The industry is making steady progress on breed standards. Only last year the old Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, Inc. (AOBA) Board of Directors forced through an ill-advised by-law change that declared that there would be no alpaca breed standards established without two-thirds of the AOBA membership voting in favor of the proposed standard. As it turns out the Colorado Appeals court decided that the old Board of Directors had acted in a manner that was contrary to the Colorado statutes for non-profit corporations. The court reversed the Board of Directors’ actions. The issue, of breed standards, is now back in play and the industry has some decisions to make.
The debate took a considerable step forward at the 2004 AOBA/ARI Fiber to Fashion Conference in Reno, Nevada. Curt Gedney, an ARI board member, organized a presentation on breed standards for the conference attendees. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. David Ames of Colorado State University. The panel included Dr. John Edwards, Vice President of Express Ranch; the second largest supplier of cattle genetics in the United States; Zane Akins who spent thirteen years as the CEO of American Holstein Association; and Dr. Phil Sponenberg who serves as technical coordinator for the American Livestock Breeds Conservatory.
Dr. Ames began the evening by suggesting that the alpaca industry had the opportunity to create their vision of an ideal alpaca in the form of written standards, goals or guidelines.
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