Show News
Photographs: Harvey Brown
www.harveybrownphotography.co.uk
ALPACA 2012 (14 –15 April) Report by Mark Steele, Patou Alpacas. T
his year the South West Alpaca Group (SWAG) was given the opportunity to align its annual spring show with the World Alpaca Conference (WAC). The show was grandly renamed Alpaca 2012 and held the weekend after the conference so that visitors from overseas could see the best of what the UK has to offer in the show ring.
The BAS decided that the show would also take the place of this year’s National
Show. So the scene was set and the pressure was on! A committee was formed, headed up by the organiser supreme Di Davies
(Alpha Alpacas) and the ultimate professional Tim Hey (Inca Alpacas). Fred Ellis (Acer Alpacas) took on and excelled at the job of quartermaster and provided all the necessary ‘hardware’ for the show to be staged. Chris Edge (Snooks Farm Alpacas) organised the trade stands, Jenny Charlton (Hollycombe Alpacas) organised the Saturday evening buffet and for my sins (there was no one else left), I was put in charge of the catalogue advertising. The brief was to provide a show that would be the perfect vehicle to parade the best of the British herd. The entries rolled in and we had 341 alpacas in the halter classes from 60
different breeders. The entries across the colours were very well spread and the quality was there for all to see. The venue was the Hand Equestrian Centre, near Clevedon south of Bristol.
Three judges were invited – Nick Harrington-Smith was tasked with casting his experienced eyes over the huacaya females, Liz Barlow took control of the huacaya males and Val Fullerlove had the suris to peruse. Set over two days in a fabulous venue the show was run as a colour champi-
onship but under the age championship format. The colour champions were awarded on the Sunday afternoon. This format ensured that there was a variety of colours being judged throughout the two days and seemed to work very well. It was also decided that there would be no supreme champion award.
8 Alpaca Summer 2012
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