On December 8 and 9, Laura Hineman, co-owner and Alpaca Whisperer of Fox Wire Farm Alpacas, competed at the 2018 Virginia Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association (VAOBA) Expo with a number of our lovely ladies from the farm. The competition was stiff, but Blissfully Gracious XX walked away with a Best in Show Color Champion Banner, specifically in the Huacaya Female Walking Fleece category!
The Walking Fleece competition was an opportunity to enter a fleece competition where the prime fleece was evaluated while still on the alpaca. Conformation was not assessed. An Alpaca Owners Association (AOA) Walking Fleece Scorecard was completed for each alpaca in the course of this evaluation/judging process. Placements were made on a highest point basis once all evaluations were completed and tabulated. Rules followed those used for fleece shows according to breed, age divisions, color groups and class size. Bliss (as we fondly call her) was evaluated on:
- Fineness and Handle
- Uniformity of: Micron, Length, and Color
- Style: Character (Crimp) and Staple Type/Density
- Brightness
- Absence of guard hair
- Absence of impurities/stains/fleece damage
This gorgeous and gentle lady out performed them all! What a way to end the year! This is our first Best of Show Banner and something we have been working towards since the beginning. Here’s to 2019 bringing us more banners in the upcoming competitions!
