I am a friend with a graceful antelope (6)
I believe the answer is:
impala
'graceful antelope' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'i am a friend with a' is the wordplay.
'i am' becomes 'I'm' (contraction).
'a friend' becomes 'pal' (pal can mean a friend).
'with' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'im'+'pal'+'a'='IMPALA'
(Other definitions for impala that I've seen before include "prodigious bounder" , "Leaping antelope" , "'African antelope, takes great leaps (6)'" , "horny type" , "graceful African runner" .)