LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — When you walk through the goat barn at the Allen County Fair, you may be surprised to come face-to-face with a llama or an alpaca. In recent years, the animals have become more than just a novelty attraction — they’re now competing for championship banners.
Back in 2019, Audra Snyder showed her llama in the first year of competition for llamas and alpacas at the fair. This year, she was crowned the first-ever Allen County Fair queen for that breed, and she’s ready to share her passion.
"If anyone has any questions, I am more than willing to answer anything you have. I love to answer the questions, because I want to be able to get more people into the llama community. Because it's amazing," said Audra Snyder, 2025 Allen County Fair Llama/Alpaca Queen.
Audra and her sister, Claire, not only compete locally but also take their llamas to larger shows, some outside of Ohio. They hope more people in the community will discover how rewarding it can be to work with the animals.
"Llamas are just out of the box, you know, because they're different looking. I mean, you can see that they're kind of like a horse, but a lot different. They got a lot of personality," said Claire Snyder, who shows llamas at the Allen County Fair.
"They're kind of like a dog. They all have each have their own personality. So I think it makes it really fun to get to know how that animal is going to act," added Audra Snyder.
This year also marks the first time Lincoln Wayts is showing alpacas at the fair. While he enjoys competing, he said he especially loves how alpacas brighten people’s days.
"They're really good animals. I love them. When people drive by and I'm walking them in my pasture, they just smile, and so I feel like they make people have a better day," said Wayts, who is in his first year showing alpacas.
And while his alpacas turn plenty of heads, Wayts said the animals are comfortable with the attention.
"Yesterday, we walked down the midway. She just didn't care about the people. We let people pet them and everything, since usually people would love to pet them," he said.
For anyone considering showing an animal that’s a little different from the usual livestock, Claire Snyder has one piece of advice.
"It's really fun. I enjoy it so much, and it just makes me so happy. So, I really enjoy it," she said.
