendous fleece quality that has impressed judges at three alpaca shows across Ontario this season.

 

Speaking from her home farm between Lucknow and Whitechurch, Graham explained that alpaca competitions are split in half between Halter, which is a competition weighted 60 per cent on the animal’s fleece and the remaining 40 per cent on its conformation, and Fleece, in which the animal is judged strictly on the quality of its coat. As Graham says, you could roll an alpaca into one of those competitions in a wheelbarrow and it would have a shot at winning, as long as its coat of fleece is where it needs to be, according to the judges.

 

Earlier this month, at the Rockton World Fair’s Alpaca Show, Heaven’s Just Fabulous was named the Supreme Champion in the Fleece category with a score of 74 of 80 points, tying for the lead in a field of over 100 animals.

 

Graham’s special guy also won the Supreme Champion title that day in Halter as well, tying once again for the top position, with 71.5 of a possible 85 points in that competition.

 

This comes after he had won at the Alpaca Ontario Spring Show in Kawartha Downs earlier in the year. 

 

Next, he’ll compete at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, one of the biggest alpaca competitions of the year and a staple on the calendar for those in the alpaca world. Needless to say, Graham has high hopes, but, then again, she’s been there before, with her animals being named best in show at various competitions over the years and her house being adorned with medals and ribbons from various shows from over the years.

 

The Grahams have been on their current farm since 1972. However, it was in 2006 that they bought their first pair of alpacas and haven’t turned back since. They have been entering their animals into competitions since 2009 and, in those 16 years, many awards and accolades have followed.

 

The family has found success in the various competitions, but the real work has been on the fleece side, processing “The Fibre of the Gods” - alpaca fleece has often been compared to cashmere for its quality, softness and more - and turning it into everything from shoe insoles and mittens to scarves and high-end wraps and sweaters. 

 

The Grahams will exhibit at various farm shows - last weekend’s destination was “Woolstock” in Binbrook - but do most of their business from the store at their home farm. However, that business is about to expand with the opening of Adria Shop (named for Dee’s daughter) in Stratford, which Dee hopes to open in the very near future.