When 5-year-old Kanen Fernwalt, of Niles, stands next to Drako the llama, the animal towers above him. But the difference in height does not hinder the pair’s teamwork.

This was made evident in the show ring Monday at the Berrien County Youth Fair, when Fernwalt and Drako won first place in showmanship at the Berrien County Youth Fair.

When asked how it felt to win first place, Fernwalt’s answer was matter of fact.

“Good,” he said. “I had to listen to the judge and smile at the judge and look at the judge.”

To win, Fernwalt had to demonstrate his knowledge of the llama, a pet that is easy for him to talk about.   

“[Llamas] are nice and cuddly,” Fernwalt said. “[Drako] is such a good llama.”

Fernwalt lives on a farm in Niles, where his family grows soybeans. This year, Fernwalt borrowed Drako the llama from his aunt, Sarah Bouzas, of Niles.

Bouzas thought Drako was no ordinary llama. With one blue and one brown eye that stands out starkly from his crimped white fur, Drako’s unique look, coupled with his sweet nature ,made him one of the best choices of llamas to show at the fair.

“He is really sweet,” Bouzas said.

Normally Drako roams the Bouzas farm in Niles, with his fellow llamas not far behind. On Thursday, Drako watched from his pen adorned with his name while Kanen prepared for the next competition.

Thursday afternoon, Fernwalt would lead the llama through a series of obstacles, a task Bouzas has been helping him prepare for.

“We have been practicing, and Drako and [Fernwalt] are really good,” Bouzas said.

For Bouzas, showing llamas at the Berrien County Youth Fair is a family tradition. Bouzas and her sister, Katrina Capek,  Kanen’s mom, spent their summers hanging around the fairground barns showing off llamas and other animals.

“It was a lot of fun,” Bouzas said. “We made a lot of friends through the experience.”

Now Bouzas gets to see her nephew compete and she hopes one day her daughter, Savanna, 3, will compete when she is old enough.

“It’s just a really good experience for them,” Bouzas said. “They meet a lot of new people. It is just all around a good experience for them.”

Bouzas said she is also happy to see the number of llama contestants increase in the past couple of years. This year at the fair, there were 30 contestants participating. 

“Llamas are just different,” Bouzas said. “It started out as a few small groups and it has finally grown.”

For those on the farm, llamas make more than just unique pets. According to Bouzas, llamas are used as a packing animal, helping to transport items around the farm or protecting herds of goats from coyotes.

In Drako’s case, sometimes llamas are a good companion, and a prize-winner to boot.