JOHN DAY — Grant County’s camel population doubled on March 20.

That’s when Hilde, the county’s famous 1,700-pound Bactrian camel, gave birth to Cora.

Talyn and Tabitha Elliott brought Hilde to the county about a year ago. The Elliotts didn’t know it at the time, but Hilde was beginning her 13-month-long gestation period with Cora before she arrived in John Day from Oklahoma.

“What happened is, Hilde was in a field with other female camels and a bull, and she wasn’t supposed to have her first heat until spring,” Talyn said. “She went into heat a year early, and the camel rancher knew she’d gone into heat but wasn’t sure if she’d actually been bred.”

Talyn said it became apparent to Tabitha last summer that Hilde was pregnant, but he was skeptical. In the end, Tabitha was proven correct.

What followed was a gestation period that stretched through the summer, winter and into the springtime, ending with Cora’s birth March 20 on the hill behind the Elliots’ home up West Bench Road.

Talyn said Cora was between 65 and 105 pounds when she was born.

Proud mom

Hilde conducted a sort of official introduction of Cora on March 22 to drivers along West Bench Road, Talyn said, bringing her into the front yard to “show her off” to passersby. Hilde attracted attention from passing cars along the same road, and Cora was no different.

“She’s already getting a lot of socialization for sure,” Talyn said.

Interacting with Cora behind the Elliots’ fence makes one thing apparent — Hilde is never far away.

She’s not threatening or intimidating, and she’ll let people get close to pet the baby — if Cora doesn’t eagerly approach the visitors first.

Talyn said as Cora gets older and larger, Hilde likely will be less protective. For now, Hilde and the occasional grunt she unleashes to remind people that she’s a watchful mom can be expected.

Hilde will nurse Cora for about a year. After that, Cora will move on to the alfalfa, grass hay, rose bushes, thistles and other plants that make up Hilde’s diet.

Hilde is 75% Bactrian, the two-humped camel variety, and Cora’s dad is 100% Bactrian, meaning Cora will have two prominent humps, just like her parents. Her coat will remain white, but its silver patches and streaks will become more prominent as she grows.

Future plans

Talyn called Cora’s birth a welcome surprise and was ecstatic the calf was white instead of Hilde’s traditional brown.

Talyn and Tabitha’s two children, ages 14 and 12, were excited as well.

“They were just kind of in awe of the baby; it was cool,” Talyn said. “They didn’t know what to think at first, and then they just started loving on her, and it was cute.”

Talyn said he hopes to get Cora “excellently trained.” He’s already been picking up the calf’s feet to help her walk better.

The goal is to have Hilde and Cora walk in a line behind Talyn while he makes one of his famous walks through town.

There may be interest to breed Hilde again, but Talyn said that can’t be done for at least two years, so he doesn’t have any plans to do so yet.

“I probably will want to have a little herd of camels,” he said, “but I’m not in any hurry to breed her again.”

For now, Talyn welcomes anybody who wants to make the trip up West Bench Road in John Day to stop by and catch a glimpse of Cora. He asks that visitors stay outside the fence to interact with young camel.

Those who want to keep up with Hilde and Cora can follow hildethecamel on Instagram.

SPANISH FORK — Three very talented Utah high school musicians get to show their talents at a national music festival.

Palmer Brandt, 16, from Maple Mountain High School, said music speaks for him.

“Music is a way for me to communicate what I feel without having to put it into words and I think it’s an easier way for me to do that than actually talking,” he said.

Brandt and two other high school students from Utah — Jack Hales, 18, of Herriman, and Tanner Brinkerhoff, 16, of American Fork — were chosen to be part of the Music For All National Festival, which hosts the top student ensembles from across the country. The students traveled to Indianapolis, Indiana, on Tuesday before enduring three long days of rehearsals to be ready for a performance on Saturday.

Brandt and Hales will be performing in the Honor Band of America, which is described by the festival as the “nation’s finest student concert honor bands.” Brandt was chosen as the only baritone saxophone player in the band, and Hales is one of the trumpet players.

“It’s a little bit scary, but also pretty cool. It’ll be really exciting to play with a lot of other really good musicians and be able to get straight to like tackling the expressive part of the music rather than just focusing on notes and rhythms,” Brandt said.

Hales said it was both surreal and exciting when he found out he had been accepted into the band. He had applied after learning about the band from someone he knew who had done it the previous year.

“I was a little nervous before going because I had a little bit of imposter syndrome, but once I got here, it felt real and exciting,” Hales said Thursday after a day of rehearsing. “Preparing was difficult because the music was very foreign to me. All the songs were so difficult, which I am not used to.”

The students in the bands were given the sheet music for the performance last month, but they knew they would only have three days to practice with the band in person once they got to the festival.

“It’s some of the hardest music I’ve ever played, it’s stupid hard actually. I’ve been looking at it a ton and trying to learn all these new things. Being able to go and play with the best kids in the country is going to be such a great experience,” Brinkheroff told KSL before arriving in Indiana.

Brinkerhoff was chosen to be part of the Jazz Band of America, dubbed “one of the top honor ensembles for young musicians in the nation.”

Brinkerhoff is the alto saxophone player for the band, but is also bringing a soprano saxophone, a clarinet and his flute to Indiana as some of the songs he has to play other instruments.

He got the email saying he had been accepted to the Jazz Band of America on Christmas Eve.

“I was super happy and started calling all my friends … it was like a little Christmas present,” he said.

Brinkerhoff said he was excited to go, but also “scared out of my mind” to perform with some of the best musicians in the country. But he also said it’s an honor to participate in such an advanced performance.

“Especially with the jazz band, Utah isn’t really a music state … it’s mostly like on the East Coast. So representing Utah, I get to tell everyone that Utah does have players and you can actually do stuff in Utah,” he said.

Hales agreed, saying it feels awesome to represent Utah’s music programs.

“Not only to show others how good I am as a player, but how good Utah is at making competent, professional-level musicians,” Hales said.

Despite knowing a week full of hourslong rehearsals and a challenging performance awaited them, the students were so happy to show off their skills and do what they love.

“Performing has always been a musical thing that I really like. I’m not a dancer or a singer or anything, so I feel like playing my instruments actually substitutes dancing or singing, it’s like another way to express (myself),” Brinkerhoff said.

Hales said he loves music because there is so much nuance that can make it hard to understand, but once you do, “it becomes one of the most powerful things you have.”

“Music has history, emotion, movement, creativity and sound, which make it just as, if not more, powerful than speaking,” Hales said.

The students’ parents couldn’t be prouder of their children. Matthew Brinkerhoff said it has been a “whirlwind,” but he just thinks it’s amazing his son gets to participate in the festival.

Kara Brandt said she is so happy her son has found his own way to communicate, adding that he has even composed some of his own music, letting people “see the world through his eyes.”

“It’s just so cool to see his genius just flow through him and to see how his hard work pays off in that excellence. He really is so dedicated. People will say, ‘He’s so talented,’ and I agree that he has a lot of talent, and it’s because he works hard. That’s why he is here and is in Honor Band of America,” she said.

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