By SUSAN BLOWER
Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — A first-place finisher in costume at the Indiana State Fair, Peyton Webster, 3, is not a big talker - unless she’s asked about her llama.

“Her name’s Sprinkles,” Webster stated loudly in response to a visitor’s question.

The youngster and her little llama were calm and poised in an airy state fair barn, amidst strangers and other animals.

The young owner was present at Sprinkles’ birth five months ago, and the two have been inseparable since.

“She saw her being born, and it’s been Peyton’s llama from then on. She works with her in daily practices,” said her grandma, Elaine Brovont, leader of the Clinton County (Ind.) Llama Club.

“If you ask Peyton her name, she won’t talk. If you ask what the llama’s name is, she’s ready to talk,” Brovont added with a smile.

Like other pre-juniors, she also received a blue ribbon for showing.

This is not Peyton’s first buggy ride. Brovont led her through the obstacle course when she was barely 2 at Louisville’s North American Interna-tional Livestock Exposition (NAILE). Brovont remembers Peyton was too short to step over the jumps.

This year she will return to Louisville to show her llama unaided.

Brovont said the judges determine which pre-juniors can show without adult help.

Brovont’s approach is to “start ‘em early.” She said the farm matures children quickly.

“I’ve seen other children I would not trust with a llama,” Brovont said.

Championship family
Isaac Fruits, 11, finished up a satisfying three days of showing.
Fruits, of Crawfordsville, was second in showmanship. He is also the proud owner of the first-place finishers dam and cria.

Flood Zone and her mother, Tilena, made a splendid pair with their matching white and tan coats. Tilena became so agitated when her cria was loaded at the end of competition that Fruits carried Flood Zone back to her.

Keeping it in the family, Flood Zone’s father was named grand champion light wool male, Fruits said.

Fruits, like many other 4-H fair youth, was so busy working with his animals and cleaning stalls that he did not have much time to chat further about his championship animals. But that didn’t stop him from offering visitors a chance to pet his llamas.