Chris, Susan & Connor Lehner

Looking Towards a Bright Future!

There comes a time in each one of our lives when we need to take a deeper look at where we are in life, what our goals have been and ultimately where we have ended up in our "path of life." We took that look at our lives back in 1999 and decided that we had achieved what we had "originally" outlined in our goals. We finally had a child in our lives and lived in an area where the value of real estate was reaching an all-time high, providing us with tremendous equity in our home. It was at this time that we realized that we had indeed reached our initial goal, but somewhere along the way it became apparent that it was not the "ultimate" situation for us.

Raising our child in a home where we could spend quality time as a family was first and foremost. The Bay Area was not where we wanted to be. We wanted to be in the country and to have a more hands on family business that would allow us to raise our child in an area where there were still trees to climb, less traffic and more time for family.

We decided to take the plunge and leave our professions and move to an area that afforded us the lifestyle that we now wanted in our lives. Once we made our decision to move to Loomis from Atherton, California, we never looked back. Our plans were in concrete and we finally moved in April of 2000. We bought 54 acres with an equestrian boarding facility. Now the wheels were in motion to set forth and obtain our new goals.

So, you ask... How did we get into alpacas?! During the summer of 2000, we went to the Grass Valley County Fair. At their petting zoo there was an adorable grey baby llama. Or so we thought! It turned out to be a weanling alpaca. We fell in love. It may sound corny, but when alpaca ranchers tell you it was love at first sight, it really is true.

We started searching the Internet to find out more about alpacas. At first we were in shock over the prices. It did not take long however, to understand the value of these animals and why they were such a great investment. We have always invested our money wisely whether it be in real estate or portfolio investments. We felt that alpacas were a great investment with a tremendous return, good tax benefits and would be an incredible family endeavor. A business that we could share in with our son and someday pass it on to him. So, we dove in head first!

Chris Wakeboarding - September 2004

"Leap of Faith"

We first started out buying two pregnant females and two potential herd sires. We immediately realized that we wanted to invest more and create a bigger herd so that we could compound faster. This would allow us to start selling as soon as possible. We also found that it was hard to find ranches in our area that could offer us a wide selection of alpacas. Our goal was to start out bigger so that we could offer our clients a larger selection of animals that would fit into their personal business plan. Also, because we had 54 acres, we had the space to accommodate a large herd.

Champion Alpacas was born from the idea that we need to be producing the very best alpacas with the very best fleece.  At Champion Alpacas, we strongly believe in breeding for the best quality offspring and improving with each generation.  The breeding decisions we make today are going to greatly affect the future of the alpaca industry.  Our breeding program consists of superior quality herdsires to continue improving our breeding program.

Looking towards the future, we have hand selected an incredible group of alpacas for our breeding program.  We know that the future of alpacas will be focused upon the elite and continue to work towards that vision.  Those alpacas that represent the “best of the best” with respect to fiber, conformation, phenotype, genotype and temperament will be the backbone of the alpaca industry.  With this vision in mind, we picked a herd that we feel will give us superior results and will help guide us to the forefront of the alpaca industry.  We selected our alpacas not only for their outstanding fiber, but also because of the genotype and history of pedigree, which gives them true breeding value.

Our goal is to meet as many buyers' needs as possible by providing what they are looking for. If we don't have what you are looking for, we will find it! If you need to know more about alpacas, we will help educate you. If you need help with marketing, we will help you market. If you are looking for a starter herd or for a larger herd, we'll put it together. Providing a great service to our clients is not tough, it just takes integrity and we are fully prepared to provide that great service. We want you to be happy with the investment you have made.

Alpacas have the same qualities as real estate. Over time, they provide equity. Breeding females who produce offspring year after year for up to 15+ years, will continue to keep your equity growing by the offspring they produce. Although there are risks associated with any livestock, such as death or illness, the risks are much smaller compared to the stock market which is unpredictable and sometimes volatile. Besides, you can insure an alpaca and recoup your loss. You can't with stock. But you do have to sell your alpacas to make money!

If you find that you want to invest in alpacas but feel that you are not one who likes to sell, that's o.k. You can let someone else do it for you. Brokering animals for other owners who may not have the skills to sell or the desire to sell is an easy solution. We can provide brokering services so that you don't have to sell them yourself. We love to market and we love to sell. Let us do it for you.

The road that ultimately brought us to where we are today will continue to pave the way to our future goals, and we are very excited about that! Alpacas in small or large amounts are truly an exciting future for all who participate.

The future is here and the future is now. Why not reevaluate your goals? They just may include alpacas!

If we can provide you with any additional information or you would like to visit our ranch, please call us. You will be glad you called and we would love to hear from you.

Warm Regards,

Chris, Susan & Connor Lehner

Champion Alpacas

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Wishing You Health & Happiness Always!

Chris, Susan & Connor Lehner

Life's too short - enjoy spending time with your family & friends!

Maui - June 11,  2007

Maui - November 23, 2006

December 2005

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Connor, our nine-year old son, started his own herd in 2001 (with some help from Mom & Dad) and had his first baby cria, Champion's Condor, in March 2004 from his very first female, La Bonita.  Talk about excited!  Connor loves his alpacas!  Connor also sold his first female weanling and used that money to purchase a bred female.  He currently has six females and three males.  Connor is well on his way to building his herd!

Proud Parents!

Connor Lehner #21

MVP Offense

2007 Mitey Mites

Del Oro Junior Golden Eagles

League Champions &

SFYC Division Champions!

2007 SFYC Division Champions

Connor Lehner

(upper row - fifth from left)

2007 Golden Eagle

All Star National Champions!

Pinto Division

http://www.championalpacas.com/2007nationalallstars.htm

Connor & Champion's Protégé 2004

Connor & Survivor - May 2004

"I love my alpacas!!"

Christopher-B & Connor

Contact us at:  alpacas@championalpacas.com

Toll Free:  (877) 925-7222

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