Llamas and kids a natural fit at the fair

For the past 15 years, Eric Souders has been showing llamas at the Coconino County Fair. Now, as superintendent of the fair's llama section, he and the kids from his 4-H group are taking things to a new level.

"Llamas are really kind and they're fun to work with," said Jessica Settle, 14, a member of the Flagstaff Llama 4-H Club. "They have a mind of their own and they just do whatever. But they're like dogs, they'll come to you and they'll remember you."

When Souders took over as superintendent nine years ago, things were very different for the llamas at the county fair. Their section was drastically smaller. They also had no competitions of any sort.

Today, thanks to Souders, there are a number of new llama activities. Jessica and nine other children involved in 4-H will help handle the llamas and educate the public about their many uses, including companionship, shearing and spinning wool, and guarding small animals. They will also be offering llama cart rides.

The kids will also be participating in the contests that Souders has helped organize. Last year, Jessica took home the second-place ribbon for showmanship and the first-place ribbon for obstacle running. It was her first year competing, and she will be returning this year.

"I have pride in these kids," Souders said. "They have gotten excited about llamas and excited about them enough to tell the general public how fun llamas are. For these kids to be so confident around these animals, that's just great."

To prepare for the county fair, the children attend meetings once a month at Souders' home. There, they work with llama experts such as Souders and past judges to get ready for competition. The children are also responsible for brushing and blowing out the fur of their animal and studying for quizzes that Souders gives on llama lore.

The children work with animals born and raised at Souders' home. These include the feisty 4-year-old Sir Bottom the Weaver, and the calmer 5-year-old Hugo Z. Hackenbush. Souders took great pains to make sure the llamas grew up with their natural, good-natured personalities intact.

One of the difficulties facing llama breeders is Abhorrent Behavior Syndrome (ABS), which causes a llama to become far more aggressive than normal. According to Souders, there is a ranch in South Carolina attempting to rehabilitate 160 ABS llamas, with little or no success thus far. He said that the main cause of this condition is bottle feeding the llama when it is young.

"People bottle-feed their goats — it's cute," Souders said. "Well, bottle-feed the llama, he starts thinking he's human or that humans are llamas. He goes through this adolescent period where he gets a little unruly. They become dangerous at that point because they're this 250-300-pound llama thinking you're a llama and applying natural behavior of pack leadership. . . . They're going to make sure you know who's in charge, and it's not you."

In the cases of Souders' llamas, they were kept with their mothers roughly six months before being moved to a separate pen. This prevented ABS from occurring. The 4-Hers described them as fun, gentle creatures, though a bit stubborn at times.

Llamas are good animals to take on hiking and camping trips. One of their many uses is as pack animals, carrying up to 60 pounds of gear on their backs at any given time. Souders' regular family vacation is to go camping with his wife and daughter in the mountains, joined by a pack team of five llamas carrying all their gear.

This tradition has been continued with the 4-H group. The children and the adults will take the llamas on hiking trips, packing their lunches into the animal's saddles.

"The best part about going hiking is just that you get to spend time with them," said Kate Lynn Cochran, 13, another member of the llama 4-H group. "You really get to bond with them. Sometimes, it's just nice being able to be out in the forest with no distractions, like a motor."

This will be Kate Lynn's first year showing llamas in the county fair, which is held over the Labor Day Weekend. Souders said the group continues to get returning children every year, as well as some new faces in attendance. He considers this to be a sign of the 4-H club's success.