With over 450 registered cria in the USA Hemingway has to be the most famous father in the alpaca community.

Hemingway made his mark early on; he was the first place adult male at the 1995 Alpaca Fest in Hillsboro, Oregon, which was, at the time, the largest alpaca show in the United States. In the white juvenile male halter class, the first four ribbon winners from a class of ten were Hemingway?s progeny. At the 1996 show in Estes Park, Colorado and the AOBA National in Denver, Colorado, Hemingway?s offspring won first place in the white weanling classes, both male and female, each competing against 25 entries in their respective classes. These awards were made before the rule that split classes at 15 and before championships were awarded. His colored cria won multiple blue ribbons at both shows.

Hemingway?s early histograms are exceptional in every respect. His numbers are matched by few studs, if any, currently working in the world, and his fleece at five years of age was, on average, 17.8 microns, 3.7 standard deviation, 20% coefficient of variation, and 1% of microns over 30. In 1995, Cameron Holt of Melbourne Institute of Textiles said, ?Hemingway is an exceptional animal. He tests better than any male I?ve seen [1995], his fleece is soft and I would breed him to every female I could.? Time has proved Cameron?s words. Hemingway currently has 450 registered offspring. Today his crimpy fleece measures 23.7 microns. But even more than his remarkable histograms it is Hemingway?s ability to influence the fleece of his progeny that marks him as a great herd sire.



His progeny are now located around the world. Hemingway?s offspring have all been of sound health, fine fleece, and outstanding phenotype. His sons command extraordinary prices and are the lead males in many a breeding program. Today, Hemingway is owned by a partnership of breeders made up of Northwest Alpacas, Pacific Crest Alpacas, Morning Sun Alpacas, and Timberland Alpacas.

Hemingway is no longer available for outside breeding and the last time a breeding was sold for the Quechua Benefit it raised $12,000.


Adrian Stewart