British Alpaca Futurity 2010
Planning is underway for the 2010 Futurity which will again take place at the National Agricultural Centre at Stoneleigh Park on the 26th and 27th of February. Don’t miss it!
British Alpaca Futurity 2009
Stoneleigh Park, the National Agricultural Centre, was taken over by alpacas for the first major alpaca event of 2009 on February 27th and 28th. The British Alpaca Futurity, now in its third year, played host to over 350 alpacas that took part in judged show classes. It was the first time the event had been staged at Stoneleigh after two successful Futurities at Newbury racecourse. Show results are here.
Organised by a group of breeders it was a showcase for the progeny of some of the best stud males available in the UK. Only offspring from nominated stud males resident in the UK were eligible for the show. Nearly £60,000 was raised through an on-line auction of stud services and sponsorship to finance the Futurity and cash prizes amounting to over £14,000 was paid out to the winners of the show classes.
Stud services for the weekly on line auction were donated by owners of the nominated males and other breeders who were not showing at the Futurity also kindly donated services to support this British event. Some £75,000 of services were put up for the auction raising £31,000.
International judge Amanda VandenBosch (USA) judged huacaya and suri halter classes on the Friday and Saturday with a break at lunchtime on the first day for a professional fashion show that showcased alpaca garments made in Britain and the rest of the world followed by a parade of the animals that were up for sale in the Elite Auction at six o'clock that evening. Six alpacas were sold at the auction realising £36,000 in all.
One of the alpacas was bought by the Futurity group and sold at the auction to raise money for a charity—in this case the Quechua Benefit that provides goods and services to the families of alpaca farmers in the Altiplano in South America. Thousands of children each year receive safe and much needed dental care, blankets, toys, computers, books and food.
Saturday evening saw 190 people sit down for a celebration dinner after a champagne reception and fashion show. The commentator John Gaye and Nick Harrington Smith presided over the raffle and the announcement of the Futurity Champions—Bozedown Galaxy (huacaya) of Bozedown Alpacas and Accoyo Bulleyman (suri) of Moonsbrook Alpacas. The Champion Junior Herdsire was Alpaca Stud Hood and the Most Successful Small Breeder was Herts Alpacas.
There were authoritative seminars on neonatal care from Claire Whitehead who is a veterinarian specialising in camelids and runs the Farm Animal Hospital at the Royal Veterinary College; veterinarian Gina Bromage on alpaca herd health; John Arbon of UK Alpaca on fibre processing and a presentation from the British Alpaca Society on their Argonaut genetic evaluation scheme. The key note speaker was Geoff Ramm who, helped by his skeleton Aïda, talked about Marketing in a Cold Climate.
A number of trade stands were selling fashion garments and textiles along with associated businesses marketing feed, handling equipment and veterinary care. For the first time there was a FibreCrafts section featuring hand spinning, knitting, weaving and felting plus a Photography and Art competition judged by Val Fullerlove, textiles expert and international alpaca judge. Show results are here.
The event was organised by a group of breeders: Classical MileEnd Alpacas (Devon), The Alpaca Stud (Sussex), Alpacas of Wessex (Wiltshire), Bozedown Alpacas (Reading), EP Cambridge UK (Sussex), and Langaton Alpacas (Devon).