25/07/2026
The stories of Rasputin and Tulaco celebrated the influence of great stud males.
And while the legendary males of Accoyo are often remembered first, the true strength of the herd was built on something far less celebrated—the females.
It didn’t take Ron long to understand why.
Making their way through the stone corrals was a group of proven females. Fleeces still dense and bright despite the years behind them.
As the dust settled, one female caught Ron’s eye.
Juanita.
She carried the unmistakable Accoyo type—a broad, expressive head, a short muzzle and an unmistakable presence. Her fleece was equally remarkable. At five years of age, she cut an extraordinary four kilograms of 15-micron fleece.
Seeing Juanita stirred Ron’s memory.
Long before travelling to Peru, a photograph in Roberto Calle Escobar’s The Production of American Camelids had stopped Ron in his tracks. It showed the 1981 Juliaca Fair Grand Champion Huacaya—a perfectly proportioned Accoyo female covered from nose to toes in fleece.
To Ron, she became the benchmark that shaped the vision he and Dianne would pursue for decades.
Now, standing before him, it was as though that photograph had stepped into the corral.
Juanita reaffirmed what they had always believed—great stud males begin with great females.
The strongest females become the foundation of enduring bloodlines.
Juanita proved that philosophy right.
In Australia, she produced progeny that influenced breeding programs around the world.
Above: Juanita in Peru (left), as Australian Champion Mature Female (top right), and with her Australian-born son, Shanbrooke Accoyo Shere Impact ET (bottom right), who made his mark across the United Kingdom and Europe.
Some breeders build around great males.
The wisest begin with great females.
Thank you, Ron, for recognising the importance of elite breeding females and ensuring their legacy would continue in Australia.
