Zaila by Zaliki

This guy has a pedigree of the old well-knowns, including Bracito, Torbio, Macqyver... His name came by thinking of rock & roller Grace Slick. Slick has proven to be the perfect name time and time again. He was born sturdy, strong and packing the fleece! We had not seen or felt so many skin wrinkles on a newborn body and neck. They almost flapped over on the sides. Beautiful luster & fineness like no other we had seen. We mean fine! We were disappointed that he did not get a chance to show 2020 due to all shows being canceled with Covid. Since the local show was also canceled spring of 2021, we decided to send him all the way to Nebraska to the Nationals. His first show at the AOA Nationals he took a first in his class! The judge had all nice things to say about him. Those that got to take a close look made the comment he has an elite fleece type. We were planning to send him on to further shows but he ended up being shorn by accident on the ranch shearing day. Words can't describe the emotions felt when his prime show season were dashed in an instant. Because of his amiable demeanor we decided to show him as a mature adult. The Judge, Cheryl Gehly gave him a 1st place with a Reserve Champion against younger and top breeders in walking fleece. With a score of 10 of 10 in fineness - as a 2 year old when judges rarely give out 10s! Spring 2022 he went on to receive four 1st places ribbons. We still wonder if the near average density scores from certain judges were taking his fineness into consideration. Dianne Timmerman gave him a 4 of 5 in density and Cheryl Gehly gave him a 3.5 of 5. We feel they know Suris. We hope to obtain a skin biopsy one day. At the AWE he was awarded a 1st & reserve color championship in halter! Comments besides his nice frame, were his fleece fineness and that re-locking all the way down to the belly. Between showing at CABA, AWE, GWAS and RMA if you saw the level of his competition it was really out of this world. We did not plan to continue showing him but they needed numbers at Gold Country 2022. Although he wasn't in well maintained pastures, he took a 1st in walking fleece with his highest fleece score ever! (see photo of score card) We had sent his 2nd fleece off for processing, they mill commented they had successfully processed fine fleece before but not had any that was that "slick" His histogram just came back 20.6 AFD and 4.7 SD in his 3rd fleece. His EPDs list him in the top 15% in nearly every category. Slick sired a few beautiful crias that were born nice & robust and with added luster & wrinkles in their skin, indicating density. If you are looking to add positive traits and significantly improve fleece fineness contact us.