Inaugural alpaca

Wayne Hemmelgarn’s grin just kept growing bigger and bigger.

It wasn’t because he earned a grand champion banner. That was a foregone conclusion.

Rather, it was because during a week when concerts and rides and food and any number of other attractions will be drawing attention, for a few minutes all eyes were on him.

“It was pretty cool,” said 10-year-old Wayne. “I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face ’cause everybody was staring at me and taking pictures.”

He walked his way into local 4-H history Sunday when he was the only entrant in the Jay County Fair’s first alpaca show.

Wayne was involved in other 4-H projects last year, showing a Jersey cow, turkey and chicken. But he had decided against showing any animals this year in favor of spending more time just farming and working on tractors with his dad, Kenny.

One day, though, the father and son hauled a load of grain for Jeff and Nancy Snyder, who had the alpaca at their property on county road 300 South.

“I just thought I could try showing one of them,” said Wayne, who also makes farm sets for a 4-H project.

Nancy’s mom, Frances Weesner, purchased the animal, and the Snyders had taken it to their barn to help keep pests away. But the cows didn’t take too well to their new barn-mate. So when the Hemmelgarns expressed interest, Jeff was happy to oblige.

Kenny delivered a load of grain to the Snyders at no charge, and in exchange, his son got a new friend.

Wayne then asked Katie Snyder — she’s Jeff and Nancy’s daughter, the 2012 Jay County Fair Queen and a member of the 4-H livestock committee — if he could show the alpaca at the fair. She took the request to the 4-H council and it was quickly approved.

“We’re excited to have something new to bring new opportunities to kids,” said first-year Jay County 4-H educator Erica Widmer. “It’s new for everyone in the county, so it’s pretty cool. … I’ve heard people talk about it all over the last two weeks.”

Wayne was the talk of the fairgrounds Sunday afternoon even before his 12:30 p.m. solo show began, as friends gathered around his trailer and observers packed the Show Arena. He then entered the arena and made one trip around the ring before chatting briefly with judge Grace Gehle.

“He did really good,” said Gehle, 19, who has shown alpacas at the Mercer County Fair for five years but was serving as a judge for the first time. “He handled his alpaca well. It walked well for him. He did a really good job for his first time.”

The animal was then headed back to the Hemmelgarn property so as not to spook any of the cows at the fairgrounds.

As a first-time alpaca owner, Wayne had some learning to do. He fed his new animal grain and hay but discovered it didn’t drink much water.

He also faced the challenge of handling the alpaca, a species of South American camelid that resembles a small llama, without getting too many bruises in the process.

“Cows can kick and stuff, but he can kick a lot harder than them,” Wayne said. “And he can lead and stuff, but it’s hard and touchy to catch him because you don’t want to get kicked.”

Though Wayne was alone in the arena Sunday, Jay County’s 4-H leadership has already heard of some interest for others to join in the alpaca show next year.

Gehle hopes to be invited back as a judge to see the show grow.

Wayne said he plans to be back next year, too.

Would he like to have some company in the arena?

“Yeah, so it’s a competition,” he said.