Show shopping list

• White Coat
• Poop scooper (magic hands or dustpan and brush)
• Hay / Lucerne
• Feed buckets
• Water Buckets
• Halters
• Leads
• Display materials (stud banner, business cards, previously won ribbons)
• Hat (if ring is outside and/or sunny)
• Correct paperwork
• Fleece Cleaner/Duster (eg. folded wire hanger, old badminton racquet)
• Chair / Stool
• First Aid kit (for you and your animals)

Show Day

So, you’ve arrived at the crack of dawn to pen your animal/s. You’re hanging around waiting for your class to begin, what do you do now?

• Do not enter pens of other studs without permission.
• Brush up on halter training, getting the animals used to the area.
• Get the worst of the dirt out their fleece. (But don’t work too hard ‘cause they will just role in the bedding again so you have to repeat the process five minutes before going into the ring).
• Catch up with other breeders, but do not disturb their preparations.
• Watch the show and suss out what the judge is looking for.

Your animal is waiting patiently in the pen, you are pacing, when you are told to get ready to go into the ring. So you put on your white coat, clip on the lead and with pleading and pulling (sometime a shove from a passer by) you get your little darlin’ in the line up to go into the ring...

• Hold your alpaca so it is on your right.
• Listen to the Steward’s instructions, not the compare.
• Walk slowly into the ring (the judge is watching the animal move).
• Hope that your alpaca likes the halter today, and doesn’t freak out when it sees the bunting.
• Come to a halt with your alpaca on the right.
• Try and keep your alpaca still, but if all else fails just make sure he/she is back on your right by the time the judge arrives, keeping the alpaca between you and the judge.
• If your alpaca sits down, get it back up again. Judges don’t like bending down and it’s hard to judge only half an animal.
• If you are last in line, keep and eye on where the judge is, but don’t focus all you attention on them. Keep in mind what you animal is doing and keep calm.
• When the judge is looking at your alpaca, follow any instruction you are given by him or the ring steward. Do not argue or speak unless spoken too first.
• Remember the judge is looking at your animal, not you.