troubadour photo

Lost Creek Troubadour

 

ILR # 274896

gelding  b. 12-7-2007

JD’s Cappuccino x Ramblin’ Rosie

 

click on the photo to see more pictures of Troubadour on ipernity

 

Troubadour is 43.25"at the withers (he'd be 45" on any other website, which is why everyone swears Troubadour _is_ 45" when they meet him), and now that he's more mature, he consistently runs around 300 pounds.

Troubadour is definitely be his parents’ son — inquisitive, mellow, very much a “people person” — and definitively classic in physique, temperament, and coat. Troubadour doesn't particularly care which one of us he works with, and he's equally amenable for everyone else who has handled him as well.

Troubadour is a real joy as a companion — to us and to his pasturemates! He did not inherit his father’s excellent gaits, however (it’s a complex genetic trait, and his dam was as opposite of “ideal” as it gets). We were originally going to geld him outright on that basis, but our ongoing search for breeding stock has made us appreciate that Troubadour is better in almost every other critical way than what we’re able to find “out there”, and he’s also potentially a better match for some of our females (who fortunately do have top-notch gaits) than any other options available to us at this time.

Although Troubadour’s ambling travel gait means he requires more conditioning than is ideal (for us), that same amble is dead-average in the pack llama world. With the requisite conditioning, nothing stops him from excelling at medium-duty packing — 8-10 miles days with 65-80 pounds. Normally this level of performance would be a nonbreeder on our farm, but because he is otherwise so excellent and is able to lend some genetic diversity to a decidedly over-related gene pool, we decided to retain Troubadour as a stud. We have not regretted it!

Troubadour's offspring all inherited some level of his delightfully interactive and steady disposition; some have inherited the elusive (and genetically recessive) trot. Troubadour's offspring from outside breedings are also very easy to work with and much appreciated for their sensible, interactive dispositions and sound, solid conformation.

Unfortunately, Troubadour did not produce physical type as consistently in his offspring. both body type and coat type ran the gammut. As much as we love Troubadour himself, it was obvious that his 2019 son Seedskadee should be retained to take over from Troubadour, and that Troubadour would be happier spending his remaining years as a gelding and having fun in the backcountry. Indeed, soon after he was gelded, Troubadour and his eldest son Aldwyn departed for WA state, where they are much-loved packing companions — and family — the type of home we wish all llamas could have.

A troubadour was a medieval entertainer, talented in music, poetry, and often other arts. Some of the troubadours traveled continuously, but generally each was employed by a particular court. Our Troubadour is certainly suited for emjyable interaction and the entertainment facet of the llama world, and as it turns out, Troubadour has spent extended portions of his life at several different "courts", sharing his talents.

Meet Troubadour's offspring born at Lost Creek Llamas: