North East and Borders Alpaca Group
2010 Northumberland Show
Entries
for the Northumberland County show open Monday 29th March. In order
to instil confidence in both alpaca and other livestock exhibitors entries
will only be taken from animals from 3 & 4 year testing areas. Please
check
your Parish Testing Interval on the Animal Health website before making your
entry and include your holding number with your entry fees.
The reduction in numbers has been necessary to enable a 3m gap between
breeders, spit barriers and comprehensive bio security procedures will be in
place as per BAS recommendations.
Show Organiser: Vicki Ridley (g_ridley@lineone.net; 01434 673473)
RECORD BREAKING YEAR
2009 NORTHUMBERLAND SHOW RESULTS
2009 has been a record breaking year for alpacas at the Northumberland County Show at Corbridge on 25th May. There was huge demand for places this year and entries had to be capped at 126 due to limitations of time and space, a challenge judge Vicki Agar rose to admirably. This meant that there were many disappointed breeders - many of them members of the North East and Borders Alpaca Group (NEBAG) - who were unable to attend.
There was a big programme of classes on the day including Age Championships, Suri classes, Sires Progeny classes, Best Colours, Best British and Best Northumbrian Alpacas. Vicki Agar commenced judging at 9.00 am, there was a 20 minute break for lunch and judging finished at 8.00 pm. It is quite something to be still on the showground after the horses have gone home!
The standard of alpacas at this year's show was outstanding. Vicki said she was "proud to judge" the line-up of alpacas competing for the Supreme Championship, which was awarded to Fowberry Lucien.
Outside temperatures may have been the highest recorded this year in Northumberland, but this did not faze the breeders who had travelled from Cambridge, Loch Lomond and all points in between.
The
show was considered to be a resounding success and, as usual, a great
attraction for the public. This was due to the hard work of members of NEBAG
who with their friends and families worked tirelessly to achieve this result.
The Group would like to thank Vicki Agar for the quality of her judging, and
her help and support on what turned out to be a very long day!
Melanie Douglas
If
I could just add a few lines to Melanie’s report to say how disappointed I
was not to be in the marquee on the day, it was very difficult not being
involved but as the Show now pay me I thought my loyalties would have to lie
with them. Thank you for the positive feedback regarding the layout of the
marquee, I understand it worked well and allowed everyone to breathe a bit
easier not having the public and the alpacas mixed. The Show committee are
keen for us to run with two judges next year as it proved such a long day and
I would appreciate everyone’s thoughts on this, perhaps it should be put on
the agenda for the AGM. The committee, as every year, were stunned by the
interest shown in the alpacas and we are now a highly valued part of the show.
I am well placed now to continue my campaign for more space for the
alpacas so we can hopefully increase the numbers again.
Many,
many thanks to those who came and helped set up on the Saturday and Sunday and
who cleared the marquee at the end of a very long day. The last few
competitors came out of the ring to find their pens had disappeared in their
absence! Thank you also to all the stewards who are essential to the smooth
running of the day. Grace, a steward familiar to many of you having been with
us from the first year, was again armed with her camera and her photos are
available on www.p2pnorthernphotos.co.uk
She was also doubling up this year as one of the shows official
photographers.
Sorry,
this isn’t ‘just a few lines’ but I would like to say finally, thank
you, and well done Melanie.
Vicki Ridley
01434 673473
2008 NORTHUMBERLAND SHOW RESULTS
At
last, the sunny day we’d been hoping for finally arrived and with it a crowd
of 26,500 people to the Northumberland County Show.
It felt as if most of them decided to spend the day in the alpaca marquee
and around the show ring to watch Val Fullerlove judge our 4th year
of Alpaca Classes.
98 alpacas were entered in 30 classes, providing a busy day for Val and
exhibitors alike, and entrancing the watching crowds.
Supreme Champion was Graham & Jenny MacHargs Fowberry La Luna.
Val, when awarding La Luna Junior Female Champion, told the audience if
they wanted to know what an alpaca should look like, look no further.
The
morning started somewhat chaotically with traffic problems (police hadn’t
turned up for traffic control) and then problems with the identification of some
alpacas – migrating microchips. As a result the inspections took far too long
and four alpacas were refused entry into the ring because we could not find the
microchip and they had no fitted ear tag.
This, understandably, caused tension between people who had been up since
before the crack of dawn and was hugely disappointing for both the exhibitors
concerned and myself as organiser.
It would be worth everyone periodically checking microchips, particularly
before any show or when selling (or buying) an alpaca.
Might it be worth the Group investing in one or two readers that could
then be borrowed by members?
We also became victims of our own success with the hoards of interested
people hampering movement to and from the ring. I will reorganise the pens next
year to try and avoid this.
Vicki Ridley, show organiser
