For the Daily Reporter
GREENFIELD — Ace the alpaca certainly looked the part.
The four-legged competitor came to Sunday’s costume contest sporting an outfit befitting his name — a pack of cards, led by Lila Beghtel, his 14-year-old queen of hearts, complete with crown.
Sunday’s llama and alpaca costume contest drew a crowd of fairgoers to gawk and giggle at the colorful creativity the competition brings each year. A signature kickoff of the 4-H fair, the event challenges 4-H’ers not only to wow the crowd with their themed costumes but to train the animals to exhibit the trappings gracefully, no matter how cumbersome.
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One by one, the 4-H’ers led their animals around the show ring, gaining points for both creativity as well as how well their animal played along with the whole charade.
Watching from the sidelines — when she wasn’t dashing to and fro — was Joy Beghtel, Lila’s mom and costumer. Lila was joined by her sister, Lena, and brother, Luke, who also competed on Sunday. For the Beghtels, this contest is a family affair. They started showing in Hancock County last year and fell in love with the atmosphere, Joy Beghtel said.
“It was so fun just to see how packed the building is, how the community comes out,” she said. “That doesn’t happen other places. The energy is high; it’s just so much fun.”
But behind all the pomp and circumstance is a lot of hard work, she added. This year, Lena, 12, chose a beekeeper costume, with alpaca Oliver dressed as her bumblebee. Luke, 10, was decked out in firefighter gear, with his alpaca, Ginger, strutting the ring dressed as a ball of fire.
Coordinating outfits for the six of them — three Beghtel kids and their alpacas — started well before fair week.
“If I wait until the month of May, I’m hosed,” their mother joked.
Each year, the costume contest kicks off the race for the grand champion title, with llama and alpaca events taking place over the course of the week. Four-H’ers gain points toward top honors for their performance in every category — costume, obstacle and showmanship — so there’s incentive to be actively involved.
While the costume division is a crowd favorite for its light-heartedness, the training behind the antics has real-world applications, Lila said.
Should a llama become injured or have an issue that requires veterinary care in the future, they’ll be more accustomed to being handled, as well as tolerating wrappings on their legs on necks if needed, she said.
“Doing costumes with them on a regular basis helps kind of desensitize the animal,” her mother added.
The Hancock County Llama and Alpaca Club welcomes both animal-owners and those who need to borrow a llama or alpaca just for the week of the fair.
There’s some advantage to owning your own animals, of course — the opportunity for year-round training, building up trust and companionship that results in a smoother performance.
And sometimes, you just get lucky, landing a pet with the perfect temperament to wow the judges in the show arena.
“Ginger’s a really good alpaca in the first place,” Luke said. “She really would do anything.”
As with any livestock competition, showing you have control of your animal is paramount — and it takes practice.
Jaysa Melton, 16, has had plenty of time to show Cutie Patootie what she expects of him in the ring — she’s been showing the same llama for eight years.
“He’s more conditioned to being dressed,” she said. “He barely moves whenever I put stuff on him.”
Which is good, considering a nasty a habit of his.
“Cutie Patootie doesn’t like his legs being touched, so he kicks; if he can’t kick, he’ll spit,” she said.
On Sunday, the pair presented as a pair of Trolls, a nod to the recent animated film, with colorful puffs of hair reminiscent of the beloved ‘90s-era toys.
Because llama and alpaca contests take place all throughout fair week, with the obstacle course on Thursday and showmanship Friday morning, the animals are among the few who spend the entire week at the fairgrounds.
That gives the chance for fairgoers to stop by for a visit, and for 4-H’ers to showcase their hard work a bit longer.
There’s also a chance for some education — teaching passers-by the difference between the llamas and alpacas, for example. The alpacas are smaller — often mistaken for baby llamas, Melton said — and have elf-shaped ears. Llamas are the big guys, with banana-shaped ears.
Beghtel admits it’s a bit of work, trekking back and forth to the fairgrounds all week to care for the animals, but it’s worth it for both the 4-H’ers and those who visit the barn, she said.
“… It’s awesome to share your animal with the community,” she said. “You take care of these animals all year long, and you work with them, and it is really fun to be able to show off your animal for the week of fair.”
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See more photos and winners from various events at the fair, along with what’s coming up the next few days, inside on Pages A4 and A5.
For video coverage and more photos of the 4-H Fair Parade and other fair events — including Donkey Baseball and the Beef Show — check us out on Facebook at Greenfield Daily Reporter (@GreenfieldDR) and greenfieldreporter.com.
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