SKANSEN LLAMAS... A look at our breeding program, from start to present... step by step from founding generations to the present herd. First came the ranch then the animals... home of the most successful Giant Schnauzer kennel in the U.S. and the home of over 1000 home-bred champions! Skansen is located on the rolling coastal hills north of San Francisco, in the Sonoma Wine Country, the property covering 90+ acres of grassy hills. The kennel was established in the sixties, then included a "try" of a variety of farm animals, in search for the best solution in pasture management and fire control. Goats, sheep, horses, beef cattle, dairy cows all had a turn on our hills! All presented their species "special" needs and requirements...! Very limited road access and many out-of-sight acres on the hilly ranch made it a hard place to manage the routine problems most domestic livestock bring. Then the word about llamas came across in our search for that 'easy to keep and care for' farm animal. Exotic, foreign, unfamiliar, rare, beautiful and exiting! This was the beginning of a journey that proved these wonderful animals are all you could ask for, as well as a never ending learning experiences full of new discoveries. The Skansen llama herd was started over 25 years ago, in 1980, with the first pair of llamas arriving from the Patterson ranch in Oregon. The female, ESMERALDA, the herd's "first lady" and the grandest of GREAT GRAND DAM! The very first female founder of the herd, a sound, big, easy breeder whose many offspring made up the first generation of our growing herd. ESMERALDA 's many female offspring were consistent in confirmation and had their dam's soundness & problem free production. This foundation of sound, strong females created an ideal group, proven consistent in traits and types. In the many generations of adding bloodlines, one by one carefully contributed to these selected type and traits. In the early years, greatly restricted by the lack of animals available, our herd grew slowly but steadily - until the big importations made so many more animals available! Now, with more then six generations of improvements and combining top quality proven bloodlines, our herd has evolved into a group of top quality llamas. Our llamas are now proving themselves in the show ring, with consistent top placing's reinforcing the direction of our breeding program. We are happy that we back up our llamas with pedigrees that explain quality, not just chance! ( though luck sometimes seem a big part in the makeup of that 'one in a million' animal ) Our Goal: A correctly conformed, smooth fluid moving llama, sound, level headed, well balanced, medium size, heavy wool coverage, fine fiber, head wool, carriage and that special presence! Words that describe that elusive ultimate "GOAL" llama: Eye catching, flashy, shaped, willing, sound strong, looking, moving, brisk, fresh, easy going, interested, pretty, awe striking, shining, flowing, glowing, straight (up and down & side to side), smooth, curved, silky, soft, ready to go and many more! Foundation Sires The early years, 1980-1991 was devoted to building a quality herd. The founding dam and her many daughters were bred to our first herdsires, all from the few bloodlines available at the time, offspring of legendary sires including: CHIEF SITTING BULL, DR. DOLITTLE, ZORRO, HUCKLEBERRY FINN A sound, proven solid foundation of sires! The first 1/2 Bolivian Skansen herdsire: Adding more wool was the natural step towards the ultimate criation! The early imports were promising and exhibited a change in type from available lines. NEW DIMENSION: Half Bolivian, MR. BOLIVIA x THREE BY FIVE This sire combined more wool stretched on a longer neck, balanced with straight A confirmation! He was a big step to more wool and stretch as well as an often occurring white brow and head markings in his cria. A Canadian-Chilean-Bolivian blend herdsire: A herdsire that came as part of his dam's package! This loaded package was by far the most exotic addition to our herd yet. A full South American female and a future herdsire! SKANSEN'S FABIAN: THE ROYAL CANADIAN x HABANARA 1/4 Chilean, 1/4 Bolivian, 1/4 Canadian, this jet black sire always wore a tux with white: heavy wool, strong bone crowned with the best banana ears! Impressive, big heavy type. Son of The Royal Canadian, Grand sire The Canadian ( a magnificent heavy wool Canadian out cross), Maternal Grand sire Oko Castizo (1987 Bolivian import, heavy wool & bone), Maternal Grand dam Jalepeno (Chilean import, fine fiber in abundance and color). ...Add our very own Bolivian Imports! A giant leap for our llama family! The addition of direct imports with the traits and quality we had been looking hard for. The 1991 Importation and sale brought the future to our herd! Fine fiber, wool coverage ear to toe, exciting, exotic, awesome, well built Bolivian originals! HERREN FROM BOLIVIA 1991 Import Senior sire, co-owned and limited to a short career at Skansen, suri type fiber, cream appy & sire of our first home bred herdsire. SKANSEN'S MOLOTOV COCKTAIL, HERREN FROM BOLIVIA x BLACK BOLIVIAN BIJOU Full Bolivian with his sires fine fiber wrapping his dams smaller built frame, crowned with bangs and ear tassels. KASHMERE FROM BOLIVIA 1991 import This outstanding guy made his statement from the start and was the Sales second high seller (second only to Tillman's Chavito). This loaded package proved all you could desire! Balance, beauty, with correct bone & build and that special proud presence. This sire is the "ACE" in our herd foundation. Without doubt, Kashmere is the strongest, most important contributor to Skansen bloodlines. His many consistently, well conformed daughters make up the heart of our females. BOLIVIAN DIMENSION 1991 import Another outstanding exotic male from Bolivia, small but not short on wool! Ear to toe wool coverage, fancy with white markings and a strutting presence, eye appeal topped with a great disposition. Another "Ace" sire in the Bolivian infusion in the Skansen herd evolution! His many get combined with his co-imports make up the pedigree of the most outstanding in our herd. Another "founding father" contributing flaw free fiber and frame. IMPORT DAM: BLACK BOLIVIAN BIJOU 1991 import This small, tattered looking female does not catch the eye or even begin to show her true quality! This easy to pass girl proved one of the most outstanding producers in our herd with her many offspring. Her first ranch born male turned out to be an excellent herdsire, like several of her later get, this female never failed to produce a show quality offspring. Now retired. SKANSEN'S PRIVATE ENTERPRISE Bolivian Dimension x Skansen's Dramatic Dolly 7/8 Bolivian herdsire and Bolivian Dimension's successor. Adding Chilean pedigree dams: Several outside import bloodlines add more of the traits and variety to the herd. Black and white is always striking and stands out. These Chilean females are all-around additions and brought definite black and white to our blend! DESTELLA Don Juan Quixote x Serena's Joy 3/4 Chilean, Black & white, big, heavy wool, alpha female SKANSEN'S YENTA Senior Wenses x Destella A look-a-like of her dam, just scaled down in size! Full brother Hughes SpellBinder is a successful herdsire for Fallen Oak Llamas, Oregon House, CA. JOELLA Macho Camacho grand-daughter.  More old and proven Bolivian bloodlines Llamas of fads, fashion bloodlines and styles, new imports and extremes have not had generations to prove their qualities. The choice of already established, proven bloodlines has many gems to add their special traits to the herd. LIONS VELVET CORDUROY Lion of Bolivia x SCR Velvet Full Bolivian, golden color, heavy bone, fine fiber, heavy wool. Like his famous sire, he stamps his golden wool to his get, every shade from gold to red, many with true silky fiber. New Millennium Bolivian addition Available and affordable bloodlines galore, genetic diversity with endless options and combinations of proven pedigrees...! FW el ZALATE White Oak Zipizape X Renata Full Bolivian, dark gray and strutting! This sire put that special showring presence on many of his get, like his sire's Add ANOTHER dash of old Chilean import Many well advertised herdsires, heavily marketed and imprinted in the memory by full page color impressions, become larger then life and will stick in memory by ad impression solely. Intrigued, with that special ad photo appeal, years of magazine admiring before an affordable opportunity arises...! Because new is always "in" and hot. They are always yesterdays news, old but proven and not to be overseen. ALOHA SPIRIT Silverspirit x Wings Chilean, wooly from toe to ear feather and bangs, bone and substance with eye appeal that puts a smile on me! His outstanding and well advertised sire has sought after and proven extra exotic composed traits. Sired by Silverspirit, 1995 Chilean import; Dam's sire McKinnon, 1989 Chilean (through New Zealand); Dam's Grand sire The Fiduciary, Taylor Llamas well advertised herdsire.