No prob-llama!

The brilliance of the 4-H Fair’s Llama Costume Contest

By AIDA KARIM
news@readthereporter.com

Real fashion icons are woolly, rugged, and surprisingly sassy.

Each year the 4-H Fair hosts a llama costume contest consisting of three divisions: senior, intermediate, and junior, depending on age range.

The Reporter spoke with this year’s grand champion of the llama costume contest, Bennett Walters about his experience running.

According to Walters, he has been participating in the 4-H costume contest for five years, with his family regularly visiting the llamas and caring for them throughout the year.

Walters said he received inspiration for his costume from a summer camp experience that “holds a very special place” in his heart.

This year, Walter said, he decided instantly that he needed to be a camp counselor for his costume.

According to Walters, both he and his mom tend to overprepare for things.

“We have a saying in our family that is, ‘It’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it,’” Walters said.

Walters told The Reporter he and his mom decided the theme was going to follow being overprepared for camp, and it had to be “the craziest thing ever.”

“I kind of joked around [with my mom] and I was like, ‘We should put a kitchen sink on there,’” Walters said. “Then she said something like, ‘Actually, we probably could do that.’ And we ended up doing that. It was really awesome.”

Walters said another reason why he chose this costume was because the belongingness, friendship, and inclusion surrounding his camp experience. It reminded him of his uncle who had passed away a couple of years ago.

Once Walters found out he won grand champion, he said he felt surprised and “unbelievably excited.”

“We [Walters and his mother] keep joking around that we keep raising the bar on ourselves,” Walters said. “I don’t really know exactly what our costume is gonna be next year, but it’s gonna be bigger and better.”

 

 

 

Llama fashionistas and their human handlers strut their stuff at the 4-H llama costume contest on Saturday, July 18. (Reporter photos by Aida Karim)