Gold'n Hawk
ILR # 161662
male b. 3-23-1996
Bolivian Black Hawk x Sapphire II
click on the photo to see more pictures of Gold'n Hawk on flickr®
Gold’n Hawk stands 44" at the withers and currently runs around 325 pounds of fast-moving muscle and bone.
Hawk and Gwen are working and playing together, looking forward to many years of mutual fun on the trail. Hawk’s unusually long stride coupled with his uncommon strength (not to mention his love of “getting out” and inate unflappability) make him a natural choice for a harness llama, and he is beginning to learn how to do that, too.
We first saw Gold’n Hawk at a llama show (he did not attend many; it was a lucky coincidence for us) and were impressed by many of his physical attributes: Heavy bone, short and coarse standard classic coat, sensible disposition (despite being a young and hormonal stud), phenomenal muscling, and huge reaching stride. We later scrutinized him carefully at his home, including walking him up and down an extremely steep grade side-by-side with Ranger Dusty. The end result at the time was that we purchased a breeding for Lost Creek Ranger Olallie. We both knew that Hawk’s sire was only a partial shedder (a trait inherited from Hawk’s paternal grandsire, a partially-shedding Bolivian import) and that the otherwise pure classic lines on his dam’s side did not cancel out any recessive and undesirable nonshedding traits inherited from his sire. Indeed, Lost Creek Ranger Skaikeek (the result of that breeding) was a remarkable both physically and mentally … and with his grandsire’s partially-shedding longer coat.
We have yet to find any other llama with Hawk’s physique, let alone one who throws it consistently. We bought a shedding, short-coated daughter, Eagle’s Nest Graehawke, and have only grown more impressed with her. When Sharron Griffith of Eagle’s Nest Llamas let us know that she was drastically downsizing her small herd, we only hesitated momentarily (to weigh the practicalities of another stud on the farm!) before telling her, YES, we really wanted to have Gold’n Hawk.
Although Hawk does not have a pure Classic genealogy, he does have several highly desireable physical attributes that are all too rare both among working llamas in general, let alone the Classic gene pool. Gwen’s extensive knowledge of genetics and inheritance will assist in using Hawk judiciously to produce a limited number of offspring that will eventually enhance the Classic llama gene pool … along with an unavoidable percentage who will be excellent working llamas but without an acceptable Classic coat, and thus destined to be nonbreeders.
Gold’n Hawk is available for limited outside breedings, but only to approved females of approved humans. That means we’re not interested in dealing with people who are awestruck by Hawk’s coat and fail to “get” the “fine print”, specifically: Hawk will produce packing-type offspring with excellent working physique, but we cannot guarantee they’ll be classic-coated.
Gold’n Hawk has begun work on earning PLTA certifications. Check back throughout 2010 for updates on his progress.
A very representative photo of Gold’n Hawk, taken at his previous home, is used as an example of “unathletic” conformation by the NACA screening group. We are proud that Hawk, a unbelievably fine athlete, is not only on our farm, but is actively disproving NACA’s patently absurd premise — that working llamas can be selected through nonworking visual criteria (by “instant experts” trained in a weekend, no less), and that “superior working llamas” can be bred by (naturally) selecting only NACA screened llamas. Historically, humans have shown incomplete and inaccurate understandings of how animals (and nature) work. We have seen over and over that proven great working llamas (male and female) most often produce good and great working llamas, and the only way to ensure working ability is to test each llama, every generation, to their limits ... including evaluating actual soundness and longevity at middle age and older.
Even though current PLTA pack trials don’t approach the limits we’ve found for our llamas (and certainly don’t evaluate future soundness), they do provide observers and objective participants with an opportunity to see the clear contrast between the average llamas and the truly good ones. Join us and Hawk at a PLTA pack trial in 2010 and see what you think!
Or, if driving llamas in harness is your primary interest, go to a well-attended driving rendezvous such as the NW Llama Drive-In to see llamas in action, and the clear differences between the merely capable llamas and the truly superior ones.
Cria coats fade much more than adult coats, especially the underwool, which is initially exposed until the guard hair lengthens and finally completely covers it. At weaning, Hawk’s dun (grey-brown) baby coat had faded to a soft golden color … hence his registered name. Any gold in his dark dun coat is now limited to highlights, but he is a truly “golden” animal in many other ways.
Gold'n Hawk's show record
Gold'n Hawk has entered and completed one PLTA Advanced Pack trial and one PLTA Master Pack trial to date
Meet some of Gold'n Hawk’s offspring:
- 2003 female — Eagle's Nest Graehawke