About Us

We live in the beautiful countryside of North Devon just 3 miles from the North Devon link road south of Barnstaple at South Collabear in the parish of Tawstock.

Alpacas have been a part of our life since 2000 when we purchased 7 Huacaya breeding females. Looking back it was probably quite a big step to take but we felt with the advice we had been given by other breeders and the fact that we live and work in close contact with farming and farm livestock, we felt brave enough and encouraged to work with these beautiful and enchanting creatures.

It worked; and from our initial purchase our heard now stands at over 70. They have given us a common interest which we enjoy and have given David some light relief from the family business of Smallridge Bros, selling and supporting John Deere farm machinery in North Devon.

When we made our first purchase we were drawn to animals with good conformation (probably the suppressed farmer in David) and a variety of colours. Each year since, we have been selectively using top quality males to improve our fleeces and maintain the conformation.

Our show results indicate we are heading in the right direction. We have our own stud males but still use different bloodlines for certain females.

David, having successfully completed the judge training at level 2 in 2003, has helped us in our understanding of the fleece and the importance of selective breeding.

Elaine looks after the animals on a day to day basis and has developed a very keen eye and understanding for their well being. If one is a bit off colour she will spot it, as she treats them like her extended family.

If you are thinking of buying alpacas for the first time, we wish you as much enjoyment as we have had. If you are already an alpaca owner you will know what we mean, they are great!