Winchester Evening Star in Winchester, Virginia

Exotic Animals Are Hobby and Sideline For Buddy Artrip

Buddy Artrip of Pony Heart Farm near Winchester keeps llamas and other exotics as a side pastime. A baby llama outbreak and a mother llama’s spit highlight his 12 years of raising these animals. Artrip also breeds Sicilian donkeys, brahma cattle, buffaloes, and quarter horses, auctions livestock, and welcomes visitors to view and pet his animals. He notes llamas sell for $1,000 to $1,500 females and that donkeys carry a biblical cross, while stressing the appeal of rare pets and crossbreeds.