In 1989 Joy and Ken Whitehead established Bozedown Alpacas with a nucleus of 4 females and a stud male. Joy soon became fascinated in breeding alpacas, through direct observation of genetic traits in progeny. This led to a search for improving genetics throughout the 1990s, culminating in 1998 with Europe’s first Peruvian selection, which Joy made personally, searching through élite farms in the high altiplano of the Peruvian Andes. Some of the Studs selected in 1998, e.g. Bozedown Alonso and Bozedown Star, along with some of the pre-potent females from that selection, are in the background of some of our highly successful established pedigrees.
Mary-Jo Smith, Ken and Joy’s niece, joined Bozedown in 2000. Mary-Jo grew up around cattle and horses in North Alberta, Canada, and came to Bozedown after graduating in Accountancy and Business Studies. Her aptitude and insights into breeding and fibre production soon became evident to Joy, who sent her to Peru in 2001 to make her first selection. Joy’s confidence in her was well-rewarded, as she discovered and brought home some truly great Stud Males there – the renowned Bozedown Galaxy, Bozedown Dazzler and Bozedown The Chief among them.
Together, Mary-Jo and Joy proved a strong dedicated team in selection and breeding of both huacaya and suri alpacas. Now with more than 700 Alpacas, including over 100 suris, we are able to offer exciting new bloodlines from a broad range of World Class genetics. Ever since 1989 the attention to detail our breeding programme has paid dividends, producing many top prizewinners at the Shows year on year. Between us, Bozedown Alpacas and our clients have won a phenomenal number of Champion and Supreme Champion alpacas along with other show successes over the years, establishing it as the leading Alpaca stud in Europe.
Joy, Mary-Jo and Joy’s daughter Claire, a Consultant Camelid Veterinarian running her own specialist camelid referral clinic, have all personally selected our importations from Peru. We have also made other small selections of outstanding genetics from Peru, Canada, Australia and The United States in order to build on and further enhance British bloodlines.
The alpacas at Bozedown are well-handled, and relaxed with humans. We use the kind and efficient Tellington TTouch method of training and handling. In addition we are committed to maintaining our whole farm to the highest conservation and environmental standards. Bozedown Farm nestles at the foot of the Chilterns, alongside the river Thames. We are proud of our rare species-rich chalk grassland (which the alpacas maintain in very good condition) and our species-rich water meadow.
Bozedown Alpacas is proud to be a founding member of the British Alpaca Society, and an originating sponsor of The British Alpaca Futurity, Europe’s most prestigious alpaca show. We introduced the Alpaca Classic in 2012, and that is also now established as a premium alpaca event which includes Seminars alongside an auction of élite alpacas. More recently we sponsored a new addition to the Show calendar, the Alpaca Showtime Halter Show.