Rocky Mountain Fever, Part #2
Amid the chaos that was Cas-Cad-Nac Farm in the month of June, Jennifer spent several weeks trying to carve out the time to properly skirt our 45 entries for the National Fleece Show in Denver. Something that would have normally gotten done weeks in advance — we sheared at the end of April/beginning of May — instead got pushed right up against deadline. So much so, that in the final days before our departure for Colorado, we found ourselves comparing the relative costs and practicalities of shipping the fleeces directly to our hotel vs. packing them into large duffle bags and checking them onto our flight from Boston. In the end FedEx won out, for amongst other things, we realized that our rental car in Denver, even though it was a full-sized SUV, would never fit all four of us, our luggage, and the show fleeces.
In all honesty, so tough were the weeks at home leading up to our trip out west, that as we drove back over last Sunday to where the National Fleece Conference and Show was being held to pick up our fleeces and find out how we had done, the primary emotion in the car was not so much expectation, as dread. After a month that had seen us lose 4 different members of our female production herd back home to go along with several tough births, our confidence in the energies of the universe was a bit shaken. Though just so we’re clear, the angst on Sunday was the sole territory of the adults in the Lutz family. After being hauled all over the place the previous few days, the boys stayed back at our hotel, happily noshing on hamburgers they ordered through room service, with not a care in the world!
In the end, it was in fact all good though! Looking back a year or two from now, the fleece show in Denver will most likely be remembered by us as the first time that CCNF Elixir (whom we co own with our friends at A Paca Fun Farm), and perhaps even more importantly his progeny, announced their collective presence in such unambiguous terms. Everyone loves a Herdsire that has won multiple Championships and Judges’ Choice awards but frankly, until he proves capable of replicating his qualities with some measure of consistency, it is impossible to truly say that such an animal is worth much more than the sum of their respective trophies. Needless to say, Elixir just made a name for himself in Denver though. Not only did his most recent fleece (shorn this spring) win the Light Male Huacaya Championship and the Judges’ Choice Huacaya Male but 4 of his offspring also won banners, including his young son, Spittfire (he is, as an aside, also maternally the latest of that line to join our show rosters), who finished with the Reserve behind his sire. Three of Elixir’s other kids — Dropshot, Antares, and True Adoration, not by chance the other banner winners — also combined to win the Get-of-Sire class for their dad too. Full credit, by the way, must be given to our dear friend, Bari Padgett, who was the person responsible for skirting and entering Elixir’s fleece at the various fleece shows this spring. We totally got to hitch a ride on A Paca Fun Farm’s coattails on that one!
Championship banners aside, we had really magnificent results throughout the show though, with only 2 of our 45 animals not getting a ribbon of one color or another. In addition to the winnings listed below, we also had 12 2nd place finishes, and 9 3rd place finishes. Consistency of quality production and show results over time is what we have always argued is the mark of a true breeding program. That this was the third year in a row that we won the Heirloom Fleece Cup for garnering the most points at the AOBA/AOA National Show, we feel proves that we are continuing to live up to that standard. At least we’re trying to!
CCNF Championships, 1st place finishes, and the odd Cup below…
2015 AOA National Fleece Conference & Show, Denver, CO
Cas-Cad-Nac Farm (Ian, Jen, Sam & Max x A Boatload of Good Fortune & Hard Work) – 2015 AOA Heirloom Fleece Cup
CCNF Elixir (Snowmass Elite Legend x CCNF Ascension) – Judges’ Choice Huacaya Male
CCNF Dropshot (CCNF Elixir x CCNF Droplet) – Champion White Huacaya Male
CCNF Antares (CCNF Elixir x CCNF Capella) – Reserve Champion White Huacaya Male
Snowmass Oh Be Joyful (Snowmass Matrix x Snowmass Infinit Joy) – Champion White Huacaya Female
CCNF True Adoration (CCNF Elixir x Truly Scrumptious) – Reserve Champion White Huacaya Female
CCNF Elixir (Snowmass Elite Legend x CCNF Ascension) – Champion Light Huacaya Male
CCNF Spittfire (CCNF Elixir x CCNF The Mighty Beast Alexandra) – Reserve Champion Light Huacaya Male
CCNF Reign Maker (Snowmass Conopa’s Kahuna x TGF Let Freedom Ring) – Reserve Champion Fawn Huacaya Male
CCNF Prima Majesty (Snowmass Matrix Majesty x CCNF Bellarina) – Champion Fawn Huacaya Female
CCNF Amanda (Snowmass Conopa’s Kahuna x CCNF Golden Bliss) – Reserve Champion Fawn Huacaya Female
CCNF Elixir (Snowmass Elite Legend x CCNF Ascension) – 1st Place Get of Sire (CCNF Dropshot, CCNF Antares, CCNF True Adoration)
CCNF Dropshot (CCNF Elixir x CCNF Droplet) – 1st Place, White Juvenile Male Huacaya
CCNF Defiance (Snowmass Elite Legend x Xanadu P. Cadenza) – 1st Place, White 2 Year Old Huacaya Male
CCNF Eldunari (Snowmass Elite Legend x CCNF Saphira) – 1st Place, White Yearling Huacaya Male
Snowmass Oh Be Joyful (Snowmass Matrix x Snowmass Infinit Joy) – 1st Place, White Adult Huacaya Female
CCNF True Adoration (CCNF Elixir x Truly Scrumptious) – 1st Place, White Juvenile Huacaya Female
CCNF Elixir (Snowmass Elite Legend x CCNF Ascension) – 1st Place, Light Adult Male
CCNF Spittfire (CCNF Elixir x CCNF The Mighty Beast Alexandra) – 1st Place, White Juvenile Huacaya Male
CCNF Belle of the Ball (CCNF Invictus x CCNF Bellafina) – 1st Place, Juvenile Light Fawn Huacaya Female
CCNF Reign Maker (Snowmass Conopa’s Kahuna x TGF Let Freedom Ring) – 1st Place, Dark Fawn Yearling Huacaya Male
CCNF Intervention (Snowmass Matrix Majesty x CCNF Confectious) – 1st Place, Medium Fawn Juvenile Huacaya Male
CCNF Prima Majesty (Snowmass Matrix Majesty x CCNF Bellarina) – 1st Place, Dark Fawn 2 Year Old Huacaya Female
CCNF Amanda (Snowmass Conopa’s Kahuna x CCNF Golden Bliss) – 1st Place, Dark Fawn Juvenile Huacaya Female
CCNF Magistrate (Snowmass Matrix Majesty x SHRA Virtual’s Reality) – 1st Place, Dark Brown 2 Year Old Huacaya Male
CCNF Tigerlily (Snowmass Conopa’s Kahuna x CCNF Jasmine) – 1st Place, Light Brown Juvenile Huacaya Female
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