BY JUDY AINLEY

My husband Alan and I bought an old house with six acres of land in St.Michaels on Wyre in July 2006. This primarily was to accommodate my two horses,
Huggy Bear, a Welsh Section D and Orion, an Arab. I have always dreamt of one day owning my own land and seeing my horses grazing through my window. I thought I couldn’t be happier with my two dogs and my equine friends until Alpacas came into my life.

I first read about these enchanting creatures in the Country Life’ magazine in March 2008, and immediately felt a yearning to get to know a little more about them. I heard about a little orphan ‘boy’ that was being bottle fed at Cockerham Alpacas, so I managed to arrange to go and meet these animals in the flesh. Michael and his wife Judith introduced me to their herd and I was smitten, to say the least. As for ‘Pepe’, fed him and decided I had to have him, as well as his friend ‘Coco’, both being approximately two months old. They were the start of a wonderful, fulfilling relationship that has developed over the past two years.

Initially, I was quite happy with my two little boys until, in August of that year, I attended an Open Day at Sudell Alpacas.
Wow! I just was so taken with all these beautiful animals and so I bought two more young little boys who were very special. Angela, their owner, advised me they needed a very special home as they were extremely nervous and timid and lacking in self confidence. Therefore, they needed a kind, patient home with someone who had the time to try and help them gain trust in people. I named them Badger and Casper, and my two little boys became four little boys.