Reflecting on a Llama Legend

Okay, so Midnight Hour probably isn't a legend in the rest of the world but in our world he was quite the man! I have been thinking over the past few days since Midnight passed away, trying to remember all of his offspring and who has them now. We only used him as a stud 9 times and got 6 females and 3 males. Only one of those males is still intact, the other two have been gelded. All of his daughters have been sold - leaving us with only one male out of Midnight Hour, Kemui Yama. Kemui has already started following in his sire's footsteps in the show ring. He took first place in his class, Grand Champion in his Division and Reserve Best in Show the first time we showed him.

So, a walk down memory lane - Midnight Hour's offspring:

Midnight Kachina

Mustang Sally

Midnight Rhapsody

 

Caballero Rojo (Red)

 

Gypsy Rose

Midnight's Amazing Grace

Midnight Moonbeam

 

Midnight's Kemui Yama

RIP Stage Stop Midnight Hour - A True Champion

I just received news that one of our former llamas, Stage Stop Midnight Hour, lost his battle today with cancer. We sold Midnight Hour about a year and a half ago to some very wonderful new llama owners who fell in love with Midnight. It was a really tough decision to sell him but we had retained several of his daughters and one of his sons so we felt like we could let him go to a good home since we still had those bloodlines in our herd.

We purchased Midnight Hour from Stage Stop Llamas when he was only a couple of weeks old in July 1997. We had decided we didn't "need" any more male llamas (we already had two) but Jim fell in love with Midnight Hour and we made the decision to purchase him. We have never regretted our decision. He was an amazing animal.

During his show ring career, Midnight did very well:

• ALSA Recognition of Merit at Halter
• 2000 & 1999 Grand National Top Ten Finish
• Grand Champion 1999 NWSS & 
• Grand Champion 1999 LOCC Spring Show
• Reserve Grand Champion 2000 NWSS
• 1st place 2000 LOCC Spring Show
• 1st place 2000 Laramie County Fair
• 1st place 2000 LOCC Fall Show

We made the decision to retire Midnight Hour from the show ring after the 2000 show season and he sired some beautiful crias for us and other llama owners. He only sired a couple of males and we own the only intact male from Midnight Hour, Kemui Yama. Kemui is following in his sire's footsteps in the show ring.

Rest In Peace Midnight Hour - you will be missed.

WW

Looking back...

We Sold Two Llamas Yesterday

Yesterday we had some visitors to Split Rock Ranch looking at llamas. They own over 100 acres in northern Huerfano County (southeast of us) and need livestock to maintain their agricultural status (which is a HUGE tax savings, for those of you who don't know what AG status affords you!) They decided to investigate llamas. They had already picked out two of our males, Midnight Hour and High Five.

Midnight Hour was a perfect gentleman and behaved himself very nicely. He was shown starting at the ripe old age of 5 months old (we weaned him from his mother and took him to National Western Stock Show to show him for the very first time). So Midnight is "bomb proof" and very easy to handle.

We have handled High Five quite a bit and he has done the Fairplay Llama Race several years so he has been handled by strangers, as well, but he was antsy yesterday because he is younger and we had them tied up where they could see and smell the females and High Five was more interested in putting on a show for the ladies.

Then we started talking about females because they want to buy a female from us next summer. I had a particular female in mind that is in their price range and totally unrelated to both Midnight Hour and High Five. So I pointed her out and then we went to look at one of her offspring that just happens to be a High Five son - you all know this little guy...Chocolate Chip. One look at Chip and they changed their minds; they fell in love at first sight and decided to get Chip rather than High Five.

So, they paid with cash and a personal check and went back home to finish their fencing and housing preparations and will either come pick the boys up after they've found a suitable stock trailer or we will deliver the boys to them when they're ready.

I'm thrilled because this is going to be such a great home for the boys. I'm kind of bummed because it will be strange to look out the kitchen window and not see Midnight Hour sunning himself on the south side of his Rock & Tree. And Chip holds a very special place in my heart.