Alpaca World Magazine Spring 2005 - Classical MileEnd Alpacas

longest day that I’ve stewarded, was where the
judging began at 10am and fi nished just before
8pm with half an hour break for lunch. A long day,
but a rewarding one, as I was able to work with
one of the world’s leading alpaca judges, Dr Julio
Sumar. It was wonderful hearing his comments
and humour.
The fun part for me was to constantly remind
Mr Sumar to make sure he checked the male’s
genitals, something he probably doesn’t need to
do in other countries. After a while, my reminder to
him was shortened to the simple word “Balls”!
The next day, I was back in Warwickshire,
Ring Stewarding for the Kenilworth Show. A busy
weekend.
I would like to fi nish off by giving you something
to think about as the Handler/Owner. Here’s the
handler’s checklist for a successful show but from
the Ring Steward’s prospective:
✱ Know your alpaca’s age, you will be asked!
✱ Get used to showing your Alpacas teeth to the
judge. (using your fi rst two fi ngers like scissors).
✱ If your alpaca is a male, have someone put a cold
hand on his genitals whilst you are holding him
(gently). Remember, we don’t want any sudden
lurches forward into the crowd. Whilst you at it,
get the alpaca used to being touched all over.
✱ You will be presented with a numbered label
when arriving at the show - this identifi es your
alpaca to everyone at the show. Wear it so all
can read it from a distance.
✱ Find out when you are ‘on’ and be ready at
least three classes before. Some classes are
small, so you might be taken by surprise. Most
shows should be able to give you a running
order before the start of the judging.
✱ When entering your alpaca for a show, make
sure you double check the date of birth is
correct, and also be absolutely sure of its
colour – use the alpaca colour chart if you are
not sure. Often an alpaca will be entered into
the wrong class due to an error in its date of
birth on the entry form.
✱ Trim the fringe of your alpaca if the eyes are
covered. You would be surprised how much it can
affect their behaviour. If they can’t see properly,
they might kick out more often – they will
defi nitely benefi t from it in more ways than one.
✱ If the weather is hot during the show, your
alpaca will be even hotter than you and more
unresponsive. Bear this in mind. Keep them as
cool and calm as possible and well watered.
The number of shows are increasing and
because of this, there will be new Ring Stewards
trained as the season progresses. If you see a Ring
Steward that is, perhaps, new to the job, you know
what will be going through his mind.
For me, being a Ring Steward is a great
experience. I hope to see you in at least one of the
forthcoming shows this year.
Showing Off
(Part Two)
Marty McGee
In the fi rst article I offered some training and
handling suggestions specifi cally for the show
ring to include ideas for ring stewards and
show organisers. In this article I will discuss
show preparation and training. If you haven’t read
the fi rst article it may be a good idea to read or
review it before proceeding with this one.
It is only fair to recognise that alpacas come
with a variety of temperaments. Not all alpacas
cope equally well with the tedium of the halter
show ring, having said that I think there are lots
of ways that we can prepare our animals for the
experience, accommodate their limitations and
still show them. Before participating in his fi rst
show your alpaca should be comfortable with
handling of a basic nature, be comfortable in
his equipment, and know how to lead. I have
written numerous articles about basic handling.
The bottom line is that the more comfortable your
alpaca feels with you the more he will trust your
judgement. An alpaca that trusts his handler will
assume that when you lead him into the show
ring everything will be fi ne. An alpaca that is
frightened of people will assume the worst and
will behave instinctively, primarily the fl ight or fi ght
response, both of which interfere with showing.
When preparing for a show many people focus
only on leading and showing skills, in fact, the way
you catch and halter your animal even how you
trim toenails and give shots are just as important.
Your alpaca decides whether to trust you based on
how responsibly you behave … period. Investing
the time to organise your facilities and learn some
handling skills makes everything easier including
showing.
It is critical that you recognise that your
nervousness is perhaps the biggest problem for
any alpaca new to the show ring. Nervous handlers
send their jitters right down the lead line like
current through an electric cord. Whatever you
can do for yourself to ease the jitters, do it! Get
enough sleep, eat breakfast, be as organised as
you can, get up early enough so you aren’t in a
hurry and remember to BREATHE! Breathing is
like yawning – it is contagious. Breathe loudly and
often and your alpaca will follow your lead and
take a deep breath. Breathing deeply and regularly
will help the both of you will relax.
Practice at home or get together with a group
of friends at someone’s ranch and stage a mock
show. Trips to the local nursing home will not only
Special Feature Ring of Confi dence
brighten someone’s day but will give your alpaca
valuable experience coping with new situations.
That said, showing an alpaca is defi nitely the best
practice for showing an alpaca but there is no
need to make your debut at the national show, if
possible pick out a smaller local show for your fi rst
experience. Ideally your fi rst showing experience
would be with an alpaca who is a veteran of the
show ring and bomb-proof.
Nervous handlers ALWAYS hold too tightly on
the lead line and don’t offer their animal enough
space. The judge can see your animal and the way
he or she moves much more easily if you are a bit
out of the way. You can control your alpaca with
your hand a foot or so down the lead away from
the head. Leading your alpaca from just under the
chin is annoying for the animal and is more likely
to negatively affect the gait.
I have written extensively about halter fi t over
the years and this issue is critical in the show
ring. Trying to control the body of an animal with
the head is diffi cult in the fi rst place, add the
complicating factor of a long neck and it becomes
even harder. Trying to control an animal with a
halter that doesn’t fi t makes it almost impossible.
In the show ring you need to help your animal stay
calm and focused. A halter that is too big and
spins around the head, is too small and ties the
mouth shut, one that slips off the nose bone on
to the cartilage compromising the airway makes
your job twenty times harder. A proper lead rope
is not nearly as important as your halter but can
also make a difference. My preference is a lead
rope with a lightweight hook with a rope that is not
too skinny. Heavy hooks can be annoying to your
animal and make it more diffi cult to maintain a
light connection with the head. Lead ropes that are
too skinny or too stretchy also contribute to this
problem.
Imagine that you have balloons under your
armpits and eggs in your hands. Pretend you are
showing a butterfl y. Alpacas resist steady, heavy
Alpaca World Magazine Spring 2005 | 17