Eagle Spirit Alpacas…
Born on a dream, building on a legacy.

In February of 2001, Josh and Kathy Garrett ventured out on a cold Saturday morning to go meet some new acquaintances at an alpaca show in Longmont, Colorado. The reality was they didn’t really know the couple all that well and certainly had no idea what an alpaca was. There simply wasn’t anything else going on that morning, so why not? Within fifteen minutes of entering the warm hay scented barn, Kathy was tugging on Josh’s sleeve – “Honey, I want one, no I want two, no I really want a dozen – please…” They spent a year and a half exploring the financial aspects of raising and breeding alpacas and shared their dream with Kathy’s mother, who wanted to finance the venture on the spot. Kathy declined her mother’s offer; there was still too much uncertainty about their decision and besides, what about all the traveling and exotic places still waiting to be explored? Sadly, in March of 2003, Kathy’s mother passed away, leaving a wonderful legacy and a request that Josh and Kathy use it to follow their dream, and so began Eagle Spirit Alpacas.

Once the decision was made to purchase alpacas, new friends and acquaintances within the Alpaca industry helped select two female huacayas with a young male cria at the side. Ecstatic with their new “herd” it was time to select a name for the still virtual ranch. Kathy’s mother’s favorite hymn was “I Will Lift You Up on Eagle’s Wings” and the sentiment clearly reflected what her legacy was providing. The ranch name became “Eagle Spirit Alpacas” and the logo chosen shows a soaring eagle hovering over a male and female alpaca as if standing watch over the couple.

In September of 2003, another sad event helped shape the course of Eagle Spirit. A couple that Josh and Kathy had become close with in the industry decided to obtain a divorce and proposed an option to buy their animals that was too good to pass up. In one fell swoop, the little herd of three grew to a herd of eleven, including two pregnant females.

By winter of 2004, the boarding fees for the burgeoning herd became so large it made sense to begin looking for property to purchase for a ranch of their own. The couple spent months looking at properties within a 50 mile radius of Denver. Some were too small, some were too large but none were just right. Then in late March of 2005, a trip to the estate auction of a former alpaca breeder landed them on a small, five-acre ranch in Erie with an amazing assortment of outbuildings and infrastructure. The property was also up for sale that day; so much of the day was spent exploring the many nooks and crannies on the property. When Josh won several hundred feet of irrigation pipe in the auction, he looked at Kathy and said “Don’t you think you ought to call our realtor, because I’m not hauling this pipe up the mountain?” The ranch was purchased that afternoon and Eagle Spirit was no longer a “virtual” ranch.

The ensuing years have been a dream comes true. Making new friends, watching our little “starter herd” blossom to its current size of over 20 and winning a few ribbons along the way. Our mission, admittedly nebulous at first has become much more focused:

"We breed for excellence of confirmation and fiber, we offer ourselves as mentors and supporters for new breeders, we promote alpaca fiber in all of its glorious forms and we act with the trust and integrity that our legacy deserves. "

We encourage everyone, whether seriously interested in purchasing alpacas, just curious about these amazing creatures, or simply wanting a days outing in a beautiful rural setting to call and set up a ranch visit. There is always something interesting going on at the ranch. To make a reservation for a ranch visit, please call 720-890-9777 – we can’t wait to meet you!