Alpaca Journal

      It is a fact that many of the exhibitors at a given alpaca show are often dissatisfied with the judge. This dissatisfaction ranges from mild displeasure to outright disbelief in the results. Show participants fully expect judges to make decisions in a scientific fashion that dictates highly predictable placings that should be obvious to everyone concerned. They believe that judging is science. I have judged 1000's of classes over the past 10 years and I would like to suggest that each decision is not necessarily scientific; there is by necessity a certain art to judging alpacas. Read more

By Mike Safley

The 2005 Alpaca Show season started off with a bang, not your typical pyrotechnic bang, but the type that comes with change and the disruption of business as usual.  The fuse was a series of new show rules that address the issue of grooming alpacas.  Grooming is out and natural paddock condition is in: The fat is in the fire.

The grooming of alpacas in the United States dates back to the very first alpaca show in Grass Valley, California.  The rules against grooming are rather recent and have generally occurred in reaction to the practice of show fitting that has become a high art among some exhibitors.  This persistent practice of preparing show alpacas brought us to the point where something needed to be done.

To illustrate this need, I will tell you about a rather ugly incident that began at the Kentucky Classic in Louisville, Kentucky and continued on to the North American Alpaca Show in Springfield, Massachusetts—but not yet.  The new anti-grooming rules that have caused all of the consternation are no small matter—we are talking about playing by the rules versus cheating.  Should we groom our alpacas like show poodles or present them as production quality livestock where our focus is superior selection and genetic gain? Read more

Related links:

Cheating at Shows by Jude Anderson

Showing Suri Alpacas by Maggie Krieger

Hair Shine: An Analytically Elusive Phenomenon? by F.-J. Wortmann, E. Schulze, B. Bourceau

By Jude Anderson

            This article was crafted by senior AOBA judge, Jude Anderson, from the contents of several exhibitors meetings at major alpaca shows held in 2005. Jude makes clear why grooming is against the AOBA rules and that this practice will no longer be tolerated. I could not say it better than Jude did when she opened her piece with the following paragraph:

            “A ‘Culture of Cheating’ has now become endemic in AOBA alpaca shows, whether it’s in the trimming and blocking of huacayas or the stripping, shampooing or luster enhancement of suris. AOBA judges now find themselves in the position of being the “Grooming Police” rather than having the satisfaction of being able to judge every animal on its merits and place them accordingly. I’d like to demonstrate how cheating negatively permeates every aspect of the alpaca industry.” Read the entire article.

Related links:

Alpaca Shows: The Blame Game or Fair and Friendly Competition by Mike Safley

Showing Suri Alpacas by Maggie Krieger

Hair Shine: An Analytically Elusive Phenomenon? by F.-J. Wortmann, E. Schulze, B. Bourceau

By Maggie Krieger

            Maggie Krieger is a senior AOBA alpaca judge, the president of the Alpaca Judging School of the Altiplano, the Alpaca Breeders Fiber School, and the author of numerous articles and books. Maggie’s article is a must read for anyone serious about showing suri. The last few paragraphs of this piece touch on the subject of alpaca grooming which is the primary theme of this edition of the “Alpaca Journal.” To read the article click here.

Related links:

Alpaca Shows: The Blame Game or Fair and Friendly Competition by Mike Safley

Cheating at Shows: How it Affects the Whole Alpaca Industry by Jude Anderson

Hair Shine: An Analytically Elusive Phenomenon? By F.-J. Wortmann, E. Schulze, B. Bourceau

By F.-J. Wortmann, E. Schulze, B. Bourceau

            Breeders who add artificial luster to suris are a hot topic on the show circuit. This article discusses how the affect of consumer products on hair sheen can be measured using a “gloss index.” Suri breeders will be interested to see how scientists can actually measure luster. Can a “lust-o-meter” be far behind?

Read this article

Related links:

Alpaca Shows: The Blame Game or Fair and Friendly Competition by Mike Safley

Showing Suri Alpacas by Maggie Krieger

Cheating at Shows: How it Affects the Whole Alpaca Industry by Jude Anderson

I was invited to judge the 2004 National AOBA show. I was so excited about the invitation that I arrived a day early, on Thursday; the show didn’t begin until Saturday. With a day to kill I began a leisurely breakfast with the USA Today newspaper and graduated to the Louisville Courier. It was wall to wall Smarty Jones. I will warn you now this is not an alpaca article.

The whole town was on fire with talk of Smarty’s prospect at the Preakness. He had become a common man’s favorite, his pedigree doesn’t recommend him and he’s small to boot. A Seabiscuit of a horse.

I was hooked when I read a quote by a trainer who said, “Smarty Jones is proof that you don’t have to breed the best to the best to get a champion. If that was true the richest horse breeder would win every time.”

I decided I had to have a Smarty Jones tee shirt. The paper said they were going fast and I figured that if he won the Preakness my shirt would be a collector’s item. I headed for Churchill Downs; the first race went off at 2:45. I bought myself a shirt and picked up two more for my boys. I was down $48.00

Next I decided that, as long as I was at the home of the Kentucky Derby, I should watch a race: no betting. The race was exciting and I walked out the wrong door on my way out. I ended up in the paddock where the horses in the next race were getting saddled and ready.

I walked over to the fence and asked a fellow, who would later introduce himself as Bruce, when all the horses would be out. “In about five minutes,” he said and we began to talk. It turned out that Bruce was an insider at the track. He knew people.

The next thing I knew he was confiding in me. He told me, “You know people around here play a lot of games.”  “Really I asked. “Yes,” he said, “this place is so crooked that it is actually honest.” How can that be, I asked? “Well,” he tells me, “You never know who is going to win.” As I was digesting that piece of information Bruce confessed that he had a “sure thing tip from his jockey friend.”  “The eight horse,” he said.

I had never had a second hand tip from a jockey and I figured this is too good to pass up. I looked in my wallet on my way to the window. All I had was a hundred dollar bill: no change. I took that for an omen and bet the whole C note on number 8, Joise’s Country Girl, to win, place and show. She went off at 7 to 1 odds and ran 5th. Thanks Bruce

I left the home of the Kentucky Derby down $148.00. I sure hope those Smarty Jones tee shirts are a winner on EBay. Next time I judge an alpaca show I am going to arrive on time.