OUR AWARD WINNING HERD Started in 2006 with five animals.

Our herd

To visit us and view our beautiful herd, please email us or call Paul on 07984 458869

How it all began

Love at first sight ~ and our lives changes forever!

We were at the Northumberland County Show in 2002 when Kathryn came running down the busy aisle exclaiming – "Paul! Paul! You’ve got to come and look at these”! The rest, as they say, is history.

A chap had a small pen of white alpacas and for Kathryn it was love at first sight. We immediately sought to start a small herd, however we found the market to be pretty immature at that stage. There were very few other herds in the area and our local vets had little experience of camelids.

Undeterred, Kathryn continued to research keeping alpacas, and four years later, all Paul's “objections” had been answered. Not only that, but Kathryn had now bought into to the idea of starting a small breeding herd ... not just pets! In October 2006, we took delivery of 3 pregnant females and 2 companion males, and Nero Black Alpaca was born.

Without doubt, that brief encounter in 2002, has changed our lives – for the better of course. Kathryn chose to breed black huacayas – not just because she thought they looked best – but fundamentally they had most scope for improvement in breeding quality. The numbers of blacks at shows are increasing, but we’ve had a good share of winners and champions – feeding our competitive tendencies of course! Also, the value of darker coloured alpacas seems to be holding up better than the more common lighter colours in these tough economic times.

Kathryn has always insisted that we continue to source the top genetics to develop our herd, and we regularly sell to keep our numbers manageable and fun.

Careful expansion of the herd

Coupled with more land and facilities.

Houghton Cosmic

Having sold Nero Black Ice in 2015 as he was so closely related to many of our top females, we now have five exceptional stud males who we use selectively together with top outside options.

Our first major stud purchase was Houghton Cosmic. He has had an instant impact with one of his first cria Nero Black Chancer having taken Championships and been sold as a stud himself.

Cosmic went on to take Champion Dark Herdsire at the 2018 Nationals and now has approaching 30 progeny. He was sold and superseded by another striking Black Male in Houghton Savoy.

Inca Marcelo

Sire
Surtierra Shadow

Co-owned by Inca Alpaca and Redens Alpacas

Dam
Incognito

Two times Supreme Champion - owned by Inca Alpaca

Now, in 2021, we have made our most significant move yet, in bringing new genetics to the herd, with the simultaneous acquisition of Inca Marcelo and Redens Churchill.

Whilst of different colour they both have Surtierra Shadow as Sire and Lavender Park Tulley as Grandsire. Full details of all our studs can be seen on our "Stud services" page.

Grand-sire
Lavender Park Tulley

Redens Churchill

Sire
Surtierra Shadow

Co-owned by Inca Alpaca and Redens Alpacas

Dam
Redens Vogue

Reserve Champion Fawn Female - Alpaca Showtime 2015, owned by Redens Alpacas

Aside from the males, over the past 8 years we have purchased a further 12 beautiful black females. These acquisitions form a key part of our plans to carefully expand the herd since buying our own land in 2014. Our new American barn was erected in the spring of 2016, and now we have the Log Cabin to complete the jigsaw! Having sold regularly as well, we currently have 40 alpacas with 12 “in the oven”.


Our award winning herd

The herd's track record speaks for itself...

2022
  • Nero Black Nordic wins Black Male Champion at Yorkshire and two Reserve Black Male Championships and well as taking Champion Black Fleece at the Cornish Show
  • Nero Black Burgess takes Intermediate Black Male 1st and Black Male Reserve Champion at Northumberland having on Champion of Champions Black Fleece at the Nationals
  • Snowshill Juno Moneta is awarded Champion Brown Fleece at the Cornish Show

2021
  • Nero Black Burgess wins Black Male 1st at both Yorkshire and West Shires
  • Nero Black Cosmic Girl takes 1st place Intermediate Brown Female and Champion at Yorkshire
  • Nero Black Finale wins a hat-trick of Brown Male Championships at Yorkshire, West Shires and NEBAG

2020

Due to the COVID Pandemic there were no halter shows in the UK. However here at Nero Black Alpaca we did not stand still. With Houghton Cosmic having been sold Houghton Savoy worked for the first time covering 8 females at home – he also did 15 services “on the road”. Delighted with his first cria in 2019 and 2020 Nero Black Mountbatten (Fawn) was also very busy. Having convinced us of his a ability to throw dark colours he covered 6 females here. He was also a popular choice mobile - with another 12 females.


2019
  • Houghton Savoy wins Intermediate Black Male 1st and Black Male Champion at Yorkshire
  • Nero Black Cosmic Girl takes Adult Black Female 1st and Black Female Reserve Champion at Northumberland
  • Nero Black Finale is awarded Intermediate Black female 2nd and Black Female Reserve Champion at Yorkshire

2018
  • Nero Black Moutbatten wins Intermediate Light Male 1st at Northumberland and Huacaya Supreme Champion.
  • Nero Black The Chancer takes 1st places at each of The Nationals, Scotland, Northumberland, Westmoreland and Yorkshire. He was Champion Black Huacaya in Scotland and Yorkshire.
  • Houghton Cosmicwins Champion Huacaya Dark Herd Sire at the BAS National Championships

2017
  • Nero Black Maestro wins Intermediate Black Male 1st and Reserve Champion at NWAG and Scotland. He also wins Adult Male 1st. and Black Male Champion at Yorkshire.
  • Nero Black Bamboo wins Black Male 1st at Scotland and Northumberland.
  • Nero Black Mountbatten wins Light Male 2nd and Reserve Light Male Champion at both NWAG and Scotland. He also wins Light Junior Male 1st and Light Male Champion at Northumberland. As an Intermediate he also wins LIght Male 1st at Yorkshire and Light Male 1st and Light Male Champion at Westmoreland.
  • Nero Black Ercolani wins Junior Black Male 1st at NWAG and 2nd at Scotland.

2016
  • Nero Black Maestro wins Junior Brown Male 4th at the Nationals, plus Junior Brown Male 2nd and Reserve Champion at Scottish Nationals..
  • Nero Black Bamboo wins Intermediate Fawn Male 2nd at Scottish Nationals, and Intermediate Fawn Male and Reserve Champion at Northumberland.
  • Nero Black Guinness wins Junior Black Male 2nd at the Nartionals.
  • Houghton Cosmic wins Intermediate Black Male 4th at the Nationals.

2015
  • Nero Black Reddington wins 1st Junior Male in his class at the Nationals plus 1st Junior and Reserve Black Male Champion at Northumberland
  • Nero Black Bamboo wins 3rd in his classes at the Nationals (Junior) and Showtime (Intermediate) and 1st Intermediate and Reserve Fawn Male Champion at Yorkshire
  • Nero Black Guinness wins 1st Junior Black Male and Reserve Champion at Yorkshire – Oolala, bought as a junior from Little Eskrigg takes 1st Intermediate Female and Black Champion at the same show.

2014
  • Nero Black Shadow wins Huacaya Intermediate Male - Black 1st and Champion Black Male Reserve at National Show. Also takes Intermediate Male Black 1st and Champion Male Black at Alpaca Showtime. Finally, wins Intermediate Male - Black 1st and Champion Black Male at NWAG.
  • Nero Black Ice wins Championship Adult Male - Black 1st and Black Male Reserve at NWAG.
  • Nero Black Diamond wins Huacaya Intermediate Female - Black 2nd at National Show and Intermediate Female Black 2nd at Alpaca Showtime. Also Intermediate Female - 1st and Champion Black Female Reserve at NWAG Alpaca Championship.
  • Nero Black Truffle wins: Junior Female - Black 3rd and Junior Female black 2nd and Champion Female Black Reserve at National Show. Also wins Junior Female - Black 1st and Champion Black Female at NWAG Alpaca Championship.

2013
  • Nero Black Shadow wins Junior Male - Black 3rd at Futurity, and Best British Bred Huacaya, Junior Male - Black 1st , and Champion Black Male at NWAG Alpaca Championship. Also wins Intermediate Male - Black 1st and Champion Black Male at the Westmorland County Show. Also wins Champion Black Male Reserve and Intermediate Male - Black 1st at the Yorkshire Alpaca Group Show
  • Nero Black Diamond wins: Junior Female (A) - Black 4th at Futurity. Also wins Junior Female - Black 3rd at NWAG Alpaca Championship. Also wins Junior Female - Black 2nd at Northumberland. Also wins Intermediate Female - Black 1st and Champion Black Female at Westmorland County Show. Also wins Intermediate Female - Black 1st and Champion Black Female at Yorkshire Alpaca Group Show.
  • Nero Black Rose wins Intermediate Female - Black 2nd at Futurity.
  • Nero Black Betty wins Junior Black Female 1st at Northumberland Show.