McRoberts Game Farm

 

The article below that I wrote in 2010...after Jerry's death...gives you a synopsis of our life

with llamas from 1976 to the present day.  He was a knowledgeable breeder...and was

fascinated with genetics in all species.  Pedigrees were important.  Most of the llamas in our

herd can trace their ancestry to the "beginning" of llamas in this country!

 

Jerry’s fascination with animals started at a very early age.  There’s not a photo in his childhood and youth picture albums that doesn’t include an animal of some sort.  His rattlesnake collection still remains in his dresser drawer….and the 4H trophy from the County Fair… he parted with….a few years ago!!  I knew when we stopped at a tropical fish store on our honeymoon….that he wasn’t the “norm.”

After graduating from Utah State with a Master’s Degree in Animal Ecology…we moved to western Nebraska to wait for a job to open up...and to be closer to family as we had a new baby to share with them!  It was after the move that he talked his dad and brother into starting a game farm with him.  The plan became a reality and the dream began…..The year was 1973.  With no money….but lots of ideas…we began building the adventure that our life would become.  We started out with a variety of animals and birds…acquiring many through zoos….and then, in 1976, we began buying llamas.  By the time we had eleven of them…his dad thought that we had enough of them….because whatever would we do with them!!  Jerry told him that he thought they might be “good” down the road!!  Then in the early 80’s…a friend from Catskill Game Farm stopped at our farm on the way to the west coast….and told him about Dick and Kay Patterson’s llama herd.  It was then that Jerry decided to pay them a visit…and we started buying llamas from Pattersons…ten pairs at a time!  The Patterson llamas became our foundation herd.  As llamas began to catch on across the country and into Canada…prospective buyers filled our calendar with farm visits.  It was not unusual to have three different sets of people at our farm on the same day…looking at llamas.  We have had so many people stay at our house over the last 30 plus years….that I can’t even remember some of them!!  There were no motels close….so the McRoberts Farm became the “Host Hotel.”  And Jerry…true to his fashion…was the perfect host!!  So many good memories with so many wonderful people in the llama world…filled our lives with so much happiness.  Our llama friends became our best friends!! 

As many of you know….Jerry sold Fred Hartman his first llama as he stood outside in the cold at the Denver National Western Stock Show …trying to get the general public interested in llamas.  It was this sale that prompted Fred to come to the farm and buy six more llamas that he sold at the beginning of one of his cattle auctions.  The llamas were such a hot item at that sale…that Fred began mulling over the idea of having a llama sale….nd thus the llama sales began.  Those subsequent years saw the llama industry grow and expand to new heights.  During this period…MGF had the top seller three years in a row at Hartman’s Sale. 

Jerry’s enthusiasm over llamas never waivered…..and he was always looking for the perfect male to incorporate into his breeding program.  In October of 1992….Jerry bought Macho’s Ace, a beautiful Macho Camacho son, from Dick Wickum.  Jerry bred him to a large number of our females and felt that Macho’s Ace improved every one of those females.  He was our number one herdsire during the next several years.  In 1993 we bought RAR Richochet from Max and Carol Kronn and Range Rover from Art and Lois Kennel when they were six months old…and “grew them up” until they were ready to breed.  In the late 90’s…. the acquisition of Chileno G Cerro Azul..an Argentine type male co-owned with Andy and Cheryl Tillman…added the bone that he was searching for in a breeding male.  He so loved the first offspring from Azul…that he kept all of the Azul daughters in the herd.  One of our next breeders…MGF Bacchus Azul – co-owned with John and Deb McDougal - came from this wonderful male.  When Jerry saw the first Argentines that came into the country…he thought they were amazing….and had to have them.  (Later he was able to buy into the A team and thus we had several Argentine males that we used...including Argentine Kobra and Argentine Pecos.)  In a subsequent trip to Chile with Paul Taylor in 2000…we added some beautiful Argentines to our herd…including Argentine Don Zunca and Argentine Machi, as well as Argentine Toqui, Argentine Notra, Argentine Paco, Argentine Gaucho, Argentine Laucha…and the dream continued.  In 2004…two Chilean imports…San Juan and Aviator…added new bloodlines and beautiful suri fiber to our herd.  Jack and Tracy Pearson later co-owned these two herdsires with us.  In 2006 the addition of WSL Peruvian Silver Lining – co-owned with Jan and Suzanna Lasee -  completed the program that he was striving to develop….beautiful fibered animals with strong bone.  There were many other breeding males that played an important part in the development of our herd…but these are some of the males that made an enormous impact in the latter years.

We have watched the llama industry begin….saw it take off and soar to unbelievable heights…and then watched as the industry grew and expanded…adding the show ring to the delight of llama enthusiasts.  We have always said that we would never want to stop raising these beautiful animals…and, in my darkest moments this past year, the birth of a new baby uplifted my whole day!!

My life with Jerry was such an amazing adventure.  He was so passionate about what he did…and so knowledgeable…loving every minute of his life.  He truly followed his dreams and lived them.  I will be forever thankful that our paths crossed one Friday night…many years ago…and our life together began.

Barb

 (written 2010)