IN THIS ISSUE: pgs 6-14 pgs 24-37 pgs 38-42 SEE YOU AT: - ariLIST

The quarterly newsletter of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, Inc. and the Alpaca Registry, Inc. 

Vol. 1, No. 3 

April 2004 

IN THIS ISSUE: 

pgs 6-14 

Latest Committee News 

pgs 24-37 

National Conference Updates 

pgs 38-42 

2004 Show Ring Rules Change 

SEE YOU AT: 

2004 AOBA National 

Conference/Louisville 

June 2-6, 2004 

2005 Fiber to Fashion 

Conference in Orlando! 

(Dates to be announced) 

■ From the AOBA President 

Fellow Alpaca 

Owners and 

Breeders, 

I can’t express in 

mere words how 

wonderful it was 

to see everyone at 

the recent Fiber to 

Fashion Conference 

in Reno! With over 500 attendees, the conference 

was incredible in every way imaginable! 

We more than doubled our vendor participation 

over 2003, plus filled our allotted 

sponsorship opportunities almost immediately. 

We have incredible volunteers within our 

community. Our standing committees supported 

this conference with the gift of many 

generous hours. I thank all who participated 

■ From the ARI President 

As I write this 

President’s message, 

we are in the 

final days before 

leaving for the joint 

2004 AOBA/ARI 

Fiber to Fashion 

(F2F) Winter 

Conference. It’s 

hard to concentrate 

on the day to day work when my head is 

already in Reno with friends! A special 

thanks for those farms who stepped up to 

the plate to sponsor the 2004 AOBA/ARI 

Fiber to Fashion Conference! 

So much has happened in the past couple 

of months. ARI signed with GeneSeek, a 

highly-recognized genetic testing laboratory. 

By the time you read this, they will be in 

full operation for ARI. While it will take 

toward the success of this conference. Once 

again, we truly could not have done it without 

you. 

The Town Hall Meeting, held Sunday 

morning at the conference, was wonderful. 

Both the AOBA and ARI Board members 

were available to answer questions from the 

membership during a panel discussion format. 

Based on audience participation, both 

boards clearly heard that the individual 

Affiliates want to be more involved at a higher 

level of participation, which is wonderful 

news for those of us on the boards. We 

encourage our membership to be involved 

with the decision-making processes so we 

feel the Affiliates being more involved will 

only help facilitate the process for everyone. 

We also clearly heard the attendees indicate 

they are interested in both (continued on page 2) 

a little while to catch up with the backlog, 

we expect a turnaround time of only SIX 

DAYS to process each blood sample. We 

have also signed with AMG to provide our 

data processing services and you will have 

had an opportunity to meet BJ Stanger and 

Lucy Warner from our new home office at 

the F2F Conference. 

Additionally, by the time you read this 

message, the website should be up and running 

with on-line registration capability. 

You can even sign up as a voting member 

on line! While we are sure to have some 

bumps and bruises along the way, we are 

confident that you will love the changes. 

Don’t hesitate to let any Board member or 

the office know if you have any suggestions 

or experience any problems! We’re excited 

about the possibilities and look forward to 

your comments. We are (continued on page 3)

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

ARI Annual Meeting......................3 

ARI Board News ............................4 

ARI and AOBA Elections ..............4 

Donate Your Alpaca to the 

National Conference Auction ...4 

AOBA Education Committee .......6 

JTCC Completes Training, 

Certification Program .................6 

ARI Office Move Complete...........7 

What is the FRG and 

the AOBA Leads Program? .......8 

AOBA Marketing Committee .......9 

Government and Industry 

Relations Committee Update .....10 

From the AOBA President 

(continued from page 1) 

boards working together to help facilitate 

the creation of breed standards. 

We have received multiple formalized 

requests for action on this same subject 

from various affiliates, so the investigation 

process will be an interesting 

adventure for all of us. I can assure 

you this is not a topic advocated by 

either the AOBA or ARI board members. 

We all agree, unanimously, it has 

to be a decision of the membership 

and we will protect your right to have 

a voice in the decision-making process. 

If the membership does decide to go 

forward, it will include each and every 

one of you in an unbiased, non-political 

method. 

The summer conference in Louisville 

is quickly approaching. I anticipate 

more than 900 fleece entries and 1,600 

halter entries for this show, so when 

the registration package arrives in your 

mailbox, complete the forms and mail 

2 

ARI DNA Committee Parentage 

Validation Vendor Update........11 

AOBA Show Division Update.....12 

AOBA Ethics Committee .............13 

AOBA Raw Fiber & Products 

Committee Update ....................14 

AOBA Directory of Fiber 

Resources...................................15 

Attention Fashion Designers .....16 

Handcrafters’ Spin-Off................16 

FTA Gene Cards............................18 

ICI Progress Report .....................20 

CLAA Response............................21 

Thanks to the F2F Volunteers ....22 

The Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, Inc. 

c/o Association Headquarters, Inc. 

17000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C, Mount Laurel NJ 08054 

(856) 439-1076, FAX: (856) 439-0525, E-mail: AOBA@ahint.com 

Marketing website: www.AlpacaInfo.com 

Members’ website: www.AlpacaOwners.com 

Show website: www.AlpacaShows.com 

Alpaca products website: www.AlpacaFashion.com 

Executive Director: Michele Biordi, mbiordi@ahint.com 

AOBA 2004 Conference.........25-42 

Schedule of Events ...................25 

Twenty Years and Growing .....26 

Sponsorship Opportunities......28 

Auction Donations...............30-32 

Important Info ............................33 

Volunteers Needed ...................34 

Photo Competition.....................35 

Marketing Seminar ...................36 

Silent Auction Donations.........36 

Paca to Poncho .........................37 

Merchandise Blow-Out Sale ..37 

Don’t Forget to Have Fun .........42 

AOBA Show Division Rules........38 

them as soon as possible. It’s going to 

be another incredible conference! 

This is likely to be my last 

“President’s Message” to our membership. 

Although I will serve on the Board 

of Directors until June, 2005, my term 

as President is for one year only and 

will end in June when the new board 

members are seated. I have enjoyed 

every single moment of each day serving 

you. The volume of work is overwhelming 

for board members at times, but 

it’s incredibly rewarding at the same 

time. I want to thank all of you for the 

opportunity you have given me to serve 

you. It has been a wonderful experience 

that will reflect positive memories and 

one which I will cherish for the rest of 

my life. 

ALPACA ◆ OWNERS ◆ AND ◆ BREEDERS 

ALPACAS 

ASSOCIATION 

ARI Financial Reports..................43 

Affiliate News .........................44-54 

Affiliate Committee News ..........54 

AOBA Annual Meeting................55 

New AOBA Marketing 

Brochure.....................................55 

American Alpaca Market in 

Retrospect ..................................56 

Alpacas Magazine Advertising 

Policy Changes..........................63 

Calendar of Events.......................64 

AOBA and ARI Contact 

Information .................................71 

OneVoice Deadlines....................72 

AOBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Amy McCroskie 

Director and President 

A and A Alpacas 

2252 CR 3124, Greenville TX 75402 

amywm@aol.com, (903) 450-1999 

Term expires: 2005 

Greg Mecklem 

Director and Vice President 

Pacific Crest Alpacas 

12995 NW Bishop Road, Hillsboro OR 97124 

alpacas@teleport.com, (503) 647-7770 


Jerry Forstner 

Director and Treasurer 

Magical Farms, Inc. 

5280 State Route 83, Litchfield OH 44253 

info@alpacafarm.com, (330) 667-3233 


Steve Hull 

Director and Secretary 

TimberLake Farms, Inc. 

5804 Wilson Drive, Edmond OK 73034-7717 

steve@timberlakefarms.net 

(405) 341-8444 


Miriam Donaldson 

Director 

Alpaca Jack’s Suri Farm, Ltd. 

16259 SR 224 E., Findlay OH 45840 

alpacajack@aol.com, (419) 423-3890 


Erin McCarthy 

Director 

BelleauWood Farms Alpacas 

2500 Ridge Road, Charlotte NC 28269 

mccarthys@belleauwood.com 

(704) 503-7369 


Jennifer Orr 

Director 

Copper Ridge Alpacas 

4272 Evans Jacobi Road 

Georgetown IN 47122 

copperridge@earthlink.net, (812) 951-1802 

Term expires: 2004

From the ARI President (continued from page 1) 

grateful to the AOBA Board and the 

AOBA Show Committee for their 

support of ARI members during this 

time of transition. Most of all, ARI 

members, please accept our heartfelt 

THANKS for your patience! We know 

these changes haven’t been easy and we 

appreciate your support in allowing 

these changes to happen. 

It certainly has been interesting at 

the new ARI office. The truck that 

was transporting our entire office left 

Kalispell, Montana, right on schedule 

January 9, 2004, but ran into major 

winter storms on its way to Virginia. 

Instead of arriving ten days BEFORE 

our new office was scheduled to open, 

it arrived THE DAY we opened for 

business… January 26th! Can you 

imagine the chaos of those first few 

days with a new service, new industry 

and 450 boxes being unloaded?! If “trial 

ARI BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Libby Forstner, President 

Magical Farms, Inc. 

5280 Avon Lake Rd, Litchfield OH 44253 

Office: (330) 667-3233, FAX: (330) 667-2165 

Home:(330) 722-4820, FAX: (330) 722-4820 

libby@alpacafarm.com 


Jack Armstrong, Vice President 

Latah Creek Alpacas, Inc. 

S. 10612 Forney Road, Mica WA 99023-9619 

Voice: (509) 927-0432 

FAX: (509) 927-7862 

jack@alpaca-info.com 


Bill Coleman, Treasurer 

Fir Cove Alpacas 

4925 163rd Lane SW, Rochester WA 98579 

Voice: (360) 273-5873 

bill@alpacasoffircove.com 


Curt Gedney, Secretary 

Hummingherd Alpacas 

899 Jackson Ave., Emmett ID 83617 

Voice and FAX: (208) 365-7180 

drsgedney@bigskytel.com 


Floyd Romanik, Director 

Indian Summer Alpacas 

428 Douglas Hook Rd., Chepachet RI 02814 

Voice: (401) 568-7759 

FAX: (401) 568-8002 

floyd@indiansummeralpacas.com 


AOBA: 856-439-1076, AOBA@ahint.com ■ ARI: 703-610-9022, bjstanger@alpacaregistry.net 

a t t e n t i o n 

ARI Annual Meeting Notice 

Friday, June 4, 2004, at the Kentucky Fair & Exposition 

Center, South Wing Conference Room 101-104; 

8:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. (Check your conference notebook 

upon arrival to confirm meeting time/location). 

by fire” is any indication of the dedication 

of our new staff, they’ve already 

passed the test and run the gauntlet! 

We are grateful to the AOBA 

Board and the AOBA Show 

Committee for their support 

of ARI members during this 

time of transition. 

During the past couple of months, 

we established the Joint ARI/AOBA 

Government and Industry Relations 

Committee comprised of Dr. Michael 

Alpert (Chair), Dr. Tom Cameron, Dr. 

Cheryl Tillman (who is also AOBA’s 

representative to USAHA), Jodi Wever, 

and Caroline Mixon, who has been 

ARI’s government liaison the past couple 

of years and who has moved on to 

join this committee, bringing to it the 

work ethic and expertise we’ve come to 

expect of Caroline. This committee has 

already met several times and is planning 

to meet with both the ARI and 

The Alpaca Registry, Inc. 

c/o Association Management Group, Inc. 

8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300, McLean, VA 22102 

703-610-9022, FAX: 703-610-9005 

E-mail: bjstanger@alpacaregistry.net 

or ari@alpacaregistry.net 

Web: www.alpacaregistry.net 

AOBA Boards as well as the individuals 

writing the specifications for permanent 

ID for camelids. Look for their 

report in this edition of OneVoice. 

We are making plans for the 2004 

election. Please remember that you 

must pay voting membership dues 

ANNUALLY (by March 31) to be able 

to vote in this year’s election. Do not 

miss this opportunity to voice your 

opinions about important industry 

issues and cast your ballot for the 

future Board of Directors. There are 

three vacancies this year on the ARI 

Board of Directors because the Board 

is increasing from five to seven members 

as a result of the 2003 election. 

Believe it or not, spring is just around 

the corner and winter will soon be just 

a fading memory. I look forward to seeing 

many of you in Reno as well as at 

the numerous spring shows! 

3

ARI Board News 

The Board of Directors of ARI would 

like to announce that Mary Reed 

has resigned as a member of the Board, 

and the Board has accepted her resignation, 

effective as of December 23, 2003. 

The Board would also like to 

announce the appointment of Floyd 

Romanik as a member of the Board. 

Mr. Romanik was selected by the 

ARI Board of Directors in accordance 

with ARI Bylaws Section 6.4 to fill the 

vacancy caused by Ms. Reed’s resignation 

and will serve out the remainder 

of Ms. Reed’s term, which ends in May 

2005. Floyd and his wife, Ana, own 

Indian Summer Alpacas in Chepachet, 

Rhode Island. Floyd originally served 

on the Board in the recent past completing 

the term of Barb Clair. He has 

been an active volunteer in the alpaca 

community for many years. During 

4 

his time previously on the ARI Board, 

Floyd served as a liaison to the contract 

review committee and has helped lead 

ARI through the RFP processes for 

both the DNA services as well as the 

data processing services. Floyd was 

reappointed to the ARI Board to fill 

the current vacancy. His appointment 

will provide some continuity for ARI 

as the new contracts for both DNA 

testing and data processing services 

are implemented. 

Additionally, Steve Knoblock resigned 

from his position on the ARI Board of 

Directors, and the Board accepted his 

resignation on January 21, 2004. 

In accordance with the ARI Bylaws, 

the ARI Board appointed Mr. Bill 

Coleman to complete Mr. Knoblock’s 

term in office, which ends in May 

2006. Bill Coleman has been an alpaca 

Floyd Romanik currently works as a Principal Engineer and 

holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering 

from Western New England College. During his career Floyd 

worked as Electronic Data Processing manager for the Massachusetts 

Municipal Wholesale Electric Company gaining 

extensive computer experience. For 20 years, he has worked 

for the Electric Boat Corporation, a defense contractor and 

builder of nuclear-powered submarines. 

Floyd brings to the ARI Board, a strong technical and 

methodical background. The managerial aspects of his engineering 

jobs have provided a good understanding of financial 

management. Cash flow and dealing with issues that affect 

the bottom line, were all part of his engineering management. 

Prior to his career, Floyd worked in the family business of 

drilling artesian wells. During that time, he developed an 

understanding of different ways to work with machinery. He 

has also had a variety of experiences raising animals and has 

owned, raised, and shown over 500 racing pigeons. He has 

been a very active member of the alpaca community. Floyd 

served on the ARI board in the past but chose not to run for 

another term due to family conflicts. Since those conflicts 

have been resolved, Floyd has volunteered to complete the 

term for Mary Reed. He has also served as a member of 

the AOBA Long Range Planning Committee, served on the 

NEAOBA Bylaws Committee, and the ARI Contact Service 

Review Committee. 

breeder for six years. With his wife 

Rose, he owns Fir Cove Alpacas in 

Rochester, Washington. Bill has been 

an active volunteer since entering the 

alpaca industry. He holds an engineering 

physics degree and has worked in 

the scientific world for over 35 years. 

Most of those years were in direct 

management positions involving 

managing people and large research 

programs to develop state of the art 

hardware. With these changes, the current 

members of the ARI Board are 

now as follows: 

Libby Forstner, President 

Jack Armstrong, Vice President 

Curt Gedney, Secretary 

Bill Coleman, Treasurer 

Floyd Romanik, Director 

FLOYD ROMANIK BIO BILL COLEMAN BIO 

Bill Coleman graduated from college with 

an Engineering Physics degree and worked 

in the scientific world for over 35 years. 

Most of those years were in positions 

involving managing people and large 

research programs to develop state-ofthe-art 

hardware. Some seven years ago, 

Bill retired and began the process of raising 

alpacas. He and his wife, Rose, first 

spent two years looking at alpacas in an 

effort to understand the industry and how 

to identify quality animals. In the spring 

of 1998, they bought their first four 

alpacas. Today, they own and operate Fir 

Cove Alpacas in Rochester, Washington, 

and now have 23 alpacas and counting. 

In learning about alpacas and making 

the investment decision to buy these animals, 

ARI was a very important part of 

that process. Says Bill: “To me, ARI is a 

vital part of the alpaca industry and every 

effort must be made to keep it healthy 

and responsive to the members and the 

market place. I look forward to the challenges 

of serving on the ARI Board and 

am honored to be a member.”

ARI 2004 Election 


In 2004, the ARI Board will increase from five Directors to seven, as a result of 

the 2003 election. There will be three seats available on the ARI Board. The 2004 

ARI Election Committee has selected the following nominees to run for the ARI 

Board (alphabetical order): 

Shauna Brummet, Ohio 

Cindy Cruz, Colorado 

Libby Forstner, Ohio 

David Friedman, New York 

Ana Romanik 

Committee Chair 

Rhode Island 

401-568-7759 

anaromanik@hotmail.com 

Barbara Hance, Colorado 

Deborah Robinson, Colorado 

Jodi Wever, Indiana 

ARI Election Committee Members 

Christine Riley 

Oregon 

503-985-0502 

criley@teleport.com 

Janet Wilkins 

Nebraska 

402-759-4901 

janetwilkins@ 

galaxycable.net 

Consider the Benefits of Donating Your Alpaca 

The Annual AOBA Alpaca Auction at the National Conference in Louisville, 

Kentucky is fast approaching (full coverage starts on page 24). Have you considered 

donating a female alpaca to benefit AOBA? This is a great opportunity for 

alpaca farms large and small to make an impact on the alpaca industry and get 

their name in the spotlight. It is one of the premier opportunities of the year to 

establish and build your farm’s brand recognition. 

The benefits package for donors has a value of thousands of dollars and 

includes: 

■ FREE two-page spread in Alpacas Magazine 

■ FREE four pages in the conference publications 

■ FREE one-year farm membership to AOBA for the upcoming year 

■ FREE one full conference registration 

■ Half-price hotel room for length of stay during the conference 

■ Special recognition on stage at the auction – full screen shot of your farm logo 

while your donation is auctioned 

■ FREE stall for your donated animal 

■ Preferred stall placement in the animal barn for your entire attending herd 

■ Reserved table at the auction. 

The ideal female for donation is between one and four years of age, comes bred 

or includes a future breeding. She should be of the quality that is a favorable representation 

of your breeding program. 

Don’t delay! Contact Elizabeth Woodky at eawoodky@yahoo.com or (715) 

735-3470; or Jennifer Orr at copperridge@earthlink.net or (812) 951-1802 for 

more information. 

2004 AOBA 

Election 

Coming Soon 

The 2004 Nominating Committee 

has completed its assigned task of 

securing candidates for the national 

election and wishes to present the names 

to the AOBA Board of Directors for 

approval. There are two vacancies this 

year. The candidates running by nomination 

are as follows: 

Jeff Skinner, Ohio 

Carol Dunn, Ohio 

Jennifer Orr, Indiana 

Mike Rodman, Colorado 

Michael Murphy, Kansas 

Steve McCarthy, New York 

Kirsten Kraushaar, Minnesota 

Paul Conner, New Jersey 

Additionally, the following individual 

has collected the requisite signatures 

to run “by petition.” 

Dr. Anthony Stachowski, DVM, Ohio 

Ballots should be in the mail to 

2004 Farm/Ranch Members no later 

than March 22, 2004. The return 

postmark must be on or before May 3, 

2004 for your ballot to be counted. 

5

AOBA Education 

Committee Update 

The Education Committee supports AOBA by providing 

quality education and professional development opportunities 

to its members. We are dedicated to improving 

members’ knowledge and understanding of the health and 

husbandry needs of the alpaca, of the market for alpacas and 

alpaca products, and of recent advances in alpaca science 

and the alpaca industry. We believe education is the key to 

the success of the individual alpaca breeder and to the longterm 

well-being of our industry. 

Members 

■ Ian Prokop, Chair – Alpaca Vista, Suris@alpacavista.com 

■ Wayne Aldrich – Shepherd’s Purse Alpacas, LLC, 

info@shepherdspursealpacas.com 

■ Laura Berry – Buffalo River Alpacas, 

berry@buffaloriveralpaca.com 

■ Deb Hill – Cloud Dancer Alpacas, 

clouddancer@infomagic.net 

■ Jim Perry – Ambler’s Alpacas, ambalpaca@aol.com 

■ Carol Roberts – Alpacas del Sol, alpacadsol@cs.com 

2003 ACTIVITY 

During 2003, the Education Committee implemented 

a prototype of Carol Roberts’ concept of a web-based 

“Speakers’ Links,” and the concept was approved by the 

AOBA Board. When implemented on AOBA’s Members’ 

website later in 2004, this will give Affiliates access to a 

nationwide list of speakers and topics for their local events. 

Deb Hill’s project for an AOBA Alpaca Production 

Handbook was also approved and is in development. This 

Handbook is being modeled after the Sheep Handbook, 

produced by the American Sheep Industry Association. 

Laura Berry’s web- and print-based survey of AOBA conference 

attendees is producing a wealth of information on how 

to provide better service and information to our members. 

Wayne Aldrich, Jim Perry, and the rest of the Committee 

are involved year-round with identifying and contacting 

speakers and workshop instructors for the National 

Conferences. During the conferences, Education Committee 

members provide on-site assistance with the education 

sessions and workshops. 

POINT OF CONTACT 

Ian Prokop 

360-779-1846 

suris@alpacavista.com 

6 

Visit the Education Page at 

www.alpacaowners.com 

for the most up-to-date 

information on the Education 

Committee’s activities. 

JTCC Completes Training, 

Certification Program 

It is my honor to be able to extend a huge “Thank You” to 

our Judge’s Training and Certification Committee for a job 

extremely well done. 

Each year, the Judges Training and Certification 

Committee (JTCC) is responsible for planning and implementing 

a training clinic for future AOBA judges. Applicants 

are required to file a résumé of experience to be accepted into 

the three year program, then attend an instructional clinic 

where they are taught to judge fleece, halter, and performance 

categories. They are not only tested on their practical, 

hands-on ability and oral reasoning skills, but must also 

acquire a predetermined passing score on a lengthy written 

exam. Having been involved in three of our past clinics, it’s 

not an easy week for apprentices. It’s a very demanding 

clinic with much information to be learned in a short period 

of time. 

The membership has every reason to be extremely proud 

of the current JTCC members. They tackled the December 

2003 Judge’s Training Clinic with professionalism and teaching 

skills that were no less than remarkable in every way. 

A facility was rented, speakers and teachers were hired, and 

a group of new apprentice judges was certified with very 

little lead time to prepare for the clinic. 

Gail Campbell and Cheryl Gehly, thank you for your 

organizational skills and leadership for this clinic. The hours 

you gave AOBA toward the success of this clinic are deeply 

and sincerely appreciated. Your fellow committee members, 

Rick Stumpf, Bill Coleman, Dana Brier, and Gordon 

Anderson combined to formulate a winning team attitude 

and spirit of success. We are very grateful for your dedication 

and long hours of team effort. 

Cameron Holt and Amanda VandenBosch, Judge Advisors 

for this committee, are always there to help as well. Both 

Cameron and Amanda continue to share their knowledge, 

talents, skills, and leadership abilities and give abundant 

hours to guide the future of our Judge’s Training Program. 

We feel so fortunate to have their input and guidance 

throughout this process. 

On behalf of the AOBA Board of Directors, thank you. 

All of you did a fabulous job for the continued success and 

future of AOBA. We are grateful for your dedication. 

Amy McCroskie 

President and Director 

Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association

Well, it’s official – as of January 1st, 

2004, the Alpaca Registry now 

resides at Association Management 

Group (AMG) in Virginia. Some 

450 boxes of historical records, office 

supplies, and serviceable assets were 

shipped from Montana. They arrived 

at the new office on January 26th. BJ 

Stanger, the new ARI Administrator, 

who stands about 5 foot 2 inches, is 

literally up to her neck in boxes. But 

rest assured that BJ and Database 

Administrator Lucy Warner, and ARI 

new staff members, Bonnie Hensley 

and Rashida Moore, are all hard at 

work and have matters well in hand. 

The new office is now fully operational. 

The complete database of all 

alpaca genealogical records and membership 

registry activities was successfully 

converted to the new system. BJ 

and staff now have access to this data 

and are available to answer all of your 

questions and process your registrations 

and transfers. 

I am sure you are aware that the ARI 

website was down during the transition. 

The site came alive again on January 

29th. As of the time of this writing, 

some of the planned features are not 

yet up and running, but plans call for 

full system activation by the end of 

February. One of the most noticeable 

system upgrades is the membership 

logon screen. If you haven’t yet logged 

on yet, you should try it! 

“How do I log on?” Funny you 

should ask. Each member who has a 

registered alpaca or has been an associate 

member already has an assigned 

logon ID. It is your last name and your 

first initial, all upper case. Your pass- 


The database of alpaca genealogical records and registry activities was successfully 

converted to a new system. BJ Stanger and staff now have access to this data and 

are available to answer your questions and process registrations and transfers. 

ARI Office Move Now Complete 

word is the first 15 characters of your 

last name in lower case. The logon 

looks like this: 

Logon SMITH.J 

Password smith 

The password will show up as asterisks 

as a protection. Don’t worry, I 

didn’t just give away your password. 

When you first sign on, the system 

will ask you for a new password. If 

you don’t change your password to 

something different you will get logged 

off. You will be able to log on again, 

but only to change your password. 

Once the system recognizes you, 

there will be options from which to 

select. The one ARI put on priority 

was online registration. When you 

select this option, screens will come 

up for you to fill in the data required 

to register a new alpaca. What you will 

first notice is that information you 

used to have to fill in on the registration 

application is not requested here. 

Information like the sire name or dam 

name need not be filled in when you 

register online, just the ARI# of the 

cria’s parents. The database will cue 

off the sire’s and dam’s ARI numbers 

and will fill in the rest of the parentage 

information automatically. (Please verify 

the information that shows up on 

the screen to confirm that you entered 

the correct ARI numbers for the sire 

and dam). 

Once you enter the requested information, 

including the preprinted FTA 

card number, you’re finished. The 

FTA card with the blood drops can 

be mailed to the laboratory for analysis 

(Note: please continue to mail the 

cards and signed registration materials 

directly to AMG until further notice). 

ARI’s computer will notify the testing 

lab’s computer that your sample is on 

its way. Oh yes, one last thing: you 

have to pay for the service (of course!). 

But now you can pay on line with a 

credit card. ARI has subscribed to a 

credit card service that will process the 

payment over a secure site connection. 

Your card number will not be stored 

in any ARI database or be visible to 

any ARI staff members. 

What else can you do? Are you a 

voting member yet? If not, you can 

sign up online and pay your dues on 

line. Want to order FTA cards? That 

is also an online option. Where is my 

certificate? You want to know the status 

of your registration? You can get 

that information online, as well. 

The database queries were scheduled 

for implementation after this article 

was prepared so I don’t have much to 

say about that topic yet. We welcome 

your feedback, however – tell us what 

you think! We would love to hear from 

you. What do you like about the new 

system? What can we do better? 

If you were able to make it to the 

F2F Conference, you were presented 

with more details on some of the new 

system’s capabilities. Needless to say, 

there is some really exciting stuff going 

on. We are finally coming of age. See 

you all at the National Show in June. 


Floyd Romanik 

401-568-7759 

floyd@indiansummeralpacas.com 

7

What is the 

FRG and 

AOBA Leads 

Program 

The first point to make is that the 

FRG Program, national advertising, 

and the AOBA Leads Program are all 

inextricably linked to one another. 

The FRG is a program that encompasses 

both a written (hard-copy) publication, 

as well as a subscriber-based 

website. Approximately 30,000 copies 

of the FRG are distributed each year 

to people who express an interest in 

alpacas and specifically request additional 

written materials (either telephonically, 

via e-mail, or via telephone). 

The two primary goals of the FRG 

program are: (1) to generate visits to 

AOBA member alpaca farms; and (2) to 

generate revenue for the national alpaca 

ad campaign (primarily television and 

print media). The ad campaign will 

instill interest in alpacas, and that 

will result in interested individuals to 

request information. As so, the process 

begins anew. 

Using revenue generated by the FRG 

program, AOBA runs national television 

ads to targeted audiences, year-round. 

These ads direct interested people to 

our 800 toll-free number or to our 

www.alpacainfo.com website. If an 

individual would like additional information 

(and about 30,000 contacts 

per year DO ask for additional, written 

information), that person can request 

what we call a “fulfillment package.” 

This package includes the FRG and 

welcoming information. 

So the alpacainfo website and FRG 

are the two initial resources for interested 

individuals to browse. Armed with 

website locator information and/or the 

FRG, those interested people call local 

8 

? 

Are you new to the alpaca industry and are a little confused about the 

AOBA Farm & Ranch Guide (FRG), national advertising, and the AOBA 

Leads Program? Or maybe you’re an “old-timer” and need a little 

refreshment on the details of these three pillars of the national marketing 

program? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Please read on! 

and distant farms for information. All 

of these contact names are incorporated 

into the AOBA lead database (which 

we’ll discuss momentarily). 

We have had spectacular results in 

assisting a high percentage of these individuals 

to purchase alpacas and become 

members of AOBA. We designed the 

FRG so that large and small farms are 

treated equally. All display ads are 1/3rd 

page – so everyone who participates is 

on an equal footing. For example, we 

mail out approximately 30,000 FRGs 

each year and receive about 300,000 

web site visitors (not just “hits,” but 

actual visitors!), resulting in over 1,000 

new AOBA members each year. Recent 

marketing surveys indicate that this new 

membership equates to approximately 

3,000 alpacas being sold annually! 

To participate in the FRG program, 

you must be an AOBA Farm/Ranch 

member. Once a year – usually in 

August or September – Farm/Ranch 

members receive a solicitation letter 

explaining the three levels of participation, 

as well as the cost involved. 

Currently, the three levels of participation, 

associated benefits, and associated 

costs are as follows: 

■ Platinum Membership ($645): 1/3 

page color ad in the FRG; separate 

text-only listing in the FRG; oneyear 

appearance on the searchable 

www.alpacainfo.com Website; and 

access to the AOBA Leads Program 

within 30 days. 

■ Gold Membership ($395): text-only 

listing in the FRG; one-year appearance 

on the www.alpacainfo.com 

website; and access to the Leads 

Program within 60 days. 

■ Silver Membership ($295): 

www.alpacainfo.com listing only and 

access to the Leads Program within 

90 days. Please note that you may 

join the FRG Program as a “Silver 

Member” (Website listing only) 

at any time during the year on a 

pro-rated basis. 

(Note: all AOBA farm/ranch members 

may purchase leads from the 

AOBA Leads Program database after 

120 days as a benefit of membership). 

But wait – there’s MORE! Let me 

explain the AOBA Leads Program in 

more detail. The Leads Program is a 

database retrievable system that is accessible 

for a nominal administrative fee of 

21 cents per name. Names and addresses 

can be provided in a variety of ways: as 

an Excel file transmitted via e-mail; on 

a floppy disk; or on pre-printed address 

labels. There is a minimum $10 order. 

We hope you will consider joining 

the FRG program at any time – so you 

can leverage the remarkable benefits of 

AOBA’s national marketing program to 

the fullest extent! To do so, just contact 

Shannon Ashe at the AOBA office. 

POINTS OF CONTACT 

Shannon Ashe 

AOBA Staff FRG Liaison 

sashe@ahint.com, 856-642-4211 

Dave Belt, alpacapubs@yahoo.com 

Erin McCarthy, 704-503-7369 

mccarthys@belleauwood.com


AOBA Marketing Committee Update 

The Marketing Committee continues 

to bring in record numbers to the 

industry. In 2003 AOBA had over 

26,000 inquiries and over 1,100 

new members joined AOBA. AOBA’s 

membership now consists of over 

3,800 farms and continues to grow 

daily. We continue to hear reports 

from every region of the country that 

the alpaca industry is growing strong! 

We think the excitement of where 

we are as an industry is captured 

well with our theme for the 2004 

Summer Nationals in Louisville – 

North American Alpacas – 20 Years 

& Growing. We hope to use this 

theme to educate the membership 

about the history of the industry and 

AOBA during the past 20 years since 

the first alpaca importation into the 

United States. 

The marketing committee has been 

working hard to update many of 

AOBA’s outdated marketing brochures. 

Early in the fall of 2003, a new “Meet 

the Alpaca” brochure was sent to all 

members. These are great introductory 

brochures available to the membership 

for .10c each and there is ample room 

to personalize this brochure with your 

farm’s contact information. At the 

beginning of 2004, a new version of 

the AOBA Financial Brochure was 

released. These are also available from 

AOBA for $1.00 each and also allow 

for farms to add personalized contact 

information. Many other AOBA 

marketing brochures and manuals are 

currently being updated and will be 

available to the membership this year. 

In January, we launched a new 

Media Center, designed by Brown 

& Miller Advertising. This center 

is a section of the marketing site, 

www.AlpacaInfo.com (which is funded 

by the Farm & Ranch Guide program). 

It has been designed for media 

professionals wishing to write stories 

about alpacas. The media center is 

a place where journalists can go and 

get constantly updated information 

on alpacas and the alpaca industry. The 

media center helps to make sure that 

information gathered by journalists is 

consistent and accurate. It is also a 

great source of educational material for 

the new AOBA member and contains 

information that can be very useful for 

new breeders to have on hand when 

they begin having farm visitors. 

For the very first time, 

AOBA will host 

a national online 

auction of 

breedings to herd 

sires throughout 

the United States. 

In addition to external marketing, the 

AOBA marketing committee is working 

on AOBA’s internal marketing and 

communications as well. E-mail communication 

to the membership now 

goes out three to six times per month. 

The e-mails are reminders of upcoming 

deadlines and events, as well as activities 

of the different AOBA committees. 

Each of the e-mails sent by AOBA can 

be found on www.AlpacaOwners.com. 

The member’s site (AlpacaOwners.com) 

is also in the process of getting a muchneeded 

face-lift, so watch for the new 

design this Spring. Once the site is 

complete, it will be a password-protected 

site that is easier to navigate and will 

have a complete listing of the entire 

AOBA membership with a frequently 

updated online Membership Directory – 

don’t worry, you will still receive a hard 

copy of the directory, too. 

Finally, the marketing committee is 

excited to announce a new fundraising 

activity to take place during the 

fall of 2004. For the very first time, 

AOBA will host a national online 

auction of breedings to herd sires 

throughout the United States. Watch 

for more details to come. If you 

would like to participate by donating 

a breeding, simply send an e-mail to 

mccarthys@ belleauwood.com. We 

anticipate that this auction will not 

only be an excellent fundraiser to s 

upport AOBA, but we also believe it 

will give small and large farms alike 

access to some excellent exposure for 

their herd sires. 

The marketing committee would 

love to hear from AOBA members. 

If you have a suggestion, compliment, 

or even complaint, it can be e-mailed 

or you can call any of the marketing 

committee members listed below: 

Erin McCarthy, Committee Chair 

Chris Lewis, Assistant Chair 

& Websites 

Jennifer Orr, Board of Directors 

Liaison 

Tom Costner, Marketing Materials 

Kim Devos, Education & Fiber 

Naomi Flam, Sponsorship 

Robin Gilmore, Special Programs 

Jim King, Financial Advisor 

& Secretary 

David Moran, Market Research 

Jan Sherrill, Internal Marketing 

& Communications 

Nance Sturm, Marketing Budget 

& Silent Auction/Raffle 

Elizabeth Woodky, National Live 

Auction 

Dave Belt, Sunrise Editorial 

Services 

Jerry Miller, Brown & Miller 

Advertising 

James Jurgens, Association 

Headquarters 

9

Government and Industry Relations 

Committee (GIRComm) Update 

Greetings to Members of ARI 

and AOBA. 

Past events in the United States, 

namely 9/11/2001, the discovery 

of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy 

(BSE or “Mad Cow Disease”) in cows 

in Canada and the U.S., plus an outbreak 

of Foot and Mouth Disease 

(FMD) in Great Britain in 2000-2001, 

will directly affected how alpaca owners 

and breeders do business in the coming 

years. Additionally, the heightened 

alert over the threat of bio-terrorism 

has brought about a new awareness 

of security of our farms and animals. 

The discovery of BSE in Canada last 

year has halted all movement of ruminants 

across the border from Canada 

into the USA since May of 2003. 

This mandate includes all llamas and 

alpacas. As of this writing, there has 

been no suggestion of when the ban 

may be lifted. 

Similarly, the discovery of BSE in 

the U.S. put into “fast forward” the 

necessity for a national livestock 

animal identification system. This 

includes camelids because they are 

considered livestock. The United States 

Animal Identification Plan (USAIP) 

had been developing plans to identify 

all livestock in the USA long before 

this finding. With the discovery of 

the BSE case in Washington, this has 

caused the United States Department 

of Agriculture (USDA) to move from 

what might have been a voluntary to 

a mandatory requirement to permanently 

identify all livestock. This 

includes the alpaca. 

From what we understand, this will 

be accomplished in phases. First, it will 

be the responsibility of every state to 

10 

identify addresses where livestock 

reside. Then will come the individual 

identification of all livestock. The 

timeline on all this is to be in place 

by July 2005. This schedule may very 

well include alpacas. 

The discovery of BSE in 

the U.S. put into “fast 

forward” the necessity 

for a national livestock 

animal identification 

system. This includes 

camelids because they are 

considered livestock. 

ARI and AOBA have selected a 

joint committee (called the “AOBA/ 

ARI Government and Industry Relations 

Committee,” or “GIRComm”) 

which was activated in December 

2003. Members of this committee 

are Dr. Michael Alpert, Dr. Tom 

Cameron, Caroline Mixon, Dr. 

Cheryl Tillman and Jodi Wever. 

Two recommendations came out 

of the first meeting and both were 

taken to the respective Boards of 

Directors by Jerry Forstner (to the 

AOBA Board) and by Libby Forstner 

(to the ARI Board). Both recommendations 

were approved. 

The GIRComm now 

has a webpage. 

Visit www.alpacaowners.com and 

click on the link for Governnment 

Committee to find minutes, bulletins, 

and other important info. 

The first, to ARI, is to make it 

mandatory by July 2005 that in order 

to register any alpaca, the owner(s) 

must provide the microchip number 

on the microchip implant of that 

alpaca. 

Secondly, to AOBA, that a microchip 

be present in any alpaca presented 

for competition in any AOBA certified 

halter show, as evidenced by scanning 

at check-in as well as throughout the 

duration of the event, to be effective 

July 2005. 

The way these two recommendations 

will be implemented is under development 

by both AOBA and ARI and will 

be disseminated to both memberships 

in the near future. 

The purpose of the livestock identification 

plan is to be able to trace back 

within 48 hours the location of any 

livestock, should there be an outbreak 

of any foreign animal disease. As part 

of this, information regarding the 

birthplace and other places the livestock 

may have resided needs to be 

available. In our opinion, the ARI database 

makes this information readily 

retrievable if the registry has the microchip 

number in the database and if the 

ownership information is current. ARI 

cannot assume responsibility of being 

the gate keeper, however. The individual 

owner has the ultimate responsibility 

to comply. 

Details of the animal identification 

plan for the alpaca are being worked 

out as this issue of OneVoice goes to 

press, and the plan has not yet been 

approved. Be advised that your 

GIRComm is directly involved with 

this important process. It is our 

position that the microchip is the 

most acceptable way to permanently

Parentage Validation Vendor Update 

Iam pleased to report that the selection 

process and contract negotiations 

with our new Parentage Validation 

vendor are complete and that we have 

been working hard over the past month 

or so to be ready to begin processing 

samples. Our new vendor, Geneseek 

(Lincoln, Nebraska), is a high-throughput 

gene discovery and molecular 

diagnostics company founded by Dr. 

Daniel Pomp and Dr. Abraham (Abe) 

Oommen in 1998. 

Dr. Pomp is Professor of Animal 

Genomics at the University of Nebraska, 

Lincoln. Dr. Oommen is President 

and general manager of Geneseek and 

was formerly a senior scientist with 

Li-Cor, Inc. a biotech instrumentation 

company in Lincoln, NE. 

This small, customer-focused molecular 

diagnostics company utilizes state 

of the art technology in instrumentation, 

methodology, information technology, 

and customer service. Their 

expertise and skills should serve ARI 

well in the coming years as our trusted 

partner in parentage validation, thus 

maintaining the integrity and value 

of the ARI alpaca registration. 

(continued from previous page) 

identify the alpaca. The other choices 

are ear tag, tattoo, or branding. Our 

position is that the latter are not 

acceptable to the alpaca owner. 

What this means to the alpaca 

owner, should this plan proceed on 

its present course, is that each alpaca 

must have a microchip implant. We 

do not advocate any one manufacturer. 

There is one possible scenario in which 

a microchip would not meet USDA 

criteria: if the USDA mandates a particular 

radio frequency identification 

device (RFID) that has specific encod- 

We feel very confident in 

our new vendor choices. 

They are integrating well 

with the ARI Board committees 

that have been 

working for over two 

years on this selection 

and transition process. 

We are already enjoying a very productive, 

collaborative relationship as we 

work to get the ARI registration parentage 

validation process up and running 

at Geneseek. The process is going well. 

Other ARI members and I have provided 

test samples to Geneseek to allow 

them to calibrate their processes and 

methodologies with our previous data. 

This effort is going well with all systems 

‘checking out’ and previous data reproduced 

and validated. The work being 

done lays the foundation for a smooth 

transition to Geneseek handling the 

daily work of validating parentage on 

our new cria registrations. 

ing that cannot be provided by any 

microchip available. If that is the case, 

it is conceivable that an alternate form 

of identification would be mandated. 

The microchip is currently being used 

by transporters to identify their 

camelid cargo, by veterinarians who 

document the identity of alpacas on 

the Veterinarian Health Certificate for 

crossing state lines and also on purchase 

examinations, and moreover by 

alpaca owners to prove ownership. 

The national livestock identification 

plan is a massive project. It has the 

endorsement of the Executive Branch. 

ARI DNA 

Committee 

Floyd Romanik and IT specialists 

at our new administrator, AMG, are 

working on transitioning the current 

ARI database into an updated and 

easier-to-use format. This work is also 

necessary to allow Geneseek to tailor 

its information formatting to work 

seamlessly with ARI. Geneseek reports 

that this work is also going smoothly. 

We feel very confident in our new 

vendor choices. They are coming up 

to speed rapidly and are integrating 

well with the ARI Board committees 

that have been working for over two 

years on this selection and transition 

process. We are also grateful to our 

interim parentage validation vendor, 

Maxxam Analytics, Inc. of Guelph, 

ON, for their hard work and cooperative 

efforts with the ARI DNA 

Committee and Geneseek in this 

significant transition. 


Shauna R. Brummett, Ph.D. 

Chair, ARI DNA Committee 

330-334-4288 

hhf@hobbyhorsefarm.biz 

As USDA proceeds on this and as the 

Legislative Branch is approached for 

funding, it may become necessary to 

revise our approach on this issue. 

Know that your registry and breed 

associations are both focused on this 

and will provide you with updates as 

we are in a position to do so. 


Michael J. Alpert, D.M.D., Chairman, 

GIRComm 

405-912-0062 

awesomealpacas@aol.com 

11

AOBA 

Show Division 

Update 

SRC 

The Show Rules Committee’s (SRC) 

main focus of responsibility is to devel- 

SRC 

op and establish rules for our shows 

and incorporate those rules into a 

handbook each year. You’ll see some 

dramatic proof of their efforts this year 

when the new rulebook arrives (see 

page 38 about key changes). The committee 

worked diligently to modify the 

content and to improve the “user 

friendliness” for each component of a 

certified show. There’s also a fresh, new 

and beautiful cover for the handbook 

this year. The handbooks are expected 

to be mailed to all AOBA Show 

Division Members the week of March 

15. If you aren’t yet a Show Division 

Member, contact the AOBA office 

today to join! 

The committee worked 

diligently to modify the 

content and to improve 

the “user friendliness” 

for each component of 

a certified show. 

The SRC will take another step forward 

in 2004 by working on rules and 

guidelines for all the auxiliary fiber 

events, such as fiber arts competitions, 

skein competitions, spin offs, and 

other fiber-related competitions. These 

events are beginning to gain a lot more 

attention at AOBA Certified Shows, 

which makes rules and coordination 

vital to their success. By establishing 

industry-accepted guidelines, the popularity 

of these auxiliary events should 

12 

also increase as we step closer to developing 

fiber production within our 

national herd. It’s going to be exciting 

to watch it grow! 

The SRC is also one of the main 

bodies responsible for our national 

conferences. They make recommendations 

to the Board of Directors for hiring 

show superintendents, barn managers, 

judges, announcers, and they 

also populate the volunteer pool to run 

the halter, fleece, and performance portion 

of the conferences. With over 

1,600 halter and 900 fleece entries 

anticipated for Louisville in June, this 

is not a simple weekend planning session. 

It takes months of coordination 

and planning to ensure the success of 

the show. 

Members: 

Chair, Charlene Friedman, Mountain 

Edge Alpacas 

Stephanie Barnhart, The Alpaca 

Trading Company 

Carol Yerden, Wolf Den Ranch Alpacas 

Jack Armstrong, Latah Creek Alpacas 

John LoVerde, Fleecy Dale Alpacas 

Kelly Zanella, Spa Alpacas 

Nancy Stepp, Rolling Thunder Farms 

Peg Stephens, Halter Superintendent 

Advisor 

JTCC 

The primary function of The Judge’s 

Training and Certificate Committee 

JTCC 

(JTCC) is to train and certify judges 

on an ongoing basis and monitor the 

progress of new apprentices to the program. 

The current method best suited 

to this training program is an annual 

instructional clinic packed with hands 

The AOBA Show Division consists of 

three vitally important components: 

1. The Show Rules Committee (SRC) 

2. The Judge’s Training and Certificate 

Committee (JTCC) 

3. The Judge’s Advisory Committee (JAC) 

on evaluation and written testing, as 

well as learning how to accurately 

describe winners in the show ring with 

oral reasons. The 2003 clinic was held 

in December in Fredericksburg, 

Maryland and it was a huge success. 

Much of the training material was 

updated and the format revised to 

reflect changes in the show rules handbook 

for shows. Watch for an 

announcement soon as to the 2004 

dates and location. 

The JTCC was also responsible for 

developing the sections within the 

2004 rulebook that pertains to training 

and certification of apprentices and 

judges within the AOBA Judge’s 

Certification program. 

Members: 

Chair, Cheryl Gehly, Cria-tivity Alpacas 

Bill Coleman, Fir Cove Alpacas 

Dana Brier, Blizzard Peak Alpacas 

Gail Campbell, Ameripaca Alpaca 

Breeding Company, Inc. 

Gordon Anderson, Pacific Rim Alpacas 

Rick Stumpf, Prairie Lake Alpacas 

The Judge’s Advisory 

Committee (JAC) 

In 2003, the AOBA Board of Directors 

authorized a revision to the Show 

JAC 

Division, to include creation of a 

Judge’s Advisory Committee. The 

judges serve in a non-voting capacity 

only and advise the Show Rules and 

Judge’s Training and Certification 

Committees. Their input has helped to 

focus on show rules and training procedures 

from a judge’s point of view, 

and that has proven to be a tremendous 

asset to the overall process.

Members: 

Kristin Buhrmann 

Cameron Holt 

Amanda VandenBosch 

Harold Herbold 

Julio Sumar 

AOBA Show Division 

Administrator 

Overseeing all three committees and 

all activities within the Show Division 

is our Show Division Administrator, 

Connie Alexander. Connie is an 

Independent Contractor for AOBA 

and her primary responsibility is to 

certify shows and ensure final results 

are reported, once the shows are 

completed. She is also responsible 

for reviewing and approving all 

conference material that relates to 

an AOBA Certified Show. That’s only 

a small portion of her daily routine 

however. In 2003, Connie also was 

responsible for the coordination of 

the 2004 Show Rules Handbook 

between the SRC, JTCC, and Board 

of Directors. She does a remarkable 

job of coordinating a full plate of 

activities between the three committees 

plus attends all the teleconferences 

and face-to-face meetings. 

Liaisons to the Show Division are 

Greg Mecklem and Amy McCroskie. 


Amy McCroskie 

amywm@aol.com 

903-450-1999 

Connie Alexandere 

aobashows@direcway.com 

812-472-3545 


Ethics and 

Protest 

Committee 

As most of you are aware, there have been many 

changes within the Ethics and Protest Committee and 

Subcommittees. In 2002, the first committee, operating 

under the Show Committee umbrella, did a wonderful job 

of writing the first rules and guidelines. Many hours were 

spent to develop what everyone believed would be a fair 

and unbiased method for handling complaints and 

protests. Despite their tremendous efforts, as with many 

new programs, the flaws in the system could not be foreseen 

until the process was actually tried and actual protests 

and complaints were handled “live” within the new rules. 

Well, to be perfectly blunt, it didn’t work well. 

On April 22, 2003, the AOBA Board of Directors 

placed a moratorium on the entire Ethics and Protest 

process and we embarked on a review of the entire process. 

That was in April and a new board was to be seated in 

May. The former board of directors felt it would be best 

if the new board would address a new process and develop 

a new system. In July 2003, the new process began. On 

April 1, 2004, the moratorium will officially be lifted. 

Yes, a new method for handling protests and complaints 

is finally in place and once again, we believe it 

is the most fair and unbiased method for resolving issues 

within our community. Protests and/or complaints no 

longer go to the Show Division Administrator or anyone 

else within the Show Division. They will go directly to 

the AOBA Office where they will immediately be forwarded 

to the AOBA Attorney where the entire investigation 

will be handled. None of our committees or Board 

Members will have knowledge of the protest and no votes 

from the board members will be required when investigations 

are completed. 

The new Show Rules handbook for 2004 will be out in 

the next week or so. The entire new Ethics and Protest 

procedures are outlined as well as fees, how investigations 

are handled and who will perform them. We feel confident 

this procedures will work well for everyone. 


Amy McCroskie 

amywm@aol.com 

903-450-1999 

13

AOBA Raw Fiber & Fiber Products Committee Update 

The Raw Fiber & Fiber Products 

Committee is a newly-formed 

AOBA committee that is already hard 

at work for the membership. 

AOBA Raw Fiber & Fiber Products 

Mission Statement: Our mission is to 

inform and educate breeders and the 

general public of the many attributes 

and uses of alpaca fiber. 

Common Goals 

1. To build public awareness and 

demand for alpaca fiber by all peoples, 

through education, seminars, 

print materials, and marketing venues. 

2. To develop an increased interest in 

fiber arts such as spinning, weaving, 

knitting, crocheting, and felting. 

3. To educate our AOBA membership 

about the uses for alpaca fiber, as 

well as processing and manufacturing 

options and finished product 

resources. 

4. To increase participation in competitive 

arenas so as to encourage our 

members to strive to better the fiber 

they produce. 

Members of the Committee: 

■ Kim Devos, Chair – Inca Fashions 

& Creekside Breeders, Ltd 

■ Diane Campbell – Funny River 

Ranch 

14 

■ Pat Craven – Cherry Ridge Alpacas 

■ Cyndi Daugherty – Paca D’lites 

Alpaca Ranch 

■ Erica L. Dwyer – Hamden Hills 

Alpacas 

■ Naomi Flam – Astral-Light 

Alpacas, LLC 

■ Chris Gilman – A+ Alpaca Fiber 

Mill & Riverside Alpacas 

■ Kirsten Kraushaar – Soulfood 

Alpaca Garden 

■ Wini Labrecque – Star Weaver Farm 

■ Andrea MacDonald – Leaping 

Lagomorph Rare Breeds 

■ Alicia Marshall – Moondance 

Alpaca Ranch 

■ Carl & Freda McGill – Bayou Creek 

Alpacas 

■ David Stensland – A Craftsman’s 

Touch Alpaca Co. 

■ Erin McCarthy, BOD Liaison – 

BelleauWood Farms Alpacas 

At the Reno Fiber to Fashion conference, 

committee member Carl McGill 

presented the concept for the new 

Directory of Fiber Resources (DFR). 

This guide will be a resource for the 

membership to use to find out how 

and where to process fiber from shearing 

through retail sales. The intent is 

to create a first-class Premiere Edition 

to be distributed free to the AOBA 

membership. The DFR will include 

a variety of services and sources relating 

to the fiber end of the alpaca 

industry, including raw fleece, fiber 

processing, and finished goods. The 

DFR is designed for the AOBA membership 

and is intended to be a completely 

separate entity from the Farm 

& Ranch Guide, which is livestockoriented 

and designed for prospective 

animal purchasers. The team is currently 

establishing advertising rates and 

developing a design, printing, and distribution 

plan. We hope this publication 

will become an indispensable 

resource guide for alpaca owners and 

breeders to answer the question “What 

Do I Do With All This Fiber?” 

In addition to developing the Directory 

of Fiber Resources, the team will 

be producing the Summer Nationals 

Fashion Show in Louisville, KY in June. 

They are also beginning to develop a 

handbook in coordination with the 

AOBA Show Division to develop guidelines 

for Handcrafters’ Spin-off competitions. 

In addition, they hope to spearhead 

a campaign to encourage more 

participation in composite competitions, 

as well as tackle other activities 

that promote the use of alpaca fiber. 

▼

Want to be a part of the 

PREMIERE EDITION of the 

AOBA DIRECTORY 

OF FIBER RESOURCES? 

Sign up today and we’ll contact you with details. 

Expressing interest does not obligate your participation. 

Those who may be interested in advertising in our new publication, please fill out 

the information below and turn this form in to: AOBA Fiber, c/o Kirsten Kraushaar, 

5983 303rd Ave NE, Cambridge, MN 55008, or e-mail to SoulfoodAlpacas@aol.com. 

Filling out this form does not obligate you to advertise. The Fiber Committee will 

contact all those interested with further details. 

Business Name _____________________________________________________________________________________ 

Contact Name _____________________________________________________________________________________ 

Address___________________________________________________________________________________________ 

City_____________________________________________State _____________________Zip____________________ 

Phone ___________________________________________FAX ____________________________________________ 

Website __________________________________________E-mail___________________________________________ 

Type(s) of service offered _____________________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Check all advertising categories that may apply: 

Raw Fiber Shearing and Preparation 

Shearers 

Shearing supplies 

Fleece cleaning 

Processing Equipment and Supplies 

Services 

Mini-mills 

Large production mills 

Independent processing services 

Equipment 

Spinning wheels 

Looms 

Knitting/crochet supplies 

Felting supplies 

How-to books and magazines 

Carding and fiber preparation supplies 


End Products and Marketing 

Consignment goods 

Wholesalers 

Websites and other businesses that market 

products and services 

Inventory control software 

Fiber Related Events 

Fiber fairs 

Special events 

Artisan shows 

Fiber judges 

Other (describe): 

___________________________________________ 

___________________________________________ 

___________________________________________ 

15

16 

Attention 

Commercial 

Alpaca 

Fashion 

Designers 

The Autumn/Fashion 2004 issue 

of Alpacas Magazine will soon go 

into production. If you wish to be 

considered for inclusion in this 

year’s exciting Fashion issue, it is 

imperative that you contact Dave 

Belt at alpacapubs@yahoo.com 

no later than April 15th for 

nomination instructions. No 

calls please – e-mail contact only 

(thanks). For examples of our 

format, please refer to last year’s 

AUT/FASH03 issue of A.M. 

Photo courtesy of Divina Collection, Inc. 

AOBA Handcrafters’ 

Spin-Off Information ➧ 

There was a record number of over 280 entries for the 

2004 F2F Handcrafters’ Spin-Off (Reno), and we are 

expecting a similar number of entries for the 2004 AOBA 

National Conference (Louisville). As evidenced by the rapidly-increasing 

number of active participants, it’s apparent that 

the Spin-Off just keeps growing in popularity. 

Every time we hold a Spin-Off, we try to improve things. 

Here, we would like to reiterate some tips on entering that 

we as coordinators of the F2F Spin-Off have pointed out 

before, as well as inform everyone about some changes that 

are being put into effect for the 2004 AOBA National 

Conference Handcrafters’ Spin-Off. Please read on! 

Entering a Handcrafters’ Spin-Off is a great way to learn 

how your fiber appeals to handcrafters, how well you are 

preparing it for them, and how it compares with other 

alpacas of its color group and age. It’s an easy competition 

to enter as well, requiring just a 2-ounce sample of raw, 

clean but uncarded, uncombed, unwashed, or otherwise 

unenhanced fiber from your alpaca. 

Judge(s) for the Handcrafters’ Spin-Off are qualified, experienced 

handspinners and aficionados of alpaca fiber. By the 

way, judges for the 2004 F2F Spin-Off were Jenny Bennett 

of Harmony Wools Alpacas in Sweetwater, TN, and her 

associate in TN, Shereen Franklin, who judged most of the 

huacaya entries, plus Andrea MacDonald of Leaping Lagomorph 

Rare Breeds in Pottstown, PA. THANK YOU, Jenny, 

Shereen, and Andrea!! The judges handle each entry, giving 

their first impression of the raw fiber submitted, as well as 

considering most of the other Spin-Off judging criteria in 

the fiber’s raw state. They then prepare a portion of it for 

spinning, by whatever method they are most comfortable 

with and accustomed to and which they determine to be 

appropriate for the fiber. They then judge the ease of preparation 

for spinning, spin the prepared fiber, judge the ease of 

spinning, and assess the overall qualities of the finished yarn 

(spinning as much length of yarn as necessary for judging). 


Jodi Wever 

765-345-5838, jodi@pocolago.com 

Kathie Haber 

931-680-0423, kathie@hahafarm.com 

Jennifer Folkman 

440-254-6304, jennifer@blue-ribbonfarms.com

➧ 

Spin-Off Helpful Hints 

The judges’ scorecard and criteria for judging the Handcrafters’ 

Spin-Off has been modified and improved and will 

be applied to the 2004 AOBA National Conference Spin-Off. 

Total points have been increased from 85 to 100 and criteria 

differentiated for huacayas and suris, in order to properly 

evaluate the unique qualities of the varieties. Scoring 

will still be based on first impression, staple length, lock 

structure, softness (handle), crimp, luster or brightness, 

cleanliness, lack of second cuts, lack of guard hair, ease 

of preparation, ease of spinning, yarn texture, and (for huacayas) 

loft, but some of the scoring weights (number of 

points) have been adjusted or increased in order to bring 

the scoring up to 100 total points. Uniformity of the fiber also 

has been added to the categories of judging criteria. A full 

explanation and details on the new judging criteria for the 

Handcrafters’ Spin-Off will be forthcoming. 

Coordinators’ suggestions to Spin-Off entrants for future 

reference: 

1. Please read the Entry Guidelines and Information provided. 

This explains a good deal to you about what is 

required and how the competition will be conducted. 

Revisions to the guidelines may be made. Please do 

not neglect consideration of the rules and guidelines 

explained there. 

2. Please make at least one copy of the Entry Form after 

you have filled it out. One copy of the entry form is sent 

with your entry fee to the AOBA office and the other is 

sent with the fiber to the Spin-Off coordinator. 

3. Please send 2 ounces of fiber (~57 grams). If you send 

less, points could be deducted or your entry could be 

disqualified if there is not enough for the handcrafting 

judge to spin and adequately evaluate. If you send in 

a good deal more, you are wasting money on postage. 

4. Please do not shrink copies of the ARI registration 

certificate or fold them. These are put on display with 

the fiber and spun yarn, so you want the information 

about the animal to be easily read. It represents your 

farm and the animal. You never know who might want 

to purchase the animal or a breeding. A photo is also 

required (no larger than 4” x 6” and no smaller than 

3” x 5” recommended) and please attach it to the regis- 


tration as you would like it to be displayed. (We suggest 

that you attach the photo at the lower right hand corner. 

The photo may cover some of the pedigree, but the 

name and other information is readable.) 

5. If you are not the owner of record according to ARI, 

include a Permission to Show slip. The name of the 

owner on the Permission to Show must be the same 

as the one on the ARI Registration. This is checked. 

6. Please do not write on the bag in which the fiber is 

submitted. If you have trouble remembering which 

animal the fiber came from, attach or put a piece of 

paper inside with the name. The fiber is sent to the 

judge(s) with only the Fleece Entry Tag inside – no 

identifying information. 

7. Please check your color chart. Coordinators of the 

Spin-Off will color check again when entries are 

received, but be aware that the color indicated on the 

ARI certificate may or may not be the actual color of 

the fiber submitted. Remember to check the color of the 

fiber where it was shorn from the skin (ignore the color 

of the fiber tips). 

8. Please do not write in the boxes at the top right of 

the Spin-Off Fleece Entry Tag. These are for the 

recorder only. 

9. Many of you sent your huacaya fiber in boxes. You can 

save some postage if you press the air out of the plastic 

bag. You can get four entries in a large postage envelope. 

The fleece will be compressed to be shipped to 

judges and to be displayed at the show. It does not 

affect the fiber character. 

10. If you will not be present at the event and you want your 

fiber returned, please send a self-addressed stamped 

envelope or payment for return postage. You might want 

to include the weight of a ribbon or two! Think positive. 

But do think ahead. Entries not picked up at the AOBA 

conferences or without adequate prepaid postage WILL 

NOT BE RETURNED – nor will scorecards or ribbons. 

We will repeat these tips and suggestions in articles again 

and again. Hopefully this will help both entrants and coordinators 

complete the Spin-Off smoothly! 

17

Fast Technology for Analysis (FTA) Gene Card Procedures 

Please remember that the quality of the 

blood sample and DNA analysis is only 

as good as the procedure you use to obtain 

it. Care must be taken to insure that the 

proper animal information is on the label for 

the FTA Gene Card. You must also make certain 

that contamination does not take place 

from card to card. We encourage you to 

plan your blood drawing carefully, dealing 

with one alpaca at a time. Prior to beginning 

the procedure, prepare a clean flat surface 

for air drying the FTA Gene Cards (not in 

direct heat of any kind, including sunlight). It 

is vital that FTA Gene Cards, wet with blood, 

are not stacked or the testing surfaces 

allowed to touch one another. 

NOTE: If there is not enough blood on the 

card or the blood is not of sampling quality, 

an additional card sample will be requested 

and you will be charged for another test. 

Pre-use Procedures (Storage & 

Handling) of the FTA Gene Cards 

1. Unused FTA Gene Cards can be 

stored at room temperature in a 

dry environment, such as in a file 

folder or manila envelope. 

2. Try to avoid contacting the FTA 

Gene Card collection area with 

anything except the blood sample. 

If practical, wear surgical-type 

gloves (latex, vinyl, or nitrile) during 

the collection of the blood 

sample. A thorough hand washing 

is the next best procedure. 

3. Your testing packets may have been 

delivered either pre-assembled 

(syringe and card in envelope) or if 

you ordered 10 or more, it is likely 

that you will receive individual 

bags containing the FTA Gene 

Cards, syringes, and outer container 

manila envelopes. 

4. You may now order FTA Gene 

Cards with or without syringes. 

18 

If you wish not to order syringes 

with your cards (i.e. you would 

like to use your own or your vet’s 

syringes), simply indicate so on the 

order form or when you call the 

ARI office and your order will be 

discounted accordingly. 

Drawing the Blood Sample 

1. Prepare an FTA Gene Card for 

the alpaca by writing your owner 

code and the alpaca’s name in 

the space provided. Do not write 

on the card below the blood sample 

area. 

2. Secure your alpaca for the process 

as you would for a vet call. 

3. Select one of the options for 

obtaining the blood: i) the midline 

vein on the undersurface of 

the tail; ii) a vein on the outer 

surface of the ear; iii) use the 

blood from the draw for the IgG 

level. The Registry now recommends 

that if you are drawing 

blood only for the FTA card, that 

you use the tail vein. Our members 

have found this site to be 

more accessible than the ear. 

4. Clean the site with 99% alcohol 

and let it air dry. 

5. Have the card at hand – right 

side up. 

6. Use the syringe with needle 

attached. To avoid contamination, 

use a separate syringe and 

needle for each alpaca. 

7. Place the needle in the vein or 

poke the ear. 

8. While the needle is in the vein, 

draw the plunger back gently and 

fill the syringe with a blood sample 

OR suck up the blood that 

emerges from the vein or ear poke 

with a syringe. 

9. Hold the FTA Gene Card topside 

up below the hollow needle and 

depress the syringe plunger to 

deposit the blood sample onto the 

sample collection area, OR drop 

blood from the vein or ear poke 

on to a card. Do not allow the 

needle to touch the sample collection 

area. 

10. Spot blood on circles as indicated 

on the diagram to the right. The 

Registry now uses and distributes 

cards with two circles; however, 

you may use a three-circle card. 

11. Apply pressure to the puncture 

site using a clean gauze pad or 

paper towel. 

12. The FTA Gene Card must be air 

dried (not in direct heat of any 

kind, including sunlight) immediately 

after the blood sample is 

obtained. Air dry in a clean and 

dry environment prior to placing 

the FTA Gene Card into the storage 

envelope. 

13. Complete air drying will take at 

least one hour. Do not dry in the 

sun or with any other heatassisted 

drying activity. 

Post-procedure Handling and 

Shipping 

1. After the card is completely dry, 

complete the information requested 

on the manila storage envelope 

and place the FTA Gene Card 

inside. If you are sending a blood 

sample from an alpaca that is 

already registered, write that 

alpaca’s registration number in the 

box at the top of the storage envelope. 

(Do not place any additional 

information or items inside the 

manila envelope with the FTA 

Gene Card.) 

2. Attach your FTA Gene Card 

manila envelope to a filled out 

Application for Registration form 

for the appropriate alpaca. 

3. The fee for each FTA Gene Card 

processing is $39. Include the fee

with the card along with the 

appropriate registration fee. 

4. Regular mail is acceptable for 

FTA Gene Cards. 

5. ‘DNA Analysis’ FTA Gene Cards 

will be forwarded to a genetics lab 

by the Registry for immediate 

processing. You will receive a 

DNA report as soon as it 

becomes available. 

Canadian and other Non-U.S. 

Owners Instructions 

1. Since blood products are presently 

not allowed to cross the border, 

please contact the ARI office 

(406-755-3158) for instructions 

on handling FTA cards for alpacas 

outside the U.S.A. 

Additional Sire and Dam 

Comparisons 

1. List possible sires and dams, providing 

registration numbers and 

names of each, on a separate sheet 

of paper and include with the 

FTA card and Application for 

Registration. 

Communication with Members 

1. When the DNA analysis report is 

received, the Registry will print 

and mail you a copy. 

2. In the case of multiple possible 

sires and/or dams, you will receive 

a report on each possible combination 

for your records. For 

example, if you send information 

on three possible sires and two 

possible dams, you will receive six 

DNA reports. 


The Alpaca Registry, Inc. 

8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300 

McLean, VA 22102 

703-610-9022 

bstanger@alpacaregistry.net 


FTA Gene Card Samples 

Owner Code _______________________________ 

Animal Name___________________________ 

Correct Way to Submit Blood 

Adequate amount of blood for DNA testing 

Owner Code _______________________________ 

Animal Name___________________________ 

Incorrect Way to Submit Blood 

Excess blood may interfere with the DNA analysis and can lead to time 

delays in processing or a complete failure of the sample. (All samples 

submitted, good or bad, are charged the $39.00 fee.) 

19

International Camelid Institute (ICI) 

Progress Report 

We continue to answer 

12-24 e-mail requests for 

consultation per week, and 

at least that many phone 

calls. These questions are 

answered by members of 

the advisory council based 

on their area of expertise. 

Two large donations 

(Glenstone Foundation, 

Washington D.C. and Dr. 

Norman C. Evans, Kentucky) 

were given in the names of 

several people or farms in 

the camelid community. 

The emergency alert system 

has enrolled 200 voluntary 

subscribers. 

20 

We have continued to make 

progress since our last report. 

The endowment value has grown to 

$243,862.42. The Emergency Alert 

System has enrolled 200 voluntary 

subscribers. The ICI staff members 

continue to expand the research 

library which currently has over 141 

citations available on-line. ICI has 

taken responsibility for the electronic 

subscriptions for the camelidmed 

newsletter, which currently has 

approximately 840 subscribers. 

ICI held an annual December 

General Business Meeting, which was 

attended by 25 people. The meeting 

was a success with plans made for 

fundraising, PR, the website, and 

refinement of ICI missions. A report 

from the independent government 

relations group was given to update us 

on the status of the permanent ID system 

that is being proposed by the U.S. 

Government. Electronic ID, e.g. 

microchips, will very likely be the standard 

for camelids with other options 

including electronic ear tags. 

Fundraising plans included lunches 

with an expert where a recognized 

authority would represent ICI at a 

fundraising lunch or dinner. Vital 

functions that need to be improved 

upon include how to recognize sponsors 

and how to continue to spread the 

word about ICI purpose and mission. 

Plans were made to put up a display 

for ICI at several camelid events in the 

United States. ICI will fund the shipment 

of the display units. 

Discussion about re-vamping the 

ICI brochure was initiated and some 

specific ideas were brought forward. 

A sub-committee was formed to work 

on another brochure. The new 

brochure will be simple, straight forward, 

and targeted to camelid owners 

and breeders in the United States/ 

North America initially. The goal for 

this brochure will be two fold, to further 

educate people about ICI and to 

solicit funds for the endowment. 

At Christmas time, two large donations 

(Glenstone Foundation, Washington 

DC; Norman Evans, Kentucky) 

were given in the names of several 

people or farms in the camelid community. 

Christmas letters of thanks 

were sent to each of those farms to let 

them know that a donation was made 

in their honor. 

We have received several requests to 

re-print publications produced for ICI 

by recognized experts. These requests 

were granted with permission contingent 

on citation of ICI as the source 

of information. Since information 

from ICI is free access, we hoped 

that this would only further the 

knowledge of ICI and the well being 

of camelids. Additionally, ICI will be 

added as a link on several regional 

organization websites.

We continue to answer 12-24 e-mail 

requests for consultation per week, and 

at least that many phone calls. These 

questions are answered by members 

of the advisory council based on their 

area of expertise (besides Dr. Anderson, 

Dr. Ahmed Tibary, Dr. 

Claire Whitehead, and 

Mr. Dan Linden should 

be complimented on 

their exemplary service in 

these consultations). Dr. 

Anderson has been 

responsible for directing 

questions to members of 

the panel. From the email, 

a list of Frequently 

Asked Questions is being 

generated to be added to 

the website. Also, Dr. 

Miesner will be developing 

a follow-up to consultation 

message to 

encourage donations 

from those who feel they 

have personally benefited 

from ICI. 

The EAS notified subscribers 

about BSE and 

its relevance to camelids. 

This information was 

posted to the ICI website 

as a hot topic. There was 

significant positive feedback 

regarding this information 

and the timeliness of our response. 

However, ICI staff needs to be more 

cognizant of wording. The BSE review 

pertains to all camelids, but was inadvertently 

posted as an “alpaca” issue. 

This has been modified to say 

“camelid” rather than “alpaca.” 

In January, the steering subcommittee 

met to discuss goals and plans for 

the web site. We added a hot-topics 

archive to allow access to previously 

AOBA: 800-213-9522, AlpacaOwners@aol.com ■ ARI: 703-610-9022, bstanger@alpacaregistry.net 

posted information. All sponsors will 

be categorized into levels (based on 

range of donation dollar amount) and 

listed with the largest contributors listed 

first. Multiple donors were categorized 

based on the cumulative value of 

their donations. The home 

page has been re-vamped 

in order to stream line the 

appearance and make navigation 

less cumbersome. 

Archived e-news released 

via the CamelidMed 

Newletter were sent to 

Connie Kaufman, to 

develop that archive separately 

from the Hot Topics 

archive. Connie has made 

tremendous efforts to 

improve the web site and 

implement the ideas 

brought forward in that 

meeting. Additionally, 

Becky Raber has developed 

an abbreviated logo 

for purposes such as ICI 

business cards and inclusion 

on sponsors’ own web 

pages, etc. 

We want to thank you, 

AOBA and ARI, for your 

continued generous support. 

We like to invite 

your comments and suggestions 

for how we can make this 

organization even better. 


Tracy J. Miesner, DVM 

Associate Director of ICI 

David E. Anderson, 

DVM, MS, DACVS 

Director of ICI 

anderson650@osu.edu 

Note: ARI and AOBA provide joint funding to the ICI 

for operational expenses. 

Canadian Llama 

and Alpaca 

Association 

(CLAA) Responds 

In the December 2003 issue of 

OneVoice (p. 15, Vol. 1, No. 2), 

ARI alerted alpaca owners to a 

“scam” being perpetrated by 

a few individuals, whereby they 

made claims that an alpaca registered 

with the CLAA could one day 

be registered with the ARI. In our 

previous article, we explained that 

this is incorrect and condemned 

the individuals engaging in this 

fraudulent practice. 

Since the appearance of that 

article, we have received a communication 

from the CLAA 

indicating that such scams are 

prohibited not only by CLAA 

by-laws, but also by the Animal 

Pedigree Act of Canada. Sections 

63-67 of that Act prohibit selling 

registered stock without transferring 

ownership papers, representing 

an animal as registered 

when it is not, and advertising 

an animal as registered when its 

registration papers are from a 

foreign registry. Although this 

law applies only within Canadian 

boundaries, the CLAA encourages 

all individuals who may 

have been victimized by the misrepresentation 

of the eligibility 

of animals for registration to contact 

them at 1-800-717-5262 or by 

email at info@claacanada.com. 

They are eager to act within their 

jurisdiction to put an end to these 

unethical practices. 

21

thank you 

THE MEMBERS OF ARI 

AND AOBA wish to thank 

the generous sponsors of 

the 2004 Fiber to Fashion 

Conference; special presenters; 

benevolent donors of 

goods and services; and 

Conference Planning 

Committee members. 

F2F Volunteers 

Steve Haber, HaHa Farm ■ Jennifer Folkman, 

Blue Ribbon Farm ■ Alex MacDonald, Leaping 

Lagomorph Rare Breeds ■ Randy & Jody Sharp, 

Arazzmatazz Alpacas ■ Jessie Redford, Bayou Creek 

Alpacas ■ Carl McGill, Bayou Creek Alpacas ■ Scott 

& Marie Burnett, Alpaca Familia ■ Jeanette Miller, 

Sierra Nevada Alpacas ■ Kay Rodriguez, Lazy K 

Ranch ■ Heather McCarty, Heather’s Acre Alpaca 

Farm ■ Agnes Wildt, RichNes Alpacas ■ Cheryl 

Laufer, Spirit Wind Alpacas of Turning Point Farm 

■ April Works, Alpaca Vista ■ Alicia Marshall, 

Moondance Alpaca Ranch ■ Carol Dunn, Copper 

Kettle Farm ■ Gregg & Marci Milius, Alpaca Vista 

Ranch ■ Diana Timmerman, Aussie Acres ■ Sharon 

Loner, Mile High Alpacas ■ Helga Fensterman, 

DeSoto Bend Alpacas ■ Cristine Perala Gardiner, 

The Farm at Tickle Creek ■ Cyndi Daugherty, Paca 

D’Lites Alpaca Ranch ■ Carol Collins, Never- 

Summer Alpacas ■ Barb Hance, Hance Ranch 

■ Lynn Denning-Costner, Sunny Mesa Alpacas 

■ Megan McCarthy, BelleauWood Farms Alpacas 

22 

Conference Hosts 

Mike & Janet Wilkins, Wilkins 

Livestock, LLC 

Cindy Harris, Alpacas at Windy Hill 

Jimmy & Nancy Stepp, Rolling 

Thunder Farms 

Paul & Sands Bellizzi, Alpaca Mining 

Company 

Jerry & Libby Forstner, Magical 

Farms, Inc. 

Tim & Teresa Vincent, Celebrity Sales 

Dr. Chris & Susan Lehner, 

Champion Alpacas 

Frank & Sharon Loner, Mile High 

Alpacas, LLC 

Nance Sturm, Creekwater Alpacas 

Stephen & Gwen Coltrin, Diamond 

Triple C Ranch, Inc. 

The Suri Network 

Robin Roberts, Touch Alpacas 

Linda Davis, Alpaca.com 

Dr. Delano & Caroline Mixon, 

Carodel Alpacas 

David Wright & Erin McCarthy, 

American Classic Alpacas 

Fiber Arts Competition Sponsors 

Roberto & Sara Marquez, Alpacas 

of Marquez Farms 

Michael Scharf & Susan Boos, 

Heritage Ranch 

Skein Competition Sponsor 

Lee & Liz Clark, Turkey Creek Alpacas 

Fleece Show Sponsors 

Carol B. Collins, NeverSummer 

Alpacas, LLC 

Kelly Jarvis, Alpaca This! 

Tom & Tsulan Balka, Lavender Fields 

Alpacas 

Jerry & Arleen Brothern, Far View 

Ranch Alpacas 

Kevin & Paula Bowman, Mountain 

View Alpacas 

Edwin & Kay Rodriguez, Lazy K 

Ranch 

Ed & Roxanne Brockman, Dream 

Weaver Farms 

Daphne Marinopoulos, The Fibre 

Company 

David & Jeanette Miller, Sierra 

Nevada Alpacas 

Special F2F Guest Presenters 

Anna Zilboorg, Workshop Instructor 

Edie Eckman, Workshop Instructor 

Luis Chavez, Grupo Inca, Arequipa, 

Peru, Seminar Presenter 

(see article in Alpacas Magazine for 

listing of other conference presenters) 

Fashion Show Original Music 

and Sign & Sound Show Donors 

Christa Kindt Newhouse,Yarn 

Dreamer/Unique Film & Video 

Fashion Show Choreographer 

Christina Robinette-Blowney 

Models Courtesy of: Entertainment Plus 

Student Design Competition 

Sponsors 

Pete & Sonda Caffrey, Honey Creek 

Farm 

David & Janet Monasterski, StanPete’s 

Alpaca Ranch 

Ron & Genny Heineking, Dream 

Spinner Farm 

Robin Alpert, Alpacas ‘R Diamonds, 

Paola KS 

Conference Planning Committee 

(CPC) and Staff Assistants 

Anne Hallinan, AOBA Conference 

Coordinator


thank you 

Kim DeVos, Inca Fashions, Inc./ 

Creekside Breeders, CPC Committee 

Chair 

David Stensland, A Craftsman’s Touch 

Alpaca Co., CPC Student Design 

Competition Judge and “Complete 

the Circle” Award Chair 

Naomi Flam, Astral-Light Alpacas, 

LLC, CPC Sponsorship Chair, 

Vendor Liaison, and Marketing 

Committee Liaison 

Jim Perry, Ambler’s Alpacas, CPC 

Education Committee Planner 

Dave Belt, Sunrise Editorial Services, 

CPC Planning Committee 

Member 

Jan Prokop, Alpaca Vista, CPC 

Committee Planner and Education 

Committee Liaison 

Diane Campbell, Funny River Ranch, 

CPC Committee Planner and Fleece 

Show Mail-In Coordinator 

Rhonda Deschner, Tierra Prometida 

Alpacas, CPC ARI Representative 

Amy McCroskie, A and A Alpacas, 

AOBA Board Liaison 

Libby Forstner, ARI Board Liaison 

Curt Gedney, ARI Board Liaison 

Caroline Mixon, Carodel Alpacas, 

Sponsorship Coordinator 

Jodi Wever, Paco Lago Alpacas, 

Spin-Off Coordinator 

Freda McGill, Bayou Creek Alpacas, 

Fleece Show Superintendant 

Kathie Haber, HaHa Farm, Fleece 

Show Coordinator 

Andrea MacDonald, Leaping 

Lagomorph Rare Breeds, Fiber Arts 

Superintendent 

Wini Labrecque, Star Weaver Farm, 

Fiber Arts Judge 

Tracey Duffield, North Star Alpacas, 

Fashion Show Assistant 

Linda Bylsma, Student Design 

Competition Coordinator 

Deb Hill, Cloud Dancer Alpacas, 

Education Committee Planner 

Wayne Aldrich, Shepherd’s Purse 

Alpacas, LLC, Education Committee 

Planner 

Erin McCarthy, BelleauWood Farms 

Alpacas, Marketing Committee 

Planner 


Advertising, Marketing Committee 

Planner 

Jan Sherrill, Celestial Alpacas, 

Marketing Committee Planner 

F2F Fiber Arts Instructors and 

Conference Seminar Presenters 

Zane Akins, Zane Akins & Associates 

Dr. David Ames, Colorado State Univ. 

Dr. David Anderson, Ohio State 

University and International 

Camelid Institute 

Carla Baster, Snugglers’ Meadow 

Alpacas & Fiber Mill 

Suzy Belt, Sunrise Mercantile 

Diane Campbell, Funny River Ranch 

Dr. Patricia Craven, Cherry Ridge 

Alpacas 

Rod Dakan, Royal Fiber Spinnery 

Karen Dewhirst, AFCNA General 

Manager 

Cristina Dioguardi, Beyond Threads 

Dr. John Edwards, Express Ranches 

Ruth Elvestad, Natural Fibre Centre 

& Testing Laboratory 

Dr. Dorian J. Garrick, Colorado State 

University 

Helen Hamann, Helen Hamann S.A. 

Rachel Hendrickson, Heartland Ranch 

Alpacas & Country Store 

Deb Hill, Cloud Dancer Alpacas 

Robyn Houts, Southern Cross Farm 

Dr. Steve Hull, TimberLake Farms, Inc. 

Sue King, Skyeview Alpacas 

Wini Labrecque, Fleece to Fashion 

Cindy Lavan, Chase Tavern Farms 

Elsa Leyden, Longbranch Fiber 

Farm 

Dr. Patrick Long, Alpaca Research 

Foundation and Morris Animal 

Foundation 

Beth Lutz, Painted Spring Farm 

Andrea MacDonald, Leaping 

Lagomorph Rare Breeds 

Angus McColl, Yokom-McColl 

Testing Labs, Inc. 

Carl McGill, Bayou Creek Alpacas 


Advertising 

Angelo Ponce, LANART 

Dr. D. Phillip Sponenberg, Virginia- 

Maryland Regional College of 

Veterinary Medicine 

Chris Switzer, Switzer-Land Farm 

Dr. Ahmed Tibary, Washington State 

University 

Dick Whittick, Whidbey Island 

Alpacas 

AOBA Staff 

Lisa Wagenseller, AOBA Coordinator 

Michele Biordi, Executive Director 

Rebecca Haines, Registration 

Coordinator 

Pat McFadden, Director of 

Registration 

James Jurgens, Director of Marketing 

Bill Pawlucy, Management Advisor 

ARI Staff 

BJ Stanger 

Lucy Warner 

23


2004 AOBA National Conference 

Schedule of 

Events 

Wednesday, June 2 

8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Conference Registration and 

Check In 

8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Alpaca and Show Check-In 

8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Fleece Show Check-In 

(Refer to Conference Full and Half Day Clinics to 

Registration include: 

Magazine or Neonatal Clinic 

Onsite Conference Showing Off! 

Notebook for times) Handling for Kids 

Handling and Training 

Marketing Workshop 

Starting and Running a 

Successful Alpaca Business 

Fleece Show Superintendent 

Clinic 

Photographing Your Alpacas 

Shearing Demonstration 

Thursday, June 3 

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Registration Desk Open 

8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Seminars 

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lunch 

1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. AOBA Business and 

Town Hall Meeting 

7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. First-Timers Reception 

7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. “Meet and Greet” Reception 

▼ 

Friday, June 4 


8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Performance/Youth Show 

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Breakfast 

8:15 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. ARI Annual Meeting 

11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. AOBA Committee Open House 

and Volunteer Recognition 

Luncheon 

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Auction Preview 

3:00 p.m.- 3:30 p.m. Fashion Show 

3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Alpaca Auction 

Saturday, June 5 


8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Halter Show 

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Silent Auction and Cocktails 

7:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Gala 

Sunday, June 6 


8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Halter Show 

* Schedule subject to change. Please check Conference 

Notebook in Louisville for possible time modifications 

and/or meeting locations changes. 

can be found on page 33. 

National Conference coverage continues 

through page 42. 

▼ National Conference deadlines schedule 

25

This year’s AOBA National Conference 

celebrates twenty years of 

North American alpaca history! The 

AOBA National Conference is the 

premier alpaca event in the United 

States. It is at the Conference that you 

can network with other alpaca owners, 

catch sight of new ideas for alpaca 

fiber, shop for animals and alpaca 

products, attend educational sessions, 

and compete in or watch a show! 

Twenty years ago… 

…the first commercial importation 

of alpacas into the United States 

occurred. During the several years 

that followed that first importation 

in 1984, these original alpaca owners 

began to meet and discuss the formation 

of an association. The association 

was formed for the following purposes: 

(1) to promote public awareness and 

membership appreciation of the 

alpaca’s unique qualities; 

(2) to educate the membership on the 

care and breeding of the alpaca; 

(3) to promote the growth of the 

alpaca industry as a whole; and 

(4) to foster the establishment of the 

breed outside of its native land. 

The association operates under a 

Board of Directors who are all in volunteer 

positions without compensation. 

In the short time since the association 

was formed (beginning with 87 memberships 

and a known North American 

alpaca census of 392), AOBA has come 

26 

Twenty Years 

and Growing! 

to represent over 3,000 member farms 

and ranches, and nearly 50,000 alpacas. 

During this time, the activities of the 

association have also increased. Some 

of the highlights follow: 

1988 – Thirty-eight people gathered 

at Shanty Creek Lodge in Bellaire, 

Michigan in a “special meeting” to discuss 

the formation (including by-laws 

and articles of incorporation) of what 

is now known as the Alpaca Owners 

and Breeders Association, Inc. (AOBA). 

1988 – AOBA began work on an 

Alpaca Registry where it was housed 

until it was subsequently moved to 

the International Lama Registry (ILR) 

and operated as a separate branch. 

■ What’s New? 

Today, the registry is a separate corporation 

known as the Alpaca Registry, 

Inc. (ARI). 

1990 – The first issue of Alpacas 

Magazine was printed. 

1992 – AOBA held its own first 

Annual Conference in Estes Park, 

Colorado. 

1999 – To expand alpaca awareness to 

a larger audience, television advertising 

began and has increased steadily to 

where there is a television spot run 

nearly every day of the year. 

2000 – In the Fall of 2002, AOBA 

formally created its own Alpaca 

Certified Show system (independent 

of the Alpaca & Llama Show Associa- 

Let’s remember the past twenty years! 

Stop by the AOBA store at the National Conference to purchase past conference memorabilia 

and other AOBA marketing products. 

Town Hall Meeting 

A new “Town Hall Meeting” will be held at the National Conference on Thursday afternoon, 

June 3rd. This meeting will give you the opportunity to ask questions of the AOBA Board 

during a panel discussion. 

Marketing Opportunities! 

Distribute farm and ranch materials (sales flyers, booth invitations, etc.) to each Louisville 

Conference attendee at the conference check-in for a modest fee! More information will be 

given in the registration material. 

New and updated Show Division Handbook Rules… 

…rules that YOU helped to formulate! (See pages 38-42 of this edition of OneVoice for 

further details).

Be sure to attend the 2004 AOBA 

National Conference and be a part 

of AOBA HISTORY IN THE MAKING! 

tion) and created its own Show 

Division, which became effective 

January 1, 2001. 

2000 – AOBA surpassed 2,000 

member farms and ranches. 

2000 – Alpacas Magazine received 

its first of four international Crystal 

Communicators Awards, awarded 

to only the top twelve percent of 

over 10,000 nominated publications 

annually. 

2002 – AOBA established a “Fiber 

Initiative” to integrate the promotion 

of fiber products into the AOBA 

national marketing program and created 

the first-ever “Fiber to Fashion” 

National Conference. 

■ What’s Exciting? 

Lights, Camera, Action! 

Don’t miss the Fashion and Halter Shows! 


2003 – AOBA surpassed 3,000 

member farms and ranches. 

2004 – AOBA commemorated the 

20th anniversary of the first commercial 

importation of alpacas into 

North America. 

Interested in showing off your skills and artistic abilities? 

Try entering the Photo Competition, Fiber Arts Skein Competition, or the everpopular 

Fiber Arts Competition! 

Be sure and attend the AOBA fashion show. 

This semi-annual event is always one of the highlights of each National Conference. 

And don’t forget the action-packed, knuckle-biting excitement of the 

annual National Alpaca Auction… 

…where some of the finest alpacas from throughout the United States will be 

available for competitive purchase! 

27

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 

2004 AOBA National Conference ■ Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center 

■ Louisville, Kentucky ■ June 2-6, 2004 

Diamond Sponsor: $5,000 (Limit 8 Sponsors) 

• Premium recognition and display of farm 

logo in Conference Registration Magazine 


logo in Conference Notebook 


logo on Alpacaowners.com website 


logo on AlpacaInfo.com website 


logo in OneVoice 


logo in Alpacas Magazine 

• Farm name on signage at event 

• Verbal recognition at the beginning of 

event 

• Farm name in or on transportation 

(if off- site event) 

• Farm name on program or menu cards 

(as applicable) 

• Opportunity to place pre-approved 

promotional materials on tables at 

gala banquet 

• Preferred stall placement 

• Two complimentary 10 x 10 vendor 

booths or four (4) 10 x 10 stalls 

• Plaque award from AOBA to be proudly 

displayed at farm or at future shows 

• Two 8 1/2 x 11 inserts allocated for 

registration bags 

• Special sponsorship ribbon attached to 

badge holder 

• Complimentary list of attendees for 

solicitation 

• Two complimentary conference 

registrations 

• Opportunity to send thank you’s on your 

farm letterhead 

• Farm banner hung in display area 

• Gala banquet complimentary reserved 

table for eight guests with the option to 

decorate your table 

• Meet & greet reception opportunity 

to greet guests as they arrive in a 

receiving line 

Gold Sponsor: $2,500 (Limit 8 Sponsors) 


logo in Conference Registration Magazine 


logo in Conference Notebook 

28 


logo on Alpacaowners.com website 


logo on AlpacaInfo.com website 


logo in OneVoice 


logo in Alpacas Magazine 



event 

• Stall placement in main barn 

• Plaque award from AOBA to be proudly 


• One 8 1/2 x 11 insert allocated for 

registration bags 


badge holder 

• Two complimentary gala banquet tickets 

• One complimentary conference 

registration 

• Opportunity to send thank you’s on your 

farm letterhead 

• Farm banner hung in display area 

• Display table promoting your farm at the 

auction cocktails event 


solicitation 

Silver Sponsor: $1,500 (Limit 10 Sponsors) 

• Recognition in Conference Registration 

Magazine 

• Recognition in Conference Notebook 

• Recognition on Alpacaowners.com 

website 

• Recognition on AlpacaInfo.com website 

• Recognition in OneVoice 

• Recognition in Alpacas Magazine 



event 

• Stall placement in main barn 

• Certificate from AOBA to be proudly 



solicitation 


badge holder 

• Two complimentary gala banquet tickets 

• Thursday lunch tent cards with farm 

name on each table 

• Friday breakfast tent cards with farm 

name on each table 

• Table for promotion of your farm at 

Handcrafters’ Spin-Off 

• Table for promotion of your farm at fiber 

arts competition 

Bronze Sponsor: ($500) 

• Recognition in Conference Registration 

Magazine 

• Recognition in Conference Notebook 

• Recognition on Alpacaowners.com 

website 

• Recognition on AlpacaInfo.com website 


• Certificate from AOBA to be proudly 



solicitation 

• Upon exit of 1st Timers Reception 

attendees, pass out promotional flyer 

to each guest 

• Table with promotional material at 

photo competition 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR FIRST-TIME 

SPONSORS 

Championship Sponsorship: ($200) 

• Half-page ad and listing in Show 

Program and presentation of trophy and 

ribbons to winner of sponsored class 

Championship Class requested: Complete 

on participation form 

Fleece or Halter Show Sponsor: ($150) 

• You pick the show you wish to sponsor! 

Halter or Fleece Show: Complete on 

participation form 

Seminar Sponsor: ($250) 

• Introduce yourself and the speaker 

Seminar requested: Complete on 

participation form 

Add-on to any sponsorship package: 

One approved door drop to all 

registrants at host hotel. Additional 

price of $1,200.


Sponsorship Participation Form 

Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association, 2004 AOBA National Conference 

Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, Louisville, Kentucky, June 2 - 6, 2004 

Please print clearly. Your company name will appear on all promotional literature and signage as indicated 

on this form. Please send this form, payment and logo if applicable to the AOBA office by May 1, 2004. 

Name ________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Company Name_______________________________________________________________________________ 

Address ______________________________________________________________________________________ 

City __________________________________________State ________________Zip _______________________ 

Tel ___________________________________________Fax ____________________________________________ 

E-mail ________________________________________________________________________________________ 

We will sponsor: Diamond $5,000 Gold $2,500 Silver $1,500 Bronze $500 

Championship Class(s) requested________________________________$200 ea 

Fleece Show ______________________________________________________$150 

Halter Show_______________________________________________________$150 

Seminar Sponsor(s) requested __________________________________$250 ea 

Add-on to any sponsorship package: 

One approved door drop to all registrants at host hotel: $1,200 ea. 

Sponsorship Payment Information 

Total Amount Due ________________ 

Enclosed is a check payable to Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association 

Charge my VISA MasterCard American Express 

Account # Exp. Date 

Print Cardholder’s Name______________________________Signature _______________________________ 

Please return form with payment by May 1, 2004 to: 

Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, 17000 Commerce Parkway, Suite C, Mount Laurel NJ 08054 

Or 

FAX with credit card information to (856) 439-0525 

29

Generous AOBA Live Auction Donation 

“Guinivere” 

Donated by Ernest Kellogg, 

Double “O” Good Alpacas 

Proceeds Designated to Alpaca 

Research Foundation 


“Cayla” 

Donated by Linda Lundstrom 

and Roy Parks, Zodiac Ranch 

Proceeds Designated to AOBA 

30


“Tess’s Flame” 

Donated by Randy and Beth 

Brealey, Chelsea Farms 



“A Truly Amazing Alpaca” 

Donated by the Forstner 

Family, Magical Farms 



You’ll Just Have to Come to 

Louisville to See This Beauty! 

31


“Hermosa” 

Donated by Fred, Scott, and 

Janet Swift, Mariah Alpacas 



“RNA Tipper” 

Donated by Richard and 

Agnes Wildt, Rich-Nes Alpacas 


32


Important National Conference Information 

Conference Deadlines 

April 10 

■ Halter Show Early-Bird Deadline 

April 15 

■ Photo Contest Entry Deadline 

April 30 

■ Halter Show Last-Chance Deadline 

■ Stall Reservations Due 

■ Hotel Reservations to Secure 

Conference Rate 

May 1 

■ Silent Auction Donations Submitted 

■ Vendor Applications Due 

May 9 

■ Fiber Arts Show Entry Deadline 

■ Halter Show Last-Chance Deadline 

May 20 

■ Fleece Show Registration Deadline 

(MUST Arrive By This Date, 

NO Exceptions) 

May 21 

■ Conference Registration Deadline 

(On-Site Registration Available at 

Additional Cost) 

June 2 

■ Conference Check-In (Alpacas, 

Fleeces, Crafts, & You!) 

■ Early-Bird (Pre-Paid) Clinics Begin 

Conference Registration Magazine in 

production now! Watch for it in late 

April! Then HUSTLE to get your registration 

materials returned ASAP! 

Attention Alpaca Products Vendors 

If you are interested in applying for booth space at the AOBA National 

Conference, please contact Lisa Wagenseller, Conference Manager, at 

lwagenseller@ahint.com or 856-439-1076. 

Attention Conference Attendees – 

Marketing Opportunity Available 

Would you like to distribute farm/ranch promotional materials (sales flyers, 

booth invitations, etc.) to each Louisville Conference attendee? For a modest 

fee, we will take your flyer or promo piece and enclose it in with the 

conference check-in materials that each attendee receives. Contact: Lisa 

Wagenseller, Conference Manager, lwagenseller@ahint.com or 856-439-1076 

for details. 

Kentucky Health Rules 

A valid Health Certifiate (Certificate of Veterinary Inspection) must accompany 

ALL alpacas attending the AOBA National Conference. A representative from 

the state will check your Health Certificate when you arrive. 

Alpacas from within Kentucky 

1) Health Certificate dated within 150 days 

2) Negative tuberculosis (TB) test (official axillary tuberculin test) within 60 

days for alpacas over six months of age 

3) Negative brucellosis blood test within 150 days for alpacas over six 

months of age 

Alpacas from out of state 

1) Negative tuberculosis (TB) test (official axillary tuberculin test) within 60 

days for alpacas over six months of age 

2) Negative brucellosis blood test within 30 days for alpacas over six 

months of age 

3) A permit number for entering Kentucky that your veterinarian can obtain 

by calling 502-564-3956 


Christy Flamm, 2004 Barn Manager 

tomf792@aol.com 

859-263-2232 

33

▼ 

BELIEVE IT or not, it’s time to start thinking about volunteering for the 2004 AOBA National 

Conference. If you’re interested in being a part of the 2004 National Conference “Team,” let us know. 

Following is a list of functions that will need help and specific jobs for each that will need volunteers. 

Look for one that suits you best! Fill out this “Reply Form” and send it to the Conference Manager today! 

Check the position(s) that interest you most: 

Halter Show (these positions require time commitment during the conference only) 

Ring Steward Gate Steward Halter Show Clerk Color Check 

Fleece Show (these positions require time commitment during the conference only) 

Judge’s Liaison Fleece Check In Fleece Show Clerk 

Barn (these positions require time commitment during the conference only) 

Check In/Traffic Set Up/Tear Down Barn Help 

Fundraising (these positions require pre-conference time commitment) 

Silent Auction and Raffle Chairperson Helpers 

Hospitality (these require time before and during the conference) 

International Ambassador Welcome Table 

Conference Education (this position requires time during seminar sessions) 

Session/Room Monitor 

Conference Fiber Events (requires time before and during the conference) 

Fiber Arts demonstrator Fiber Arts Competition Coordinator 

Fashion Show (requires time during the conference) 

Helper Model 

Registration (requires time during conference) 

Helper 

All volunteers working at conference must be current members and registered conference attendees. 

Name ______________________________________Farm/Ranch Name ______________________________________ 

Address___________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Phone ______________________________________E-mail ________________________________________________ 

Mail or FAX to: AOBA, Attn: Lisa Wagenseller, 17000 Commerce Pkwy, Suite C, Mount Laurel NJ 08054; FAX 856-439-0525 

34 

These happy conference volunteers encourage you to join “Team 

AOBA” for Louisville ‘04.


Call for Entries for the 2004 AOBA Photo Competition 

Attention, all you shutter-bugs! Keep 

your cameras ready for that unexpected 

alpaca “photo op!” Then send 

your favorite images to the 2004 

National Conference Photo 

Competition! Here are the details: 

1. Photo Competition is open to all 

AOBA Farm/Ranch and Associate 

Members 

2. Send photos – WORKING 

PRINTS ONLY, as no pictures will 

be returned. Working prints are 

photos from a photo developer 

(Wal-Mart, etc.) or digital prints. 

3. There are no size restrictions. 

4. Photos will be judged for content, 

composition, creativity, and how 

well they depict the entered category. 

5. Pictures entered in the competition 

must have been taken during the 

period April 1, 2003 and March 

31, 2004. 

6. Photos that have appeared in 

Alpacas Magazine are not eligible. 

7. To enter the competition, please 

send the following: 

■ $5.00 per photo submitted 

(make checks payable to “AOBA”) 

■ No more than one picture per 

category. Label the back of each 

photo with: 

– Farm/Ranch Name, Address, 

Phone 

– E-mail Address 

– Photographer’s Name 

– Category 

– Caption 

Categories: 

Cria – an individual cria caught at a 

special moment 

Alpacas Interacting – shows action 

between alpaca and alpaca, alpaca and 

other animal, or alpaca and person 

Farm Scene – includes at least one 

alpaca 

Black and White – these shots should 

show an alpaca and have artistic merit 

Computer Enhanced – be creative – 

include one or more alpaca and artistically 

enhance the image of the alpaca 

Humor – alpacas doing something 

that makes you laugh 

A few of the winners from last year’s photo competition (l-r): 

Liz Ostman, Ed and Charlene Friedman, Katie Rolfing. 

Mail photos and entry fees 

(checks made out to AOBA) to: 

AOBA Photo Competition 

c/o Muriel Mendonça 

960 Cove Place 

West Linn OR 97068-4350 

Additional Details 

■ Winning photos will receive First, 

Second, or Third Place ribbons and 

will be displayed at the 2004 AOBA 

National Conference in Louisville, 

Kentucky. 

■ First Place winners will appear in a 

future edition of Alpacas Magazine. 

Submissions must be 

postmarked no later than 

April 15, 2004. 


Muriel Mendonça 

murielmen@comcast.net 

503-723-3121 

35

A “How To” Seminar 

for Marketing Your 

Farm, Alpacas, and 

Fiber, and Establishing 

Your Image! 

If you are new or established in the alpaca industry, improving 

your alpaca farm/ranch image is always a top priority! 

This full-day seminar will provide you with a comprehensive 

marketing tool box in which to build or enhance your promotional 

efforts. Past attendees have given this marketing 

seminar top ratings! 

This “How-To” Marketing Seminar will cover the following: 

■ Defining goals and objectives for your alpaca business 

■ Identifying potential customers to sell your alpacas & fiber 

■ Developing an advertising plan 

■ Targeting the most cost-effective media for your budget 

■ Creating a direct-mail campaign 

■ Developing print advertising and collateral materials 

■ Creating a radio and television campaign 

■ Developing a public relations plan 

■ Creative website development 

■ Taking advantage of the AOBA Leads Program 

■ Marketing your farm through product sales 

■ The power of good photography 

This effective marketing seminar will be presented by our 

AOBA Marketing Committee members, showcasing their 

particular areas of expertise. You can’t afford to miss this 

opportunity to learn what works and what doesn’t from this 

industry professionals! 

If improving your alpaca or fiber sales is important to you, 

be sure to plan ahead and sign up for one of the most popular 

seminars AOBA offers! Without a doubt, this is an 

absolute “must-attend” for alpaca breeders new and not-sonew. 

If you want to improve your sales, you can’t afford to 

miss this session. Class size is limited, so book now! 

AOBA Marketing Committee Clinic 

Wednesday, June 2, 2004 

See Conference Registration Magazine for Details 

36 

Donations Needed! 

This is the year to donate a special item for the silent auction 

or raffle! Why not show your support for the alpaca 

industry AND boost your farm or business image? By making 

a donation to the silent auction or raffle, you will receive 

valuable advertising for your organization. Donate a really 

exciting item and watch what happens! People will be talking 

about it and your farm. Your farm name or business will 

be displayed for all attendees to see! We all know that there 

is no better advertising than “word of mouth!” 

Raffle items (those valued under $150) will be displayed for 

the duration of the conference. The drawings will take place 

Saturday night and the winners will be posted on Sunday. 

The silent auction will take place Saturday evening during 

the banquet. We will have a special area for breedings this 

year. To attract more bidders, the breedings will be grouped 

by geographical area with a limit of four breedings per area 

and one breeding per farm. The breedings will be accepted 

on a first come, first served basis. 

We are accepting donations of all types for both the raffle 

and the silent auction. Items do not have to be alpaca-oriented. 

Variety will make the event much more fun! 

To be listed in the conference notebook, please be sure to 

let us know what you would like to donate by April 15th. 


Nance Sturm 

770-979-4445 

cwalpacas@mindspring.com

Paca to 

Poncho 

Adds 

PUNCH 

to the 

Crafter’s 

Corner 

AOBA Merchandise 

BLOW-OUT Sale! 


The Crafter’s Corner is back by popular 

demand – with new and exciting 

improvements! The Crafter’s 

Corner will include old-time favorites 

like on-going fiber arts demonstrations 

that both breeders and the public raved 

about! You’ll be able to sit and enjoy 

spinning, weaving, needle-felting, 

crocheting, knitting, and other fiber 

arts throughout the weekend of the 

conference. 

An exciting new addition will be the 

“Paca to Poncho” demonstration. “Paca 

to Poncho” is akin to the “Sheep to 

Shawl” demonstrations that are gaining 

popularity at Fiber Festivals all across 

North America. Basically, the concept 

is that a team of expert fiber artisans 

Attendees at this year’s National Conference in Louisville will be 

treated to something extra special: a first-ever “AOBA Merchandise 

Blow-Out Sale”! 

THAT’S RIGHT – the AOBA storehouse is bursting at the seams with 

all sorts of great products, publications, do-dads, trinkets, and whatnot. 

We need to move it to make room for new marketing and promotional 

materials. So our loss is your gain – items will be marked 

down 20 - 30 - 40 - as much as 60 PERCENT OFF regular prices! This 

is your golden opportunity to stock up on great bargains – for gifts, 

farm promotional items, marketing incentives, stocking stuffers, and 

don’t forget to pick up some goodies for yourself! Come early, and 

bring your checkbook… it will be “FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!” 

take raw alpaca fiber and process it 

into yarn, then weave it into a wonderful 

garment – right before your eyes! 

Located in the Vendor/Exhibition 

Hall, Crafter’s Corner will be manned 

by various volunteers demonstrating 

fiber craft techniques. If you are interested 

in being a demonstrating artisan, 

please contact Sharon Winsauer or 

Andrea MacDonald. 


Sharon Winsauer 

sharon@aurora-alpacas.com 

Andrea MacDonald 

andrea@leapinglagomorph.com 

“Paca to Poncho” is akin to the “Sheep to Shawl” demonstrations that are 

gaining popularity at Fiber Festivals all across North America. 

Items to be sold during 

this Blow-Out Sale 

include: 

■ Early-year issues of 

Alpacas Magazine 

■ Past-year conference 

clothing (T-shirts, polo 

shirts, much more) 

■ Conference coffee 

mugs 

■ Limited-edition, official 

2001 AOBA Conference 

Poster 

■ Alpaca car shades 

■ Much, much more! 

37

AOBA Show Division 

The Vision Continues – 2004 Rule Changes 

The Show Division exists because of 

you! Yes, you! Take a bow! Congratulate 

one another for that Blue Ribbon 

or Color Championship! Pat yourself 

on the back! AND last but not least 

please accept our heartfelt thanks for 

an extraordinary 2003 show season and 

for the exceptional suggestions you’ve 

given us for the 2004 show handbook! 

Speaking of suggestions; they are 

always welcome. Please feel free to 

e-mail your suggestions and comments 

to the AOBA Show Division Office 

at aobashows@direcway.com. All suggestions 

and comments are forwarded 

anonymously to the appropriate Show 

Division Committee. Anonymity is 

paramount in helping to solicit unbiased 

discussions at the Show Division 

Committee level; in other words the 

suggestion is debated, not the person 

or organization submitting suggestions. 


ALPACA ◆ OWNERS ◆ AND ◆ BREEDERS 

CERTIFIED 

ASSOCIATION 

Ongoing improvement and exceptional increased quality of 

the alpacas here in the United States continues to raise the 

bar at each show. The suggested changes to the handbook 

received from you are given individual and full consideration 

for their ability to improve the judging system and the show 

experience while also maintaining fairness for everyone. 

Juggling the needs of the industry and the health of the 

April 1, 2004 starts the new 2004 

Show Season. Not only will the new 

AOBA Show Division Handbook sport 

a new look and enhanced format, it will 

be sporting new and updated rules – 

rules that you helped formulate. 

We are pleased to present to you the 

major changes for 2004: 

Halter Judges may Conduct 

Seminars. 

(Part IV. Section 1.A.11.) 

Many shows can benefit from offering 

seminars conducted by their Halter 

Judge. Halter Judges are allowed to conduct 

seminars or workshops at any 

show at which he/she is judging halter 

classes. Please reference your 2004 

AOBA Show Division Handbook for 

the specific criteria governing the seminars 

and how they are to be conducted. 

Show Superintendents (Halter 

& Fleece) shall be members of 

AOBA and the AOBA Show 

Division. 

(Halter reference: PART IV. Section 

1. D.) 

Show Superintendents must understand 

and correctly apply the rules in 

the AOBA Show Division Handbook. 

AOBA Show Division Membership 

includes the Handbook. 

Announcer shall refrain from 

making personal comments 

regarding individual animals 

and/or farms. 

(PART IV. Section 1. J. 5.) 

There were shows at which the Show 

Announcer “personalized” remarks 

after announcing the class winners 

regarding 1st place farms and handlers. 

As these personal remarks were 

viewed as inappropriate, the SRC took 

measures, to include a rule to prohibit 

“personalized comments”. 

Fleece Show Judges shall 

judge fleeces out of their 

plastic bags. 

(PART IV. Section 2. A. 3.) 

Fleece Show Judges are required to 

remove completely the fleece from 

the bag prior to judging that fleece. 

This will ensure continuity in which 

fleeces are presented to the Judge for 

evaluation. 

First Place Ribbons are no 

longer mandatory. 

(PART IV. Section 4. O.) 

If the Judge determines, in any class, 

that there is a serious fault or multiple 

major faults in all alpacas in the class, 

then the Judge may have the option to 

begin awards with second place; in 

Many Changes Suggested By Members 

alpacas as well as maintaining a “level playing field” for all 

AOBA Show Division members is a formidable task indeed. 

The Show Division Committee members are well equipped 

with a diverse outlook, geographical viewpoint and breed 

type representation. The Show Division Committee members 

are pleased with the results of the rules for 2004; many of 

which were suggestions from you!

which case the 2nd place winner will 

be ineligible to compete in a Championship 

Class. 

Breeding fees are included in 

nine month exclusion of showing 

in front of the Judge. 

(PART IV. Section 4. W.) 

If you purchase, board, or pay fees to 

Judges (including Breeding Fees), you 

may not show personally show in front 

of that Judge during the payment period 

and for nine months following final 

payment. 

“An Exhibitor or Handler, including 

his/her immediate family members, 

will be disqualified from personally 

showing in front of a judge if, during 

the nine months prior to the show, 

he/she has received from or paid to the 

Judge any fees, salary, commission or 

any kind of remuneration for selling or 

buying any alpacas. If the Exhibitor is 

disqualified from personally showing in 

front of the Judge, he/she may appoint 

a Handler to show an eligible alpaca 

on their behalf. Breeding fees, paid to 

a judge by an Exhibitor or Handler 

or breeding fees paid by a judge to an 

owner or Handler, are INCLUSIVE of 

this rule and such transactions WILL 

result in an owner or handler being 

disqualified from showing in front of 

a judge that has participated in such a 

transaction. This nine-month period 

begins from the final date where fees, 

salaries, or commissions were paid. For 

example, an Owner, and his/her immediate 

family members, who purchased 

an alpaca, or a breeding, from a judge 

where the judge financed the purchase 

would not be eligible to show any 

alpacas in front of this judge until nine 

months after the final payment had 

been made.” 


Non-Member AOBA Show 

Division fee is now $50.00 

per farm per event (Youth 

are exempt). 

(PART V. Section 2. B.) 

Exhibitors who are not registered with 

the AOBA Show Division must pay a 

$50.00 fee per farm per event. Entries 

in youth classes are exempt. 

Although the appropriate show’s 

class fee (such as, Performance, 

Obstacle, Showmanship, Costume 

Classes, etc.) is payable to the show, 

more and more youth are excited about 

showing alpacas in the performance 

classes. Attending shows is becoming 

a “family event”. 

To help encourage non-member 

Youth to participate in these performance 

classes, Youth are exempt from 

paying the non-member fee. 

New Minimum Requirements 

for Shows. 

(PART V. Section 2. E.) 

Certified Shows must have a minimum 

of five different exhibitors showing at 

least 36 total entries in a minimum of 

three classes. 

Wide Participation of industry 

members. 

(PART V. Section 2. H.) 

Although “wide participation” is the 

spirit of the Show Division and was 

contained in the Mission Statement, 

some shows did not practice “wide 

participation”. Some shows restricted 

their entries to geographical locations 

or affiliate members, and in some cases 

even offered lower entry fees for their 

affiliate members. 

Wide participation is still included 

in the Mission Statement and is as well 

its own freestanding rule. 

Judges may judge same show 

in same capacity. 

(PART V. Section 2. I.) 

It is the general consensus that shows 

will self regulate and there was no need 

to restrict Judges in the capacity in 

which they will judge show classes. 

All alpacas attending shows 

must be ARI Registered. 

(PART V. Section 2. K.) 

“All alpacas entered or present in the 

show must be registered by The Alpaca 

Registry, Inc. (ARI). Companion animals 

must be registered by ARI to be 

on display at the show.” 

Hold Harmless for Judges. 

(PART V. Section 2. U.) 

“Exhibitors and its employees, agents 

or assigns agrees to release the AOBA 

Judge from any loss, damage, liability 

resulting from the placement or disqualification 

of any alpaca in the show, 

however caused, resulting directly, or 

indirectly from exhibitor’s entry or 

participation in the show. Every entry at 

an AOBA certified show shall constitute 

an agreement and affirmation that all 

participants, without limitation, shall 

accept the Judge’s decision as final.” 

Duration of Show/Venue Defined. 

(PART V. Section 2. V.) 

AOBA Certified Shows begin when 

the first alpaca enters the venue that 

has been approved as the site per the 

AOBA Certification Application for 

that show and shall end when the last 

alpaca leaves the venue. 

Recommended Judges Fees – 

minimum fees no longer 

mandatory. 

(PART V. Section 3. A. 1. & 2.) 

“1. The recommended minimum 

professional fees are listed below. This 

professional fee is in addition to travel, 

lodging and other expenses negotiated 

between Show Management and the 

39

2004 Rule Changes continued 

Judge. Each individual Judge is ultimately 

responsible for negotiating 

his/her judging contract. AOBA 

recommends the following minimum 

professional fees per day: 

Halter/Performance or Fleece Judge 

$500.00 per day 

$750.00 per day for Senior Judge 

2. It is suggested that organizers of the 

Event will pay travel time and expenses 

in addition to the Judging fee.” 

Small percentage of white fibers 

interspersed in prime blanket is 

not considered a grey. 

(PART VI. Section 1. 4.) 

As there has been confusion regarding 

proper identification of Grey and Rose 

Grey alpacas, the definition of a Grey 

Alpaca has been further defined by the 

following additional verbiage: 

“Note an alpaca that has a small 

percentage of white fiber interspersed 

in its prime blanket fleece is 

not considered a grey and goes into 

the appropriate solid class.” 

Color checking of White 

alpacas is not mandatory after 

its 1st color check of the year. 

(PART VI. Section 4.) 

To help expedite the color (compliance) 

checking procedures and help 

reduce the amount of time needed 

for the process the following was 

established for 2004. 

Once you have color checked your 

white animal at your first show of 

the year, you will not have to color 

checked your white animal at future 

shows in that year. You may exercise 

your option to color check your white 

animal at any time at any show. 

Please bear in mind that color checking 

is only one part of the process and 

if you have a doubt as to the minimum 

40 

and/or maximum length, you may 

exercise your option to have the length 

verified. 

Levels II-V Halter Shows: 

Mature Class is no longer 

gender specific. 

(PART VII. Section 1. B. C. & D.) 

When 4 or more mature alpacas (3rd 

birthday and over) are entered in a 

color group in the Two Year Old and 

Older Class, a separate Mature class 

may be created at Show management’s 

discretion. 

Show order for classes has 

changed. Greys and Multis are 

now first; lights/whites are last. 

(PART VII. Section 2. A. B. & C.) 

The show order for 2004 will start 

with Greys and Multis. This is to help 

accommodate solid colored animals that 

are erroneously entered in the Grey or 

Multi class. By putting the Greys and 

Multis first in the show order, these 

“solid” color animals will no longer miss 

their appropriate solid color classes and 

may be reassigned appropriately. 

Age of Alpaca – 1st Day of 

SCHEDULED Judging. 

(PART VII. Section 3. D.) 

The first date of a show is “most generally” 

for check-in; albeit there are some 

smaller shows that have check-in and 

judging on the same day. Shows will 

assign the 1st Day of SCHEDULED 

Judging and the alpaca’s age will be 

defined by this date. 

Male Alpacas registered as 

Non-Breeders are ineligible to 

show in any halter class. 

(PART VII. Section 3. K.) 

Intact alpaca males registered as Nonbreeder 

on their ARI Registration 

Certificate are not eligible to show in 

any halter class. 

Prohibited use of shampoos, 

etc. and Prohibited Blocking 

of the entire alpaca (one exception 

is around the eyes… see 

specific rules for trimming 

around the eyes for Huacayas 

and Suris). 

(PART VII. Section 8. J.) 

“For any alpacas entered in full fleece 

halter competition or composite classes, 

or any fleeces entered in a fleece show, 

the use of any shampoos conditioners, 

luster enhancers, silicone based products, 

dyes, color dressings, oil dressings, 

any enhancing agent, and toenail painting 

is prohibited and may be the basis 

for reduced placement or disqualification 

at the Judge’s discretion. 

Fleece preparation for Huacaya 

alpacas entered into full fleece 

halter competition: 

…The practice of cutting, trimming or 

otherwise altering a Huacaya alpaca’s 

fleece other than a uniform shearing(s) 

for the purpose of removing the entire 

fleece, is prohibited. When evaluating 

full-fleeced Huacaya classes of ages 

yearling or older the Judge may reduce 

the placement or disqualify an alpaca, 

at his/her discretion, based on his/her 

evaluation that one or more of the following 

provisions have been violated: 

…evening the length of the fleece to 

hide medullated fibers and/or guard hair; 

…making the alpaca appear to be 

more conformationally correct than it 

actually is; 

…reshaping the alpaca to create an 

appearance other than its natural body 

shape; or trimming an alpaca’s fleece to 

alter or enhance the appearance of the 

alpaca.” 

(CONTINUED) Prohibited use of 

shampoos, etc. and Prohibited 

Blocking of the entire alpaca 

(one exception is around the

eyes…see specific rules for 

trimming around the eyes for 

Huacayas and Suris). 

(PART VII. Section 8. J.) 

“Length of staple growth WILL be 

considered when judging alpacas. To 

prohibit the practice of cutting or trimming 

to artificially enhance the presentation, 

longer staple lengths may be 

considered over shorter staple lengths, 

Trimming of facial fiber around the 

eyes for ease of sight should not be cause 

for lower placement or disqualifications. 

Fleece Preparation for Suri 

alpacas entered into full fleece 

competition. 

Rinsing with water to eliminate residue 

is permitted. 

Trimming of Forelock Bangs for ease 

of sight should not be cause for lower 

placement or disqualifications. 

Grooming shall be limited to the 

removal of debris. Twisting, curling or 

other enhancing practices that will 

alter or enhance the lock structure is 

strictly prohibited. 

Length of staple growth WILL be 

considered when judging alpacas. To 

prohibit the practice of cutting or trimming 

to artificially enhance the presentation, 

longer staple lengths may be 

considered over shorter staple lengths. 

Fleece preparation for alpacas 

entered into composite and 

shorn halter competition. 

The practice of cutting or trimming 

a Huacaya or Suri alpaca’s fleece other 

than a uniform shearing(s) for the purpose 

of removing the entire fleece, is 

prohibited. 

At the judge’s discretion, when evaluating 

shorn or composite Huacaya 

halter class entries (alpacas with a blanket 

fleece of 2” or less in length), the 

Judge may reduce the placement or 

disqualify an alpaca, at his/her discre- 


tion, based on his/her evaluation that 

one or more of the following provisions 

have been violated: 

…making the alpaca appear to be 

more conformationally correct than it 

actually is; or 

…reshaping the alpaca to create an 

appearance other than its natural body 

shape. 

The Judge may consider a violation 

to exist in cases where the body shape 

as determined tactilely does not closely 

resemble the body shape visible to the 

Judge.” 

Level IV Fleece Shows (350+) 

will split by Gender. 

(PART VIII. Section 2. E.) 

For all Level IV (350+ Fleeces) Males 

and Females will now also be split by 

gender and shown separately similar to 

the halter classes. 

Exhibitors will identify the gender of 

their male and female alpacas on their 

entry forms. 

Please refer to the 2004 Rulebook 

for complete details. 

Exhibitor Rule Change for Level 

III or Level IV Fleece Show. 

(PART VIII. Section 3. A. 2.) 

Exhibitors may now enter three fleeces 

per breed type (Huacaya and Suri) per 

color designation per age division with 

a maximum of 30 fleeces entered in a 

Level III or Level IV show. 

Judges completing 10 Fleeces 

per Hour. (PART VIII. Section 3. J.) 

The number of fleeces that a judge is 

capable of completing in one hour is 

10 fleeces. If a Fleece Apprentice Judge 

is apprenticing, the number of fleeces 

which may be judged per hour may be 

as few as seven or eight fleeces. 

Disqualification of Fleeces – 

ONLY min/max lengths and par- 

asite infection are disqualified. 

(PART VIII. Section 4. C.) 

Tender fleece, matted fleece and fleece 

with excess debris will be marked 

down accordingly but will not be 

disqualified in a show. 

Fleeces that are showing parasitic 

infection are to be disqualified. Fleeces 

will be disqualified that do not meet 

the 3” minimum or that exceed maximum 

length. 

The reason for disqualification shall 

be recorded on the score card. 

Reserve Color Champion 

ADDED for Fleece Shows. 

(PART VIII. Section 5. A. 1. e.) 

Reserve Color Champion was 

ADDED for the Fleece Shows! 

The Color Champion Fleece is selected 

by the Judge from the first place 

fleeces; the corresponding 2nd place 

fleece is then placed with the remaining 

1st place fleeces. The Reserve Color 

Champion Fleece is then selected from 

the remaining fleeces. 

“Special Awards” may now 

bear the AOBA Logo and 

MUST be judged by AOBA 

Certified Judges. 

(PART VIII. Section 6.) 

Special awards such as “Best Hand”, 

“Best Luster”, “Best Lock Formation”, 

“Best Crimp”, “Best Brightness” may be 

offered at fleece shows for both Huacaya 

and Suri fleeces, limited to one of each 

award per breed type. These aforementioned 

Exhibition awards may bear 

the AOBA logo and must be judged 

by AOBA Certified Fleece Judges. 

Youth may show in open performance, 

but not use the same 

animal as was used in a youth 

performance class. 

(PART X. Section 1. A. 2.) 

Youth may participate in Open 

41

2004 Rule Changes continued 

Performance classes as long as they use 

a different alpaca. 

In other words, if a Youth partnered 

with “Connie Alpaca” in the “youth 

class” they could NOT partner with 

“Connie Alpaca” in the “open class”. 

All youth classes may be combined 

if there are less than 

10 total youths entered in any 

two age divisions. 

(PART X. Section 2. B. 5.) 

Interest and increasing enthusiasm of 

Performance Classes is ever on the rise. 

To help accommodate shows just 

getting into the wonderful world of 

performance classes, the following will 

be helpful. 

Although Youth must show in their 

appropriate age division, age divisions 

may be combined at the option of 

Show Management if there are less 

than 10 total youths entered in any two 

age divisions. Combinations may be 

Junior/Intermediate or Intermediate/ 

Senior, or all Youth. 


Alpaca eligibility in open 

performance classes. 

(PART X. Section 3. C & D) 

Alpacas shown in youth classes by 

more than one youth may NOT be 

shown by any youth in Open performance 

classes. 

At the option of Show Management, 

alpacas shown in youth classes may not 

be shown in Open performance classes. 

This option should be exercised only in 

case of large class size and limited time. 

Costume Class (separate youth 

and adult classes.) 

(PART X. Section 8. C.) 

This is a very popular class full of 

fun for the exhibitors as well as the 

audience! 

Separate youth and adult classes 

should be held and never combined. 

When there is adequate youth participation, 

the show administration 

should consider separate youth classes 

for junior, intermediate and senior. 

To do so, classes should have a mini- 

▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼ 

Don’t Forget to Have Fun! 

DON’T BE FOOLED, although the National 

Conference is all about education, showing, 

competitions, and commerce, it’s also 

about networking and socializing! Friendships 

will be made and some business 

deals secured, but most of all, these 

events are for you to enjoy! 

First-Timer’s Reception, Thursday, June 3rd 

If this is the first time you’ve attended 

the AOBA National Conference, take this 

opportunity to meet other first-timers, 

as well as be introduced to many of the 

names you’ve been hearing. The AOBA 

Board of Directors will be on hand, as will 

the association business managers. We 

know it’s always nice to put a face with 

a name, and this is your perfect opportunity. 

So stop by to shake hands and enjoy 

a mint julep with some new friends! 

Meet and Greet Reception, Thursday, June 3rd 

After a full day of educational sessions… 

wouldn’t you love to relax Southern-style 

at one of Louisville’s most elegant and 

historical venues? The Olmstead, located 

on an 81-acre estate showing off Louisville’s 

native landscape, was built between 

1925 and 1927. Spend time with fellow 

alpaca enthusiasts while enjoying unsurpassed 

catering and live entertainment. 

AOBA Committee Open House, Friday, June 4th 

Learn more about the AOBA Standing 

mum of four and a maximum of 15 

exhibitors in a given age group. 

Costume Class (participation in 

construction of costume.) 

(PART X. Section 8. C. 1.) 

The Costume Class is a very entertaining 

class for the audience at a 

show. Exhibitors must actively participate 

in the development of a costume 

for themselves and the alpaca 

that follows the theme set forth by 

the show. 

The show may also allow for full 

creativity and not designate a theme. 

New Ethics Section of the 

Handbook. Moratorium will 

be lifted as of April 1, 2004. 

The Ethics Section of the 2004 Handbook 

contains new rules and procedures 

effective April 1, 2004. 

Please take the time to read this 

section thoroughly and familiarize 

yourself with the new procedures 

and rules. 

Committees and what they are doing. 

Come meet the committee members, 

learn about their goals and objectives 

and what projects they are working on. 

Silent Auction and Gala, Saturday, June 5th 

Be whisked away from your long day in 

the barn, and into an evening of delectable 

hors d’oeuvres, fine dining, dancing, and 

bidding! Begin the evening with cocktails 

while pursuing and bidding on Silent 

Auction items. Keep an eye on that particular 

item, though, as you’ll want to make 

sure that your name is the last one when 

the bidding closes at dinnertime. Complete 

the evening by dancing the night away! 

* Event details subject to change. Please 

check Conference Notebook in Louisville 

for possible changes to times 

and/or meeting locations.

The Alpaca Registry Statement of Assets, 

Liabilities, & Equity-Income Tax Basis 

Accrual Basis 


Dec 31, 03 

ASSETS 

Current Assets 

Checking/Savings 

1001 MM 500515 Registration 288,189.48 

1002 MFNB 401357 Operational 1,129.05 

1003 MFNB 402632 Payroll -10,737.52 

1004 MFNB 402798 Petty Cash 25.22 

1019 MM 501534 Investment 142,272.74 

1050 MFNB #405462 Conference 

1020 Advantage Capital Investments 

2,744.78 

1021 Adv.Cap.MM Act.3990038298 318,818.41 

1030 Cross Ctry Bk 40@5.15 May3,04 40,000.00 

1039 DeWitt Bk & Trust Feb27,04 50,000.00 

1041 Mill Creek @2.0 Dec26'03 90,000.00 

Total 1020 Advantage Capital Investments 498,818.41 

Total Checking/Savings 

Accounts Receivable 

922,442.16 

1200 Accounts Receivable 9,499.00 

Total Accounts Receivable 

Other Current Assets 

9,499.00 

1205 Allowance for Doubtful Accounts -2,500.00 

Total Other Current Assets -2,500.00 

Total Current Assets 

Fixed Assets 

929,441.16 

1430 Equipment 19,905.15 

1440 Accumulated Depreciation -12,227.14 

Total Fixed Assets 

Other Assets 

7,678.01 

1250 Accrued Interest Receivable 3,686.33 

1400 Registry Database 120,625.00 

1410 Accumulated Amortization -80,426.50 

Total Other Assets 43,884.83 

TOTAL ASSETS 981,004.00 

LIABILITIES & EQUITY 

Liabilities 

Current Liabilities 

Other Current Liabilities 

2800 Customer Deposits 26,935.28 

Total Other Current Liabilities 26,935.28 

Total Current Liabilities 26,935.28 

Total Liabilities 

Equity 

26,935.28 

3000 Opening Bal Equity 974,835.97 

3900 Retained Earnings -73,795.16 

Net Income 53,027.91 

Total Equity 954,068.72 

TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY 981,004.00 

The Alpaca Registry 

Statement of Revenues 

& Expenses – Income 

Tax Basis 

Accrual Basis 

Jan - Dec 03 

Income 

4000 Adjustments to 

Income -2,803.57 

4100 Color Charts 8,928.00 

4150 DNA Testing 413,985.00 

4175 FTA Kits 

4200 Domestic 

53,017.55 

Screening Fees 650.00 

4400 Interest 14,540.98 

4450 Journal 

4500 Membership 

306.25 

Dues 50,818.00 

4525 Misc. Income 13.11 

4550 Registrations 195,995.00 

4575 Transfers 

4580 Misc. 

Registration 

258,060.00 

Services 41,455.81 

4650 Searches In-Office 3,625.32 

4700 Web site 

4725 MW Meeting 

4,670.00 

2003 

4799 Cash Accrual 

39,080.00 

Adjustment -2,183.75 

Total Income 

Expense 

5000 BOARD 

1,080,157.70 

EXPENSES 

5100 GENERAL 

76,647.08 

EXPENSES 157,858.49 

5165 Transition 

5300 MEMBERSHIP 

6,178.55 

SERVICES 

5600 OFFICE 

635,157.92 

EXPENSES 151,287.75 

Total Expense 1,027,129.79 

Net Income 53,027.91 

43

Affiliate News 44 

■ Alpaca Breeders of the Rockies (ABR) 

Planning continues for the Great Western 

Alpaca Show, April 30 - May 2 at the historic 

National Western Stock Show Complex in 

Denver, CO. We are going to have a full 

house, so don’t get left out! Go to 

www.alpacabreeders.org and register today. 

We’re going to three rings this year so don’t 

get left out of the ribbon count! 

Speaking of the National Western Stock 

Show, the ABR organization sponsored an 

alpaca information booth January 10 

through 25, 2004. Over 600,000 people 

attended this 98th annual Stock Show and 

the 53 Farms talked to a great portion of 

them!! Many thanks go to those 70+ volunteers who worked the 16-day, 9 AM to 9 PM event. We were 

heartened this year that a lot more people actually knew what alpacas were. The most asked question, 

of course, was “What’s the difference between a llama and an alpaca?” 

Our Education Committee, headed up by Linda Kondris, Pines Edge Suri Alpacas, is mapping out educational 

opportunities for our members for 2004 and beyond, including a neo-natal clinic; what volunteers 

actually do at a show; alpaca nutrition; genetics; and much more! Thanks to this group: 

Tsulan Balka, Lavender Fields Alpacas 

Barbara Adams, Windstar Alpacas 

Beth Blonder, Red Creek Ranch Alpacas 

Kathy Moore, ‘Perky Pacas 

Cathy Seymour, Lone Pine Alpacas, and 

Barbara Ziek, Wild Hair Alpacas 

…ABR will be offering its members lots of educational opportunities. 

ABR’s venue for the Fall Festival and Harvest Fleece Show, October 9 & 10, 2004 will be changing from 

the Jefferson County Fairground near Golden, CO to the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock, CO. 

Our Fall Festival show has grown larger and larger and we needed more room for the ever-expanding 

alpaca farm/ranch population in Colorado. 

Contact: Becky Zierer, ABR President, lzbalpacas@aol.com or (303) 644-4110. 

■ Empire Alpaca Association (EAA) 

EAA keeps growing very quickly. After only two 

years of existence, we already have over 130 

members. It’s so exciting to be involved with 

alpacas in New York. We are coming off of recent 

highlights, such as the Empire Alpaca Extravaganza 

(AOBA Certified Level 4 show), and the 

Empire Education Symposium, two of the cornerstones 

of our organization. Both are first class 

events involving first class fun. At the recently 

completed Symposium, we had nationally known 

speakers Amanda VandenBosch speaking on 

show topics, Dr. Dorian Garrick lecturing on breeding 

decisions, as well as, Hazen Reed and Susan 

Muther enlightening the masses with their marketing 

knowledge. It was an incredible weekend and 

we want to thank everyone who attended. 

We also just formed a seven-member marketing 

committee that will start to work together to promote 

the New York alpaca lifestyle. They will be 

taking this campaign both statewide and nationally. 

It will be very exciting for our members. All of 

the ads will be drawing target audiences to our 

website, so update your member profiles and 

check that all of your contact information is up 

to date. 

Lastly, we will again be doing the “I Love New 

York Llama and Alpaca Weekend” in October. 

Polly Michaelis has been working hard with our 

elected officials to again let Albany aid us in this 

promotion. But get together with your neighbors 

and organize your plans for this annual Columbus 

Day event. Last year’s event was a huge success 

and we hope for even more participation in 2004. 

Have a spectacular show season and best of 

luck with the ‘04 babies just around the corner. 

Think Pink! 

Contact:: Scott Young, hilltop@hancock.net or 

(607) 637-5201.

■ Emerald Valley Alpaca Association (EVAA) 


Although the year has just begun, plans are already underway for two premier events in Oregon. EVAA 

is one of several western affiliates supporting the Western Regional Alpaca Show Association and our 

western regional event, the Alpaca Western Extravaganza (AWE). The 2004 AWE event will be held in 

the Deschutes Expo Center in Redmond, Oregon on May 14-16. Last year’s event was very successful 

and featured over 700 alpacas. We expect more than 800 entrants this year! Visit the AWE website 

www.awe-alpacas.org for complete details and join us at this major regional event and show. 

Also, mark your calendar to attend our new cooperative three-day event June 25-27, 2004 at the Lane 

County Fairgrounds in Eugene, Oregon. The Alpaca Marketplace replaces EVAA’s former annual Alpaca 

Exhibition, with a clear focus on marketing. This event will be devoted to offering a large variety of 

alpacas, as well as fiber and alpaca merchandise. The Alpaca Marketplace will run concurrent with the 

nationally known Black Sheep Gathering. This is sure to be a fabulous free event! 

Contact: Cathy Fountain, (541) 342-2284 or alpacame@alpacacountry.net. 

EVAA’s website is www.eva-alpacas.com. 

■ Mid-Atlantic Alpaca Association (MaPaca) 

Even though the weather was frigid, MaPaca had 

a presence at the Pennsylvania Farm Show the 

second week of January, 2004. Dedicated MaPaca 

members volunteered their time to man the 

MaPaca booth for seven days, and some even 

brought their alpacas. 

MaPaca volunteers shared the joys of the alpaca 

lifestyle with thousands of people who stopped 

at the display featuring both suri and huacaya 

alpacas. On four of the seven days of the Farm 

Show, MaPaca members presented “Intro to 

Alpacas” seminars to anyone interested in learning 

more. In total, over 500,000 people flocked to 

the PA Farm Show Complex and had the opportunity 

to see alpacas and learn more about these 

amazing animals. 

The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex is also 

the site of the up-and-coming MaPaca Eastern 

Alpaca Jubilee, 2004, “Color Me Alpaca.” The 

Jubilee will be held on April 23-25, 2004 and will 

be one of the premier shows of this years’ show 

season. New to the Jubilee this year will be its 

first auction with ribbon-winning alpacas! The 

auction will be conducted by Celebrity Sales. 

This year’s MaPaca Jubilee will feature halter, 

fleece, and performance classes, four rings of 

simultaneous judging with world-renowned 

judges, and seminars by leading alpaca experts. 

■ Missouri Owners & Breeders Association (MOPACA) 

MaPaca is offering online registration at it’s site, 

www.mapaca.org. The MaPaca Jubilee Coordinator 

will be Nick Melfi. If you would like more 

information, please contact him at (908) 369-FARM 

or melfifarm@aol.com . 

All 2003 Jubilee participants will automatically 

receive a printed copy of the registration booklet. 

Anyone else wishing to receive a printed registration 

booklet should contact Kit Hower, khower@ 

blancstonealpacas.com or call (610) 797-4309. 

A group of hard-working volunteers are working 

to enhance communications at the Jubilee 

this year and plan to have real-time results posted 

for all classes throughout the show weekend, 

so exhibitors can track the winners. Results will 

be posted for all ribbons awarded, as everyone 

deserves recognition for his/her hard work. 

The show superintendent will again be Peg 

Stephens and as soon as Peg finishes collating the 

show results, they will be available on the MaPaca 

web site within two weeks of the show. Fleece 

Show results will also be available on the web site 

and will also be available at the end of the show 

for exhibitors to take home with them. The “Color 

Me Alpaca” MaPaca Eastern Alpaca Jubilee is 

shaping up to be another unforgettable experience. 

Contact: Alice Brown, (856) 697-8127 or 

fpalpacas@aol.com. 

By the time you read this, the first annual MOPACA Invitational Alpaca Show will be history. The Show 

Committee, Show Sponsors, and MOPACA members want to thank all the participants for making this 

such a great time. Plans are already underway for the bigger, better, 2nd annual show! Please check our 

website, www.MOPACA.org, to read about future plans. 

Contact: Kathleen Wedel, prairiesedge@mokancomm.net. 

Affiliate News 

45


■ Southeastern Alpaca Association (SeAA) 

Greetings from the South! 

The SeAA held its first Neonatal Clinic on September 13, 2003, in Dalton, Georgia. Fifteen farms and 

several interested newcomers attended the presentation by Dr. Christine Navarre of Auburn University. 

The day-long event eased the anxiety of new breeders facing the arrival of their first crias. The SeAA 

was able to donate $1,000 from the event to the Veterinary School at Auburn University. 

The Southeastern Alpaca Association is still reaping the benefits of the publicity for alpacas from the 

new SeAA Pavilion at the Sunbelt Expo in Moultrie, Georgia. Our building was ready for the huge agricultural 

exposition held in October 2003. All available pens were filled this year. Breeders in the 

Southeast are eager to see October, 2004 roll around for the outstanding exposure and attention their 

animals receive at this world-famous event. 

The SeAA also represented breeders in the Southeast in October 2003, at SAFF, a fiber show near 

Asheville, North Carolina. That show was also well-attended. 

The Southern Select 2004, the SeAA halter, performance, and fleece show, scheduled for March 6-7, 

2004, at the Calsonic Arena (part of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration) in Shelbyville, 

Tennessee, is expected to be even bigger this year, as we have already met a Level III status! The SeAA 

is hosting Dr. David Pugh of Auburn University for a seminar on Saturday, March 6, and Dr. Norm Evans 

of Lama Wellness Service for a seminar on Sunday, March 7. The judges for this year’s event are 

Amanda VandenBosch and Jane Tellier. 

Looks like another great year for alpacas! 

Contact: Susan B. Darling, daralpaca@cs.com or (706) 375-6789. 

■ Columbia Alpaca Breeders Association (CABA) 

Members of CABA faced a frigid start to 2004, 

with severe winter storms that in early January 

closed major highways and the Portland airport 

for several days – and turned pastures into virtual 

ice rinks. A few members encountered challenges 

such as frozen water pipes and fallen trees, but no 

alpaca injuries were reported. 

A business meeting was held January 16. 

Treasurer Lorraine Heinauer reported on CABA’s 

2004 budget and provided an updated membership 

list that includes several new members. 

Christine Riley, a recently appointed member of 

the Alpaca Fiber Co-op of North America (AFCNA) 

board of directors, provided a brief overview of 

the co-op’s year-end accounting. Alan McConkie 

volunteered to work with a committee to update 

the organization’s web site. 

A CABA Winter Seminar and Social gathering 

was held February 21 at the Marriott Portland City 

Center. Speakers included: Marty McGee Bennett 

of CAMELIDynamics, who demonstrated how to 

properly fit an alpaca halter; Dr. Susan Tornquist 

of Oregon State University’s Camelid Studies 

Program who reported on the treatment of fatty 

liver in camelids; and Alan Kershaw of Kershaw 

& Associates, who overviewed recent tax law 

changes of interest to alpaca breeders. Several 

businesses that provide goods and services to 

alpaca breeders also attended the event, which 

included a no-host cocktail hour. 

At the March 19 business meeting to be held at 

the VFW Hall in Tualatin, Oregon, CABA member 

Matt Davern will address the membership regarding 

a marketing event sponsored by the Salem 

Chamber of Commerce. 

At the April 16 business meeting, CABA member 

Sandra Poutala will speak on the topic of 

how to get professional results when photographing 

alpacas. 

The Alpaca Country Faire, an event aimed at 

introducing alpacas to the general public, will 

take place August 21 at the Washington County 

Fairgrounds in Hillsboro, Oregon. Committees 

are being formed and members are encouraged 

to volunteer. 

Contacts: Cathryn or Marcus Whitman, 

CABA Co-Presidents, (541) 352-7405 or e-mail 

at cccastle@gorge.net.


■ Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico (TxOLAN) 

This year, the 5th Sun City Sizzle Show reached a 

landmark as the first year as a Level III Show. 346 

alpacas were entered, with 95 ranches registered 

representing 13 states. True to form, Murphy’s 

Law came into play, when after months without 

moisture in the El Paso area, the weekend of the 

Sun City Sizzle brought rain. Check-in for the 

show saw the arrival of many damp alpacas, but 

with the show facilities being under cover, and the 

organizational skills of Bruce and Jeri Beatty and 

their pool of volunteers, the show was able to proceed 

without a problem. 

The damp weather was unable to dampen the 

spirit of the exhibitors, and the show proved to be 

an enjoyable event for all who attended. Judge 

Diana Timmerman worked tirelessly to get 

through all the classes, ensuring that the participants 

were able to leave at a reasonable hour on 

the final day of the show. 

Awards were presented to the ranches traveling 

the farthest distance to the show. Crescent Moon 

Ranch (Terrebonne, Oregon) was presented with 

an alpaca shawl for being the huacaya ranch that 

traveled the farthest (approximately 1700 miles), 

and Sierra Bonita Ranch (Mapleton, Utah) and 

Flying M Ranch (Sylvia, Kansas) tied for the suri 

ranch prize, having both traveled approximately 

900 miles. Both winning suri ranches were presented 

with a suri alpaca scarf courtesy of Royal 

Fiber Spinnery. 

■ Great Lakes Alpaca Association (GLAA) 

Saturday evening saw the now traditional 

“come and go” dinner at G & R’s restaurant. As 

always, our host Nick and the other members of 

the Rangel family provided us with excellent food 

and great service, and proved themselves adept at 

coping with a restaurant full of alpaca owners 

determined to unwind for the day! 

Sunday saw the final day of the show with the 

remaining halter classes and premium performance 

classes. Congratulations to Audrey Conklin 

of West Texas Gold Alpacas, who took both first 

and second place in the performance class, and to 

Lori Kirkpatrick of Mystic Meadows Farm who 

placed third. 

By the time this edition of OneVoice is published, 

the 5th Annual TxOLAN Alpaca Spectacular 

will have taken place. Watch this column in the 

next edition of OneVoice for news of how that 

exciting event went. 

In the past year, TxOLAN has shown a strong 

growth in its membership. For those new to this 

affiliate, we extend a warm welcome. For those 

renewing their membership, thank you for your 

continued support. We look forward to meeting 

you all at various shows and events throughout 

the coming year. For alpaca owners interested in 

joining TxOLAN, details are available at our website, 

www.txolan.org 

Contact: Rosemary Metcalf, windrush@ 

plateautel.net or (505) 683-5177. 

Plans are being formulated for educating about and promoting alpacas in the Great Lakes region. We 

continue to support shows in our region, including events in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois, as well 

as supporting members and offering education for existing breeders and the public – an endeavor which 

we expect to expand more this year with the firming up of GLAA’s Education Committee. 

All GLAA members are urged to provide input about Affiliate projects that could be beneficial to 

them and other members in the region, as well as encouraged to pitch in! Volunteer for one of GLAA’s 

committees and help work towards helping us achieve our goals. Watch our site at www.glaa-alpaca.org 

to see what’s going on in our region, what activities our committees are undertaking, and which projects 

you in which you might get involved. 

The GLAA Board of Trustees and officers for 2004 includes: 

Mark Dayrell, Eagle Ledge Farm, MI – newly elected President 

Larry Johnson, Likada Farm Alpacas, IL – new Board member and Vice President 

Jodi Wever, Poco Lago Alpacas, IN – continuing Secretary 

Craig Bodette, Sunny Meade Alpacas, OH – new Treasurer 

Kara Heinrichs, Ann Arbor Alpacas, MI – new Board member and Trustee-At-Large 

The Board wishes to thank and honor immediate past members of the GLAA Board, Dick Kandiko of 

Apple Orchard Alpacas and Vicki Trimberger of Mystic Springs Ranch for their outstanding and caring 

service on the Board. Dick served multiple terms on the Board and was marvelous as President and 

leader of the organization for the past several years, and so especially deserves our appreciation. Thank 

you, Dick and Vicki!! The current Board can only hope to carry on as well. 

Contact: Jodi Wever, jodi@pocolago.com or (765) 345-5838. 


47


■ Alpaca Ranchers of the Northwest (AROW) 

Greetings, fellow alpaca enthusiasts! Well all of the AROW members have dug out of the 24+ inches of 

snow (it is unusual to have that much snow in our area) and are ready to get down to business. We are 

preparing for our “Alpaca Affaire” composite show on July 24th and 25th at the Southwest Washington 

Fairgrounds. AOBA certification is pending. The AROW Alpaca Affaire is the first in composite shows 

and grew 35% from last year. Composite shows are exciting because you don’t know who the winner is 

until the fleece scores are added to the scores for conformation as the alpacas are standing in place in 

the ring. Placements can (and usually do) change. Put the Alpaca Affaire on your calendar and plan to 

attend. You’ll be glad you did. 

Because much of the AROW work is 

being taken care of by committee, our 

monthly business meeting is short and 

the balance of the meeting is used for 

educational talks or demonstrations and 

sharing of farm news and husbandry 

hints. We have grown to 30+ farms. Our 

last educational demonstration was 

drawing blood from a turnip – oops – 

I mean drawing blood from the tail of 

an alpaca. 

We are also one of the AOBA Affiliates 

supporting the Western Regional Alpaca 

Show Association and our western 

regional event, The Alpaca Western 

Extravaganza. The 2004 AWE event will 

be held in the Deschutes Expo Center in Redmond, OR on May 14-16, 2004. Last year’s event featured 

over 700 alpacas and we expect over 800 this year. Visit our website, www.awe-alpacas.org, for complete 

details and plan to join us at this major regional event and show. 

Contact: Bobbie Hunhoff, Secretary, stellagarth@localaccess.com. 

■ Alpaca Breeders of Arizona (ABA) 

With the great success of the “Best Little Show in the West” under our belts, we’ve hung up our hats 

and spurs for another year. Hangin’ up our hats and spurs not to be confused, mind ya, with resting on 

our laurels. No, not the Alpaca Breeders of Arizona! We’re already planning the 2005 Southwest 

Regional Alpaca show and with this Arizona group headin’ it up, I can assure ya that it’ll be better’n grits 

on a griddle (that’s Western for ‘Excellent’!). 

At our January membership meeting, we elected new officers: 

President, (for a second term): Karla Putnam, Wind Song Ranch 

Vice President, (for a third term): Rachel Hendrickson, Heartland Ranch 

Secretary: Joyce Charboneau, Stellar Alpacas 

Treasurer: Minnie Napier, Oak Leaf Ranch 

On behalf of the membership, I extend our appreciation and gratitude to Noreen Vaughn, Arizona 

Alpacas, who has worked to give us the “written word” this past year; and to Pat Dempsey who has 

retired from his position as Treasurer. We truly appreciate your support of ABA. 

In addition to folks attending the Fiber to Fashion and National AOBA Conferences, several of our 

members will be “making their presence known” at the Flagstaff Wool Festival. We’ll be educating 

people about the wonderful critters that share our lives. There’ll be shearing demonstrations and alpaca 

petting, too! 

With Spring being just around the corner, we’re gearing up for the birthing and shearing days ahead. 

More fun and work is ahead at our annual Fiber Pool. Unfortunately, along with spring and summer 

comes fire season, so we’re all taking another serious look at our fire and emergency evacuation plans. 

Well, with all these happenings, I guess I’d better sign off for now and get busy. Y’all take care! 

Contact: Karla Putnam, alpacas@windsongranch.com or 928-606-5395.

■ Alpaca Association of Western Washington (AAWW) 

The new year brings a couple of new members to 

our board, which now consists of: 

Catherine Skinner, President 

John Ellis, Vice President 

April Works, Treasurer 

Elsa Leyden, Secretary 

Randy Brealey, Director 

We all express a sincere ‘thank you’ to Wendy 

Paton and Barbara Banks for their guidance and 

contributions during their terms in office. 

As you receive this issue, we are making final 

preparations for the sixth edition of Alpacapalooza, 

AAWW’s annual show that has played a 

significant role in the growth of the alpaca industry 

in our corner of the country. Display and stall 

spaces fill almost immediately when our registration 

packets go out, and there has been increasing 

pressure to expand the show. 

A larger and more cohesive facility has been 

found at the Western Washington Fairgrounds in 

Puyallup (we might consider giving you a priority 

booking for space if you can pronounce it properly!), 

but site remodeling will delay our move until 

■ California Alpaca Breeders Association (CALPACA) 

With the successful joint AlpacaFest West Halter 

and Fleece Show behind us, it’s time to launch 

into plans for the second Monterey Pronk, April 

23-25. With Pebble Beach only a stone’s throw 

away or should be a golf swing away or maybe 

even a pronk away… the Monterey/Carmel area 

provides a superb location. Many members are 

also involved with the Fiber on the Foot in Red 

Bluff, May 1. 

Many thanks to two extremely capable BOD 

members who are moving out of state. We truly 

appreciate Stan Ault and Brian Wick’s contributions 

to CALPACA. 

Upcoming quarterly meetings are Feb. 21 at 

Dave & Brenda Barboza’s Rancho Nuevo 

Comienzo, Valley Springs, and May 8 at Dr. Tom 


2006. In the meantime, we continue at our current 

facility in Monroe (no extra credit for that one). 

As Barbara Banks wrote in the last issue of this 

newsletter, a concerted effort has been made to 

expand the volunteer base within our organization 

and it is rewarding to see its success. 

Volunteering the first time is the most difficult, 

but after that it comes much more easily, and 

whether on starts because of incentives or peer 

pressure or a desire to learn more or to feel a part 

of the group (or even because of a little guilt), the 

participation is a major reward in itself when the 

show is completed. 

So get involved. You will enjoy it; you will feel 

good about having done it; you will get to know 

more people better; and you will help prevent 

burning out those who keep taking on far more 

than their share. And to all those who have done 

far more than your share to date, we owe a great 

debt of gratitude for the event and the organization 

that we have. 

Enjoy your alpacas and the great people these 

wonderful creatures will bring into your lives! 

Contact: Randy Brealey, randy@TheAlpaca- 

Place.com or (425) 413-3900. 

& Robyn Houts, Southern Cross Farm, Gilroy. 

Following that, the next meetings are August 14th 

and November 13th. For more detailed information, 

see our web site at: www.calpaca.org 

At the November 2003 meeting, Mike Scott, 

Dale Davis, and Wendy MacBain provided inspiring 

event updates. For education, Ruth Elvestad’s 

seminar on fiber preparation was very helpful to 

the many new alpaca owners who will experience 

their first shearing day this spring. Robyn Houts, 

who had judged the Fleece Show at AlpacaFest 

West, commented on aspects of the show, as well 

as desirable qualities in fleece. 

Contact: Robyn Houts, Robyn@southerncrossfarm.com 

or (408) 848-2893. 


49


■ Ohio Alpaca Breeders Association (OABA) 

The members of the OABA Board of Directors for 

2004 are: 

President: Eric Folkman, Blue Ribbon Farms, 

Inc., dal@alpaca-farms-breeders.com 

Vice President: Sue Bailey, Silver Creek Alpacas, 

ggbsmb@aol.com 

Secretary: Barbara Bacon, Blue Sky Corral, 

Bbarbacon@aol.com 

Treasurer: Darlene Baab, Cherub Hill Alpacas, 

Inc., cherubhill@nls.net 

Director at Large: Terri Radesic, Club Suri 

Alpacas, alpacas@clubsuri.com 

The OABA Board started off the new year with 

our second annual Board members’ retreat. The 

2004 Board members plus the out-going 2003 

Board members got together for an all-day planning 

and review session. We reviewed the results 

of the goals we set for 2003 and discussed ideas 

for 2004. 

We feel that the primary function of an AOBA 

Affiliate organization is to be a marketing tool for 

the members, and this is the basis for our goals. 

In 2003, we held a pen sale with good results. 

Members brought their animals and their panels, 

OABA advertised the event, and some animals 

were sold. We want to have more pen sales at different 

locations around the state in 2004. We were 

■ Intermountain West Alpaca Association (IMpaca!) 

able to set up the foundations of an online store 

where members can sell alpaca products, but we 

haven’t gotten it off the ground yet. 

Alpacafest 2003 was hugely successful – beyond 

anything we expected last spring when we started 

making plans and estimates. We are considering 

expanding to a second building at the Ohio State 

Fairgrounds in 2004. 

As part of our planning meeting, we reviewed 

some statistics gathered on Alpacafest attendees. 

Our marketing committee prepared a questionnaire, 

which was given to anyone who came to 

the welcoming table. The results help the committee 

determine which types of advertising are 

most effective. The surveys indicate that advertising 

to “the female demographic” is more effective 

than advertising to the male, but nothing 

beats word of mouth. We also see a trend in the 

ages of people looking to invest or start a farm. 

The majority used to be over 50 years of age, but 

now we are seeing more and more people in their 

30s and 40s. 

The first general meeting of the year will be 

held on February 15 when the Board will present 

our goals for 2004 and the survey results to the 

membership and ask for member input. We are 

looking forward to another great year. 

Contact: Barbara Bacon, OABA Secretary, 

Bbarbacon@aol.com or (330) 807-7075. 

IMpaca’s Wild West Alpaca Show, May 7th - 9th, is moving this year from Vernal, Utah to the big city – 

Salt Lake City. IMpaca members have been busy securing the venue – the historic Utah State Fairpark, 

a great host hotel – the Marriott City Center, and a wonderful array of items for the silent auction, including 

breedings from both huacaya and suri herd sires, a spinning wheel, and cria coats, to name a few. 

Others in the organization are planning fun-filled evenings with a western flair for our participants’ 

enjoyment. Our co-superintendents, Dan Adams and Clark Otterness, are negotiating contracts and 

taking care of the numerous details that go into putting on a great show. And our website creator, Scott 

Kendall, is updating the online registration to make it even easier for you to register. 

We are all excited to be in Salt Lake City this year, especially since the AOBA National Alpaca Show 

will also be in SLC in 2005. Wild West Alpaca Show participants will be able to check out the city’s many 

attractions, including the Olympic Park, the grounds of world famous Temple Square, many fine restaurants, 

and Utah’s renowned mountain resorts within an hour’s drive of the city. By May, the weather will 

be warming, but you’ll still be able to see snow-capped mountains surrounding the city and watch sunsets 

reflecting off the Great Salt Lake. We look forward to seeing all the friends we have met at our previous 

two shows and would like to share our hospitality and beautiful setting with many more. We hope t 

o see you here in May. For more details regarding the Wild West Alpaca Show 2004, see our website at 

www.impaca.com. 

Contact: Teri Adams, IMpaca! President, alpaca@allwest.net or 435-783-6626.


■ Pennsylvania Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (PAOBA) 

Greetings from the Pennsylvania Alpaca Owners 

and Breeders Association (PAOBA)! The votes are 

in and the Board of Directors is in place to lead 

PAOBA into the future. Leading your organization 

are the following: 

Tim McCarty, of Heather’s Acre Alpaca Farm – 

President 

Helen Humphreys, of Silvercloud Farm – 

President-Elect 

Jennifer Ford, of Backstage Alpacas – Treasurer 

Allison Angott, of Alpaca Outback – Secretary 

Karen Burnworth, of Mill Creek Farm Alpacas – 

Member at Large 

We would like to send a Big THANK YOU to 

former board members Parker Roth and Fay 

Stevens for their years of service and commitment 

to PAOBA since its inception. 

Plans for the Pennsylvania 2004 Breeders Showcase 

scheduled for 14 -16 May are well underway. 

Coordinating the event this year is Fay Steving 

and Parker Roth. We all know the hard work and 

effort that these two individuals put into chairing 

an event of this size. If you have time or talents 

that you would like to share. we would encourage 

you to call and volunteer. There are many areas of 

opportunity from marketing, fleece, barn manage- 

ment, sign-in, sponsorship, set-up, etc. Fay can 

be reached at (724) 748-1095 if you have any 

questions or would like to help out in any way. 

Sponsorships for the event and items for the 

silent auction are being accepted by Karen Burnworth. 

Karen can be reached at (724) 376-2004. 

The Pennsylvania 2004 Breeders Showcase 

is expected to bring in record attendance, due 

to the many marketing avenues being used to 

attract the public. Get your registration packets 

in early to assure space at this event. We’ll see 

you there! 

For 2004, PAOBA has put forth several objectives. 

The first of these objectives is to grow the 

membership into a strong and healthy statewide 

organization with many benefits for our members. 

The second objective has a direct connection with 

the first. The Board of Directors has decided to 

make a concentrated effort to involve those alpaca 

farms in the central and eastern portions of our 

state. We plan on doing this with a quarterly 

meeting, educational classes, and events hosted 

in partnership with PAOBA and our existing 

members in those locales. Helen Humphreys has 

taken on these projects with great enthusiasm. 

If you have any input or would like to help, 

please contact Helen (724) 444-8469 or helen@ 

silvercloudfarm.com 

If you are the owner of a Pennsylvania alpaca 

farm, and you haven’t joined PAOBA, here’s what 

you are missing: members have access to our 

new interactive website, members can create their 

own farm page, list alpacas for sale, and herd 

sires for hire. Members also enjoy a discounted or 

free admission to educational events, discounted 

stalling fees, and have access to the PAOBA 

Forum, a new chat site designed for our members 

to network and discuss alpacas. Members are also 

eligible for marketing grants and the list goes on 

and on. Join PAOBA today! 

For more information on the Pennsylvania 2004 

Breeders’ Showcase, the PAOBA membership, 

PAOBA officers and committees, benefits, and 

much more can be obtained on our web site at 

www.paoba.org . 

We hope everyone has a successful spring 

breeding season and we look forward to seeing 

you at the shows. 

Contact: Tim McCarty, heathersacre@ 

hotmail.com or (724) 376-2579. 


51


■ Pacific Northwest Alpaca Association (PNAA) 

PNAA held its second annual Northwest Alpaca 

Showcase in September 2003 in Post Falls, Idaho. 

It was a beautiful weekend, and breeders brought 

alpacas from as far away as California and 

Wyoming, in addition to the PNAA membership 

area of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. 

We set up several 60 x 120 tents on a grassy area 

of a resort on a river. The setting was beautiful, 

convenient for participants, and the resort catered 

the meals for us. 

We tried some new things this year on marketing 

the event, with the hope of getting more public 

to attend. We hired a publicist who had worked 

for NEAOBA to do press kits and obtain public 

service coverage by local TV and radio stations. 

We also hired Jerry Miller, who does the AOBA 

marketing, to edit a tape for TV advertising and 

had him place paid ads. The results were phenomenal. 

We kept a tally at the entry gate, and 41% 

of the visitors polled said they learned about the 

event on TV, and 33% said they read about it in 

the newspaper. There was literally standing room 

only in the aisles of the alpaca tents on Saturday, 

and were the vendors ever smiling. Two reported 

that it was the BEST event they had EVER participated 

in because the sales were so brisk. Many 

breeders sold alpacas and breedings as well. One 

breeder commented that he had never spoken in 

one day to so many people interested in learning 

about alpacas. 

Because we had composite classes in the halter 

show and had to have those fleeces all judged 

prior to the Saturday and Sunday halter show, we 

planned in-depth intermediate level seminars for 

breeders on Friday. Amanda VandenBosch gave 

an excellent hands-on class on evaluating fiber, 

and Ruth Elvestad explained a new scientific 

approach to fiber testing and its impact on the end 

product. Both women demonstrated proper skirting 

of a fleece for show. Rod Dakan shared infor- 

mation on how to prepare fiber for processing. 

Participating breeders were very pleased with 

what they learned. 

On Saturday and Sunday, seminars were held 

for people new to alpacas. Amanda VandenBosch 

shared information on how to evaluate an alpaca 

for purchase. Ruth Elvestad presented information 

on basic husbandry and how to set up a farm for 

alpacas. Rod Dakan spoke on what can be done 

with alpaca fiber. The 100 chairs in the seminar 

seating area quickly filled and many other eager 

listeners crammed the space to standing-roomonly 

overflow. 

We set up one tent with vendors, the PNAA 

information booth, educational displays, the silent 

auction, and the seminar area. By consciously 

placing the seminar area at the rear of the tent, 

we maximized traffic through the vendor aisles. 

This turned out to be a good strategy, as several 

vendors have already committed to return to the 

Showcase in 2004. 

We focused on marketing to newcomers and 

the public in 2003, and the attendance exceeded 

our expectations. We plan to maintain that level 

of marketing in 2004 because it was so successful. 

We had as many breeders and alpacas at our 

2003 show as we had in 2002, but in 2004 want 

to increase the number of breeders bringing 

alpacas so that our halter and fleece shows will 

have larger classes. Although we are confident 

the breeders who attended last year will help 

spread the word, our planning will focus specifically 

on this area. 

You can go to www.alpacashowcase.org for 

show results and details on our event. Mark your 

calendar for September 16-19, 2004, for the third 

annual NW Alpaca Showcase. 

Contact: Leslee Miller, dlmiller@inlandnet.com 

or (509) 229-3655.

■ State of Jefferson Alpaca Association (SOJAA) 

The State of Jefferson Alpaca Breeders will soon 

welcome spring, the magical season that spawns 

new life. Since this winter brought unusual snow 

storms throughout the Pacific Northwest and 

Northern California, SOJAA members are very 

much looking forward to the emergence of mild 

temperatures, lush green pastures, and healthy 

crias in a rainbow of colors. 

As for business, the votes have been counted 

and the new SOJAA officers are: 

Bill Ridge, Vice President 

Bruce Rider, re-elected Treasurer 

JoAnne Boardman, Member at Large 

Congratulations to the 2004 officers as they 

embark on their two-year terms. And many thanks 

to Correy Bol, our outgoing Vice President, for his 

hard work, vision, and commitment to SOJAA. 

President Renee White and Secretary Renate 

Gyuro will remain in their respective positions 

until 2005. 

On May 1st, several SOJAA and CALPACA 

members will participate in the 2nd annual “Fiber 

on the Foot – Celebrating Alpacas” educational 

event at the Tehama District Fairgrounds in Red 

Bluff, CA. In addition to gorgeous alpacas and 

products, there will be demonstrations and presentations, 

to include; shearing, skirting, spinning, 

weaving, Click and Reward training, felting, alpaca 

4-H, husbandry, veterinary issues, and business 

considerations. There will also be a fun “On the 

Foot” halter competition. Last year’s celebration 

■ Willamette Alpaca Breeders Association (WABA) 

Spring is definitely here and WABA is ready for its 

annual AOBA-certified show March 27th and 28th 

at the Linn County Expo Center in Albany, Oregon. 

We had several last-minute adjustments. Our new 

halter judge is Lorraine Guyn from Canada. She 

has judged shows all over the U.S. and Canada, 

and brings fresh perspective to the Northwest. 

Shannon McConnell will be the fleece show judge. 

We are excited about these two judges and look 

forward to hearing their comments and working 

with them. Entry deadline was March 6, so if you 

missed it, that’s okay. Just come on down to the 

show and enjoy the company. There will be plenty 

of gorgeous alpacas to see, friendly owners to 

visit with and some great educational seminars. 

Drs. Pat Long and Steven Hull will be speaking 

at 10 a.m. on Saturday about Herd Management. 

Gary Kronmiller, CPA, will speak at 3:00 on Tax 

Issues. On Sunday, Dr. Long will present his popular 

Alpacas 101 at 9:30 a.m. Dr. Hull will speak at 


drew an audience of approximately 500! For information, 

contact Lewis Bodie at brighteyesalpaca@ 

softcom.net or call (530) 529-4432. 

And finally: mark your calendars for October 

9-10, 2004 to attend SOJAA’S premier West Coast 

Halter and Fleece show, AlpacaMania 2004! The 

Jackson County Expo Center, in the Medford 

area, will again be the location for the 3rd Annual 

AOBA-Certified Halter and Fleece Show; complete 

with down-home hospitality and fun for all. Look 

for this year’s show to be even bigger and better 

than the highly successful AlpacaMania 2003! 

This year’s halter judge will be Jill MacLeod, while 

Kristin Buhrmann will be the fleece judge. For 

questions, please contact Dale Davis, Show Superintendent, 

at (530) 795-9512 or daleandalan@ 

yahoo.com. We also invite you to visit our website 

often for updates; www.sojaa.org. 

Remember, it’s a State of Mind… 

Contact: JoAnne Boardman, 

alpacas@rosenet.net or (541) 459-0244. 

11 a.m., and judge Shannon McConnell will speak 

at 1 p.m. on fleece handling and showing. All 

seminars are free. 

The show is heavily advertised to the public and 

to other branches of the farming and ranching 

communities. We expect a lot of people with stars 

in their eyes from seeing their first alpacas! We 

are also featuring a silent auction and a Herd Sire 

Service silent auction to raise money for camelid 

research. Both Oregon State University and ARF 

will be this year’s recipients. 

WABA is experiencing a growth boom. We have 

added several new ranches in the past few 

months, bringing our total to 22. It’s so exciting to 

have new alpaca owners to talk with and help 

along the learning curve. If you’d like to join in the 

fun, call me at the number listed below to find out 

when and where the next meeting is. 

Contact: Polly McCrea, fernhillpolly@earthlink.net 

or (503) 623-0656. 


53


■ Kentucky Alpaca Association (KAA) 

New officers for 2004 were elected in December: 

President – Rich Baltzell, Baltzell Alpacas 

Vice President – Judie Gilpin, Alpaca Crossing 

Treasurer – Karen Dunn, Angel Fleece Alpaca Farm 

Secretary – Lisa Murphy, Murphy’s Suris 

Special Events Coordinator – June Daugherty, Sycamore Ridge Farm 

Members who attended our annual meeting on January 24 are excited about fiber! We enjoyed a 

presentation by a local fiber artist and alpaca owner who brought samples of her work and detailed 

opportunities for processing alpaca at a new local fiber mill. 

Visit our newly-redesigned website at www.kentuckyalpacaassociation.org for all the latest news. 

See you at the Kentucky Classic, April 2-4, in Louisville! 

Contact: Rich Baltzell, President, rpbaltzell@ka.net or 502-387-7498 

Affiliate Committee News 

Hello from the Affiliate Committee! 

With yet another grand “alpaca year” well 

underway, the AOBA Afilliate Committee is eager 

to begin our work. The category 1 grant applications 

are in place, as are several other applications 

that are awaiting approval for the funding that has 

been set aside by AOBA to help promote and 

showcase our wonderful alpacas! 

The new AOBA staff seems to be very interested 

and cooperative in assisting our committee in 

achieving our mission for 2004 and beyond. As 

the Affiliate Committee was created to serve the 

AOBA Affiliates by “serving as a conduit for 

communication between the AOBA BOD and the 

individual members, and by managing the grant 

program,” we are very pleased to have this support 

from the BOD and the AOBA staff. 

Our AOBA BOD liaison, Miriam Donaldson, has 

been working with our committee for some time 

now, and is a great asset to us and to the 

Affiliates. And the new AOBA Executive Director, 

Michele Biordi, and Assistant Executive Director, 

Heather Petit, have also offered to assist us in any 

manner needed. We are so pleased to have this 

special brand of teamwork working for us! 

The Affiliate Committee met in January and 

updated our membership roster. We will be losing 

two hard-working members. Barb Hance, who has 

been a member for several terms and has served 

as co-chair for the last three years, will be retiring 

from the committee and has asked Virginia Rodman 

to represent her Affiliate groups. Another 

veteran on the committee, Jodi Wever, will also 

be stepping down and Mary Evans will serve as 

her replacement. Both new members come highly 

recommended, but we will surely miss Barb and 

Jodi for their service on our committee! 

A new co-chair, Ron Mendonça, was appointed 

to work with Susan Darling. Polly Michalis will 

continue as Secretary, and Nancy Stepp will serve 

as Parliamentarian. The current list of Affiliate 

Committee members and the Affiliates each represents 

is as follows: 

Ron Mendonça (co-chair): AAWW, ALASKA, 

AROW, CABA, PNAA, SoJAA, WABA 

Susan Darling (co-chair): SeAA, KAA, FABA 

Nancy Stepp: ABA, CALPACA, SoCALPACA 

Virginia Rodman: ABR, IMpaca, Suri Network 

Polly Michalis: NEAOBA, Empire Alpaca 

Scott Gove: MAPACA, PAOBA 

Mary Evans: GLAA, OABA 

Rhonda Deschner: MOPACA, TxOLAN 

The committee members, their e-mail addresses, 

and the Affiliates each represents will be posted 

on the website by assistant executive director, 

Heather Petet. 

Please feel free to contact your representative 

or either of the co-chairs with any questions or 

ideas that you may want to have presented to the 

BOD for consideration. Any of us will be happy to 

assist you. 

Looking forward to a great year! Again, thanks 

for all your support! 

Contact: Susan B. Darling (Affiliate Committee 

co-chair), daralpaca@cs.com or (706) 375-6789.


IMPORTANT AOBA NEWS 

Announcing New (Updated) AOBA 

Marketing Brochure 

The AOBA Marketing Committee is pleased to announce the release of the long-awaited 

Financial Brochure (FINBRO). This is the first major overhaul of the brochure in many 

years; we hope you will be pleased with this new edition. 

Among the topics covered in the new FINBRO are: 

■Who Buys Alpacas? 

■ Alpaca Supply and Demand 

■ Alpaca Values 

■ Capital Requirements 

■ Hands-On Alpaca Ownership 

It is a well-written, concise summary of the financial aspects of the alpaca industry that 

is a companion piece to last year’s livestock-focused brochure, “Meet the Alpaca.” A third 

piece in the series, dealing with the fiber and fashion aspects of our industry, will debut later 

this year. We recommend that you stock up and hand out both “Meet the Alpaca” AND the 

new “FINBRO” to ALL serious prospects and visitors. 

Sample copies were mailed to every member inside the recently-released Farm & Ranch 

Guide (FRG). If your 2004 AOBA dues have been paid and you did not receive your 

complimentary copies of the FRG and FINBRO, please contact the AOBA office for 

a replacement copy. 

Copies of the new FINBRO are available for $1.00 each plus shipping. To order, please 

contact the AOBA office. 

a t t e n t i o n 

AOBA Annual Meeting Notice 

Thursday, June 3, 2004, at the Kentucky Fair & Exposition 

Center, South Wing Conference Room 101-104, 

1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Check your conference notebook 

upon arrival to confirm meeting time/location). 

Did You Know… 

■ Financial Observations 

■ Tax Consequences of Owning Alpacas 

■ Methods of Financing Your Alpaca 

Purchase 

■ and much more! 

ALPACAS 

Financial Aspects of 

Alpaca Ownership 

The world’s finest livestock business 

See you in 

Louisville! 

…that if there is a link from the AOBA 

website to your personal website (i.e., 

if you participate in the FRG program), 

you’ll rank higher with the internet 

search engines? It’s true! 

55

T 

he American Alpaca Market in Retrospect 

AOBA and the Industry-Wide 

Marketing Strategy 

In the early days, alpaca breeders were 

members of and held their conventions 

in conjunction with the International 

Lama Association (ILA). It did not 

take long to realize that llama breeders 

were competitors rather than prospects 

for alpaca breeders. Once we came to 

that realization, the alpaca industry – 

all 100 of us – moved quickly to establish 

our own breed association, marketing 

programs, and national convention. 

We have never looked back. 

AOBA was formed and operating 

by 1990 and has always done an outstanding 

job of marketing alpacas on 

behalf of its members. Its initiatives 

56 

I was recently invited to speak about the American Alpaca 

Market to a group of alpaca breeders in England. I had not 

been across the pond for 36 years, it was Julie’s birthday 

and since we had not 

Guest Commentary by Mike Safley, 

Sponsored by ARI 

The ARI Board wanted a follow-up to the Reciprocity 

article (see OVDec03) to help new members understand 

why the registry was closed. Because of our schedule with 

the office transition, we are providing an article written 

by Mike Safley which offers an excellent overview. 

left our kids to go on a 

vacation for the past 18 

years, we decided to fly 

to London and spend 

some time touring the 

English countryside. 

The organizers of the 

event, Arunvale Alpacas (Nick, Terry, and Alex Harrington 

Smith), asked me to present an overview of the American 

alpaca market. While researching and reflecting on the 

material for my presentation, I had the opportunity to consider 

how our marketplace made the journey from obscurity 

to its current presence on national television. The path 

alpacas have traveled, to become a part of so many people’s 

lives in such a short time, is a fascinating case study. 

I remember sitting with Phil Mizrahie and David Mohilef 

at David’s kitchen table in Chatsworth, California when 

David said, “Alpacas are the world’s finest livestock 

investment.” That phrase captured my imagination. Dad 

and I bought 10 pairs of alpacas that day in 1985 and 

I created my first marketing initiative in the form of a 

bumper-sticker that said, (you guessed it): “Alpacas – 

the world’s finest livestock investment”. 

have included: 1) Education, 2) Alpacas 

Magazine, 3) advertising co-ops, and 

recently, marketing via the Internet. 

AOBA’s annual conventions became 

the industry’s primary educational 

forum with multiple seminars and 

guest speakers. This model was eventually 

adopted by affiliates of AOBA 

who currently promote educational 

seminars all across the country in conjunction 

with their monthly meetings 

and annual alpaca shows. 

I was privileged to be president of 

AOBA when we decided to create 

Alpacas Magazine. I took on the role of 

editor for the first issue and eventually 

served in that capacity for the first two 

years of the magazine. The creation of 

There is a lot of truth in the phrase that David coined. 

American alpaca ownership has been increasing for 

almost twenty years. The biggest marketing problem in 

the early days was explaining what an alpaca was. The 

most frequent question that people asked was, “What is 

the difference between an alpaca and a llama?” Today, 

the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association (AOBA), 

the I Love Alpacas Co-op and the Internet answer that 

question for new breeders before you and I ever make 

their acquaintance. 

How did we get to where we are? The total AOBA 

membership was 2,152 on December 1, 2000. In 2001, 

685 people joined AOBA and 1,096 joined in 2002, an 

83% increase in 2 years. More people have discovered 

alpacas and joined AOBA in the last three years than 

in the previous 11. 

I told my English audience that the American alpaca 

market was constructed like a sturdy chair with four 

strong legs. If you were to remove one of these legs, the 

market, like a chair, might wobble a bit. The first leg is 

formed by a strong breed association, the Alpaca Owners 

and Breeders Association (AOBA) and an industry wide 

marketing strategy. The next leg is the Alpaca Registry 

Inc., (ARI), which has DNA verified parentage and closure 

as its foundation. The third and fourth legs are the alpaca 

show system and breeder driven alpaca improvement 

programs. Let’s take a look at each of these, one by one. 

a four color glossy publication was a 

big step for AOBA and several members 

argued strenuously against AOBA’s 

ownership of the magazine. They 

believed the risk of the magazine failing 

was too great for our fledging 

industry. But the presence of a professional 

quality magazine gave the 

marketplace confidence and further 

extended AOBA’s ability to offer an 

educational resource to prospective 

alpaca owners. The magazine was a 

success from day one. 

The next big marketing step by the 

industry was the creation of ad co-ops. 

This was stimulated by the availability 

of marketing grants from the Alpaca 

Registry Inc. (ARI). The registry had

excess funds from the fees they charged 

importers for screening alpacas into the 

registry. The fee was $500 per animal 

and we eventually raised over 1 million 

dollars that was used for marketing by 

various AOBA sponsored groups. 

While I was on the ARI Board of 

Directors we funded grants that supported 

at least four different advertising 

co-ops. Each of these co-ops 

bought full color ads in airline magazines, 

Sunset, Country Living, and 

regional lifestyle magazines. The 

success of their effort was immediate. 

AOBA then picked up the ad co-op 

model from the regional groups and 

created the Farm and Ranch Guide, 

which is still an overwhelming 

success today. 

AOBA also created a video about 

alpacas, which was widely distributed 

by the membership. This video gave 

me the idea of creating an alpaca 

infomercial. Camelids of Delaware and 

The Pet Center underwrote the cost of 

the thirty-minute tape, which was then 

played on cable stations and satellite 

T.V. to promote the early Peruvian 

import sales in Charlevoix, Michigan. 

The value of putting alpacas on 

television was apparent from the first 

moment we ran the infomercial. The 

television audience fell in love with 

alpacas and we began reaching a larger 

and larger market place. 

AOBA soon produced a second 

alpaca infomercial, which was very 

successful, but they took the concept 

one very important step further and 

began running one-minute commercials 

on satellite T.V. These ads have 

been a tremendous success and have 

become the advertising medium of 


choice for the Farm and Ranch Guide. 

Jerry Forstner of Magical Farms recently 

created the I Love Alpacas co-op 

which uses television ads to drive traffic 

to the co-op website. This co-op is 

a private initiative that is funded by 

more than 100 breeders spending 

$5,000 each. It has been a huge success 

benefiting its members, non-members, 

and the AOBA website as well. 

The Internet and alpaca websites 

have played an increasing role in 

AOBA’s and its members’ marketing 

programs. The Internet is new (1995) 

but its importance cannot be overstated. 

Anyone serious about marketing 

alpacas needs to consider a website as 

a marketing vehicle. Almost every 

prospective alpaca owner does his 

or her research on the Internet. At 

Northwest Alpacas, 100% of our 

marketing strategy is founded on our 

website. We register seminar participants, 

sell animals, and market our 

farm exclusively on the Internet. 

A DNA-Verfied Closed Registry 

The Alpaca Registry Incorporated 

(ARI) is a major component to the 

success of the American alpaca market. 

The purpose of any breed registry is to 

create value for its members. Two fundamentals 

anchor the value of the ARI: 

first, it is a closed registry, only the 

progeny of registered parents are eligible 

for registration and second, all parentage 

is verified by DNA. Verified parents 

are one of the essential platforms from 

which breed improvement programs 

operate. The ARI certificate documents 

a credible pedigree, with certain ancestry 

and presents over thirty pieces of 

information about any given alpaca. 

Registry closure has been a big part 

of the success of our market. The value 

of closure to alpaca breeders, large and 

small, cannot be overestimated. The 

debate that ensued when I put forth 

the petition to close the registry was 

“contentious,” to put a civil face on the 

free-for-all that preceded the closure 

vote. The arguments that were made 

against closure included the following: 

■ The gene pool of alpacas was too 

small to sustain improvement of the 

breed if the registry were to be closed. 

■ That a second “open” registry would 

be established and that would be 

detrimental to the entire industry. 

■ That closing the registry would be 

considered restraint of trade and 

therefore, illegal. 

There were other side issues and personal 

agendas that entered the debate 

but the three points above were the 

deciding factors for most people. (One 

breeder actually maintained that closure 

would result in a euphoric spike in 

alpaca prices and this would somehow 

skewer the entire market for alpacas.) 

Was it Legal to Close the 

Registry? 

We can dispose of the last issue first. 

It was and is legal to maintain a closed 

registry. Most registries began their life 

open to the registration of unpedigreed 

stock and then are closed at a point 

in time that was in the best interest 

of a majority of their memberships. 

I retained a lawyer from Omaha, 

Nebraska who was general council for 

the National Association of Breed 

Registries. He issued a legal opinion 

Anyone serious about marketing alpacas needs to consider a website as a marketing 

vehicle. Almost every prospective alpaca owner does his or her research on the Internet. 

57

The American Alpaca Market in Retrospect 

concerning the legality of closure and United States,” but that “he doubted not registered with their association. In 

the issue was essentially settled in it.” (If you would like to read more the case of alpacas, AOBA certifies 

advance of the vote by the members about the closure debate, please see: most alpaca shows in the United States 

to close the registry. Closure means The Case for Closure, 1998). 

and they require that alpacas that are 

alpacas with unknown parents and When I was invited to speak in Eng- being exhibited be registered with the 

progeny with parents that were not land, one of the issues that I was asked ARI. They also prohibit the display of 

previously registered could no longer to address was the closure of the Eng- animals at alpaca events that are not 

be registered in the ARI. (As a practical lish registries (they have two). The born of ARI parents or otherwise 

matter this measure essentially closed first question from the audience after I registered with the ARI and you can- 

the registry to imports, but closure completed my presentation was whether not advertise unregistered alpacas in 

does not restrict anyone from import- their gene pool was large enough to Alpacas Magazine. These types of iniing 

unregistered alpacas.) 

sustain closure. They currently have tiatives by the dominant breed associa- 

about 10,000 alpacas in England. tions generally act as deterrents to 

Was the Gene Pool Too Small My answer to the English audience a second registry in most livestock 

to Close the Registry? 

was the same one I made during the industries. 

The thought that the alpaca gene ARI closure debate in 1998. The fact At the end of the day the issue of 

pool was too small to sustain genetic is that there are too many genes in our whether a second registry would be 

improvement had longer legs, as an gene pool, not too few. (A herd at started has been answered by history: 

argument against closing the registry, Accoyo was never larger than 2000 There is, until this day, only one alpaca 

than the legal issue. At the time that with about 1/3 suri and 2/3 huacaya. registry in the United States. 

I petitioned to close the registry there That herd has been closed since 1946.) 

were 15,164 registered alpacas: 2,042 The process of improvement requires The Benefits of a Closed 

suris and 13,122 huacayas. Subse- that we cull defective or less productive Registry 

quent to the closure vote, approxi- genes from our alpacas. Selection is the The truth is that it is in every American 

mately 2,000 alpacas, in the process process of concentrating the gene pool, alpaca breeder’s self interest to have a 

of being imported, were allowed to driving out the bad, and leaving the closed registry for the following reasons: 

register under the terms of the clo- good. So at some point, the improvesure 

petition. 

ment process dictates that we select for 1. A closed registry protects the value 

I contacted several nationally- fewer high- quality genes, not more of members’ alpacas. 

renowned population geneticists and genes of unknown origin, which is 2. Registry members who are commit- 

asked them whether the limited gene what imported alpacas represent. 

ted breeders reap the benefit of sales 

pool argument would hold water. I was 

in a stable or appreciating market 

told that in a perfectly scientific sense, Two Registries 

place. 

for a species to survive it required 50 During the closure debate, I researched 3. A closed registry leads to accelerated 

genetic sources and for improvement the issue of duplicate registries serving alpaca improvement. 

of a species, 500 were required. a single breed. There are very few 

One of the geneticists, who was gen- examples. The Arabian horse breed is The first point, that a closed registry 

erally familiar with the alpaca industry, one instance and the existence of mul- protects values is self evident to most 

inquired as to the geographic sources tiple registries in that breed has been people. The protection is two-fold: 

of the registry’s foundation alpacas. detrimental to Arabian owners and the 1) imported alpacas without verified 

Once he was clear that the American value of their horses. 

parents are genetic black boxes which 

herd was made up of animals from Breed associations control most can introduce genetic defects into the 

Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Australia, and breed registries. Breed associations national herd and they can also be 

Canada he observed, “that there may most often control the showing or vehicles for previously un-introduced 

be the odd gene in South America or exhibiting of their respective breeds diseases, and 2) a stable supply of ani- 

Thanks for taking this quiz! And thank you for registering your alpacas with the ARI. 

elsewhere that was not present in the and prohibit the showing of animals mals leads to a stable marketplace. 

58

Genetic Black Boxes 

I might be an advocate of or a willing 

participant in the importation of 

alpacas if I believed it would lead to 

improving the breed. The facts are that 

once a nation or group of breeders 

has a critical mass of genes, continuing 

to add more, particularly genes of 

unknown origin, to this pool only 

dilutes the effort to improve their 

breed. A registry’s stock and trade is 

pedigree. The more ancestors on a 

pedigree the more value it represents. 

A pedigree with unknown parents, 

which is what all pedigrees for South 

American alpacas represent, is of far 

less value than a pedigree with parents, 

grandparents and so on. Importing 

animals of unknown parentage or 

genetic black boxes can also be a 

genetic nightmare. 

“Vermont Sheep” 

The following excerpt is from Charles 

Massey’s epic animal breeding book, 

Merino, which chronicles the history 

of the Australian Merino and its development 

as one of the most profitable 

sheep breeds ever known. Massey tells 

the story of the Vermont sheep which 

were imported from the U.S. by 

Charles McCaughey. This incident 

of importer excess almost brought the 

mighty Australian Merino to its ruin, 

in only a few short years. 

Born near Ballymena in Northern 

Ireland in 1832, McCaughey arrived in 

Melbourne in 1856. Deciding on a pastoral 

career during the rosy years of the 

late 1850s, McCaughey bought a share 

of Coonong in Riverina in 1860…, 

So when this enormously influential 

man turned his attention to sheep-breeding, 

it was little wonder that a multitude 

followed in his wake. However, even the 


best analytical or scientific mind is no 

substitute for the personal attention, 

intuition and craftsmanship, combined 

with decades of close practical experience, 

needed to rise to excellence as a 

Studmaster. Like so many intelligent men 

before and since, McCaughey thought 

there were short-cuts to breeding top 

balanced and productive sheep. 

So by late 1885, and after such a brief 

experiment, McCaughey believed he had 

at last found the sheep he wanted. Never 

one for half measures once his mind was 

made up, McCaughey left for America in 

1886, with two accompanying American 

‘experts,’ E.N. Bissel and W. Chapman, to 

‘pick the eyes out of its Merino studs.’ In 

two shipments, he brought back 132 rams 

and 330 ewes from the best Vermont 

flocks, for which he paid the staggering 

amount of 25,000 pounds. This bold move, 

in buying what for the Americans had now 

become expensive culls, can be judged as 

the action that catapulted Vermont sheep 

into the Australian limelight and so ushered 

in the fashion for ‘wrinkles and oil.’ 

McCaughey appointed Bissel his American 

agent and secured the services of Messrs 

E. D. Morrison and R. D. Clark, both of 

whom later came to Australia as active 

importers and stud-breeders with depot 

farms. The floodgates were opening. 

And so the Vermont craze gathered 

pace. Following McCaughey’s extravagant 

import of 1886, several shipments 

followed quickly in the names of Bissel, 

Burwell, Morrison, Clark, and others, all 

American ‘wrinkle’ breeders. These 

shrewd agents, and E.D. Morrison in particular, 

began to import ever-larger drafts 

of Vermont sheep to meet the steadily 

increasing demand, particularly in the 

1890s. By this stage, the Vermont wrinkle 

craze had been completely discarded in 

America, though this fact and the reasons 

behind it were either hidden or unknown 

in Australia. One American breeder 

summed up the situation by stating that, 

“The one redeeming feature that gave the 

Vermont breeder hope for the future was 

the export trade. This was practically the 

only trade since 1890.” 

As a result of the propaganda spread 

by McCaughey and his supporters, 

a very dangerous situation developed, 

whereby a group of self-styled experts, in 

whom a little knowledge was a powerful 

and dangerous tool, came to exert an 

enormous influence but without a proven 

record in the art of stud sheep-breeding. 

The trend towards more and more, and 

tighter and tighter, wrinkle can be seen in 

sequential photographs of show sheep of 

the time, until by the 1900s the pursuit of 

corrugated-iron sheep had stripped the 

animals of any redeeming features. They 

had become smaller, were narrow-chested; 

had shocking conformational faults 

such as bad pasterns, devil’s grips, sloping 

rumps, and virtually every bad body fault 

imaginable. Their fleeces exhibited serious 

unevenness, declining quality and hair, not 

to mention excessive grease and low 

yield. And they were losing fertility rapidly, 

a factor compounded by their deep flank 

and skin folds which made it hard for 

lambs to find teats. They were in every 

way a disaster. 

This story from the late 1800’s closely 

parallels the alpaca imports in our 

recent history. The importers as promoters 

enthusiastically proclaim the 

latest shipment as the world’s most 

elite genetics. The buyers flock to their 

sales seeking a short cut to success. 

The magic males from the sales are the 

subject of glowing ads. In an effort to 

jump on the bandwagon, breeders line 

their females up for service by the 

new “stars.” All of this is worship of 

unknown parents and untested males. 

59


These imports of Vermont sheep 

represented only a very small fraction 

of the total sheep population of Australia. 

It does not take much defective 

germ plasma to wreak havoc across 

a large national herd of livestock. 

When people from other countries 

go to Peru or come to the United 

States looking for alpacas, the locals do 

not immediately think, “Gee, let’s sell 

them our best animals.” The truth is 

they do what they can to ship their 

worst alpacas as far from home as possible, 

just as the Vermont breeders did 

more than a century before. Livestock 

breeders generally attempt to retain 

their best, not sell them. 

The truth is, there are no shortcuts 

to breeding superior stock. It has taken 

Don Julio Barreda more than 50 years 

to create his own line and he has 

worked with a small “closed” herd all 

that time. 

The truth is, there are 

no shortcuts to breeding 

superior stock. 

Stable Alpaca Prices 

A look at the English alpaca market 

illustrates what can happen to alpaca 

prices when a registry is left open. 

Several years ago, English alpaca prices 

were higher than they are today. The 

importers were active in the market 

importing surplus Canadian animals, 

left over from the importers’ rush to 

sell into a strong Canadian market. 

During this period, most of the sales in 

England were captured by the 

importers at the expense of the domestic 

breeders. 

Then a natural disaster hit the 

English market in the form of Foot 

and Mouth Disease. The market for 

60 

animals of all types dried up and prices 

fell. Now that the foot and mouth 

episode is in the past, there is a firming 

or rising market. 

This creates a dilemma for the 

domestic breeder in England. If the 

market improves and prices rise to the 

point that imports will once again be 

profitable and saleable, the importers 

will move to capture the market. They 

will promote their genetic black boxes 

as the greatest thing since sliced bread. 

English breeders will reach for their 

wallets in the hope of purchasing a full 

compliment of those “magic bullet” 

foreign genes. 

Then the market will fall back, as it 

has in other countries with open registries, 

and a period of digestion will 

take place. Worse yet, if the market 

stays strong, the imports will increase 

in a frenzy of greed that will ultimately 

implode in an over-supplied market. 

This is not a commentary of good 

and evil, but an observation of the way 

all markets work. If there is a low cost 

supplier (South America) and a high 

value profitable market (England, 

etc.) someone will move to exploit 

(importers) or sell into the high priced 

market with low priced goods. They 

will continue until all possible profit 

disappears. 

When importers work in a market, 

sales become concentrated in very few 

hands. During the debate to close the 

U.S. market, I remember researching 

the ARI database to determine the 

distribution of transfers by owner code. 

Transferred certificates are the best 

indicators of sales because they are 

evidence of a change in ownership. I 

was amazed by the results: more than 

90% of the transfers by the ARI were 

made by only five owner codes. These 

owner codes were owned by importers. 

Since the registry has closed, here in 

the United States, hundreds of owner 

codes are making transfers. Another 

phenomenon occurs when the registry 

closes and breeders rather than 

importers, make sales. Breeders tend to 

use at least part of their sales dollars to 

buy more domestic animals. Importers 

spend their profits in the form of 

purchase dollars in some foreign land. 

Their profits do not re-circulate into 

the domestic marketplace. 

I ask each of you old-timers reading 

this article: have you ever sold an 

alpaca to an importer? A closed registry 

spreads the sales and distributes the 

money amongst the breeders who 

build the marketplace. And that’s the 

way it ought to be. 

The Models for Registry 

Closure 

There are three primary models for 

registry closure: the United States, 

Australia, and Canada. A look at each 

of these models and their alpaca marketplace 

is instructive for anyone interested 

in the impact of registry policy 

on the alpaca market. You can decide 

which model you think is in your personal 

best interest. 

The U.S. has had a closed registry 

since 1998. The market has become 

stronger each and every year since the 

registry was closed. 

Australia has maintained an open 

registry, with the exception of a brief 

period when they closed it several years 

ago, from the beginning of their industry 

in 1989. There have been multiple 

imports of alpacas over many years. 

The price of alpacas, on average, has 

been in decline for several years. 

At one time (early 1990’s), Canada 

had the highest priced alpacas in the 

world. At that time, they had an open

egistry. The Canadian agricultural 

authorities suddenly changed their 

import and quarantine policies in the 

mid-1990’s to allow private offshore 

quarantines. This made it very easy to 

import large numbers of alpacas in a 

short period of time. Importers 

stormed their marketplace and it was 

inundated with Peruvian imports. The 

prices of alpacas dropped like a rock. 

The Canadians reacted to the deluge 

of imported animals by closing their 

registry. Slowly over the next few years 

the market recovered. The importers 

exported many of their un-salable 

alpacas to the next target of opportunity, 

England. The animals in Canada 

that had been previously registered in 

the U.S. were sold into our market. 

Supply and demand began achieving 

equilibrium and the Canadian market 

recovered. Today it is getting stronger. 

But it may be that the Canadians 

have not learned their lesson. They 

have recently approved the following 

amendments to the Canadian Llama 

Registry (CLR), their registry of record. 

CLAA BYLAW AMENDMENTS: 

Bylaw Amendments 20.6, 20.7, and 20.9 

These amendments are now in effect 

Bylaw Amendment 20.6 

20.6 (1) PUREBRED: - All Animals are eligible 

to be registered as Purebred if: 

(Emphasis added.) 

a. Both the sire and the dam are registered 

in the herd book of the association 

as either Foundation Stock or 

Purebred; OR 

b. The animal has no less than three generations 

of individually registered 

Purebred or Foundation Stock ancestors 

in a recognized foreign registry, 

and meets all other qualifications for 

recognition; OR 


c. If an animal is the result of breeding 

up, it has no less than 15/16 inheritance 

relating back to Foundation 

Stock or Purebred ancestry in the 

herd book of the Association or the 

equivalent of Foundation Stock and or 

Purebred ancestry in a recognized foreign 

registry. At least one parent must 

be registered Foundation Stock and/or 

Purebred in the herd book of the 

Association. 

20.6 (2) BREEDING UP: - Animals may be 

registered as percentage purebred, 

which have less than 15/16 inheritance 

provided that: (See Breeding Up table 

below.) 

a. All known ancestors are the same 

breed, and the subject animal has one 

parent registered as Foundation Stock 

or Purebred. 

b. Animals not eligible for registration 

may be recorded in the Registry, as 

0%, for purposes of breeding up, provided 

that all known ancestors are of 

the same breed and the subject animals 

meet CLAA minimum breed standards 

for the species or breed. The 

Board of Directors shall ensure that 

the animal complies with breed standards 

before recording. This will 

require screening to the standards. 

No certificate will be issued for a 

recorded animal. For the offspring 

of such an animal to be registered 

as percentage purebred, the subject 

animal must have been mated with a 

Foundation Stock or Purebred male 

or female of the same breed. 

c. Animals will not be eligible to enter the 

breed up program if the Applicant or 

the Association is aware of any genetic 

disorders in the animal, or any of its 

ancestors. 

d. Percentage purebred certificates: 

Certificates for percentage purebred 

animals shall be of a different color 

than those issued for purebred animals. 

The percent of inheritance shall 

be clearly displayed on the certificate. 

Amendment 20.7 

20.7 - 0% Animals: For the purpose of 

breeding up, an animal not eligible to be 

registered may be recorded, provided it 

meets the requirements outlined in article 

20.6(2)(b). 

Reciprocity 

The first amendment deals with the 

issue of reciprocity. For a full discussion 

of reciprocity see The Canadian 

Registry & ARI Reciprocity Issues: 

A History in the December 2003 issue 

of OneVoice. Although the government 

amended the registry rules to provide 

for reciprocity, I have been told that 

the registry members have not yet 

approved this change. In any case, 

I think reciprocity can be a slippery 

slope and the ARI should be very 

careful about creating similar rules if 

at all or ever. 

Breeding Up 

This scheme of having listed or unpedigreed 

animals that can be bred up 

to 15/16 and then registered as purebloods 

is quite simply – a terrible idea. 

This change is now the law in Canada. 

(This same idea was put forward by 

alpaca breeders as a solution to alpaca 

imports in the U.S. It was rejected by 

the ARI Board of Directors in the mid 

1990’s.) This amendment will create a 

second tier of inexpensive animals that 

have the apparent legitimacy of “a different 

colored certificate.” The line 

between pureblood pedigreed animals 

will be blurred. 

I spoke with a member of the 

International Lama Registry (ILR) 

board who was telling me that they felt 

61


BREEDING-UP 

93 3 Recorded 

/4 % Sire 

or Foundation 

Sire 0% 50% Sire 75% Sire 87 1 /2 % Sire or Purebred 

Recorded Dam 0% No Status No Status No Status No Status 50% Cria ( 1 /2) 

50% Dam ( 1 /2) No Status No Status No Status No Status 75% Cria ( 3 /4) 

75% Dam ( 3 /4) No Status No Status No Status No Status 87 ( 1 /2) % Cria ( 7 /8) 

87 1 /2 % No Status No Status No Status No Status 15 /16 Cria 

Dam ( 7 /8) Purebred 

one of the biggest mistakes that the 

Lama Registry made was maintaining a 

listing and screening process for unregistered 

llamas that allowed for grading 

up to pure bred. The ILR scheme is 

similar to the one adopted by the 

Canadians for alpacas. It was bad for 

llamas and it will be bad for alpacas. 

I am curious to see whether the 

Canadian industry will compound 

their error by allowing grade animals 

to be shown or sold at auction. As a 

Since the beginning 

of time, animal 

breeders, kings and 

peasants alike, have 

been fascinated 

with improving and 

multiplying animals. 

Every stage of the 

improvement process 

is under the control 

of the breeder. 

62 

matter of curiosity, I recently asked 

several Canadian alpaca breeders why 

they let this unfortunate set of events 

take place. No one I questioned even 

knew it had happened. I can only hope 

we never make a similar mistake in 

the United States. 

With Canada, who sits on the northern 

border of the American market, 

cracking the door open to imports, it 

will be interesting to see whether 

importers view this as a vehicle to create 

an alternate registry to the ARI in 

the United States market. (Paranoia on 

my part? Maybe.) 

Alpaca Shows: The Third Leg 

of the Chair 

The first alpaca show in the U.S. was 

held in Grass Valley, California in 

1990. There were about 60 entries. 

From that humble beginning, AOBA 

and its members have built one of the 

strongest legs of the alpaca market. 

The first AOBA national show was 

held in 1992, at the Wool Market in 

Estes Park, Colorado. There were 

approximately 100 entries. As AOBA 

affiliates began to form across the 

country, they soon began sponsoring 

shows. Today, there are shows in most 

states of the union, and every year they 

grow larger. The 2003 national show in 

Kentucky was the largest alpaca show 

in the world with 1,899 entries. 

Americans love to show things – 

cars, dogs, coins, gems, and even pet 

rats. The horse business is almost 

entirely show and race driven. We 

don’t race alpacas, but we love to show 

them and that won’t change anytime 

soon. The value of alpaca shows – both 

fleece and halter – is immense. AOBA 

recognizes this, and does an excellent 

job training judges, making rules, and 

facilitating the show effort. The alpaca 

show system will help sustain our 

industry for years and years. 

Alpaca Improvement – The 

Final Leg of the Chair 

Since the beginning of time, animal 

breeders, kings and peasants alike, 

have been fascinated with improving 

and multiplying animals. Every stage 

of the improvement process is under 

the control of the breeder. They 

decide who will become parents and 

who will not. They decide who is 

mated to whom and how many times. 

This power is seductive. 

There is a race going on in the 

alpaca world. Most breeders do not 

even realize that it is being run. But 

this race has people in our industry at 

work everyday constantly thinking 

how they might move up in the standings. 

The desire for alpaca improvement 

is a dominant thought in many 

alpaca breeders’ minds. The fascination 

with improving our breed is the 

predicate for the strongest leg in our 

chair. People love to improve their lot 

in life. 

The alpaca improvement race is 

being run at many levels in the world 

today. Australia competes with 

England, the United States, New 

Zealand, and Canada and vice versa. 

Everyone competes with Peru. In the

United States, it is East against West 

and small against large, and finally, 

breeder against breeder. 

I have been judging alpaca shows in 

several countries for many years. I 

recently returned from the 2003 Alpaca 

Fiesta in Peru, where I had the opportunity 

to inspect many of the ribbon winners 

and champions. I happen to 

believe that the United States is winning 

the quality race, but my fellow 

competitors, judges, and friends from 

far off lands would surely disagree. 

The race to improve the breed 

involves high stakes. The best animals 

of a breed sell for more money, more 

easily than average or low quality animals. 

A studious breeder that understands 

the fundamentals of animal 

breeding, genetics, and selection can 

literally win the sweepstakes by creating 

an elite male or a bloodline that is 

recognized for excellence. The country 

that wins the race to create the most 

productive alpacas will certainly enjoy 

an opportunity to export their alpacas 

to emerging markets which develop in 

countries that are establishing the 

breed on their farms. 

At another level breed improvement 

is an altruistic pursuit. The more valuable 

a breed is to their shepherds, the 

better the care it will receive. So by 

improving a breed and making it more 

productive, breeders can assure the 

long-term well being of the animals in 

their care. 

The chair that seats the alpaca market 

in the United States is solid, made stable 

by four strong legs: the industry 

marketing initiatives, the closed registry, 

the alpaca show system, and breeders’ 

fascination with improving the breed. 

The future, simply put, is bright, built 

on a strong foundation. We will get it 

right and we will succeed. 


Alpacas Magazine 

Advertising Policy 

Change 

The AOBA Board of Directors has agreed to relax the advertising 

policies of non-AOBA sanctioned competitions in AOBA 

publications and websites. Beginning with the Summer 2004 

issue of A.M., the following policies will be in effect: 

■ Only AOBA-certified showring and fleece competitions may 

be advertised in AOBA publications and websites prior to and 

following an event. This includes both paid advertising as well 

as in Calendars of Events. 

■ Group, co-op, and/or show organizer-sponsored advertising of 

non-AOBA shows is not permitted under any circumstances. 

■ Cumulative show results of non-AOBA events are also not 

permitted. 

■ Non-AOBA ribbons awarded to individual animals, 

breeders, farms, or ranches may be published in AOBA 

publications by private advertisers only. Photos containing 

non-AOBA show ribbons, as well as textual references 

to non-AOBA show winnings awarded to a particular 

animal, individual breeder, farm, or ranch, are permitted. 

■ Any photos or textual references to non-AOBA winnings 

must pertain to the animal/breeder/farm being advertised only. 


Dave Belt 

alpacapubs@yahoo.com 

Steph Pride 

steph@llamabanner.com 

785-537-0320 

63

Calendar of Events (Information cut-off date: February 17, 2004) 

WANT TO HAVE YOUR EVENT LISTED? OK, here are the rules: (1) The sponsoring 

farm or ranch must be an AOBA or ARI member; (2) Limit of one listing 

per event; (3) Limit of two listings per farm/ranch/entity, per issue; (4) Limit 

of 75 words per entry; (5) Only events conducted at physical locations are 

eligible – i.e., no “virtual” events or on-line auctions; (6) Event must involve 

two or more farms/ranches OR, if a single farm, then the event must be of an 

educational nature (and must be advertised as such, with specifics). Singlefarm 

live auctions are permitted. (7) Also, we reserve the right to edit or reject 

any calendar entry submitted. 

Send your event information USING THE FORMAT BELOW to: 

alpacapubs@yahoo.com AND aoba@ahint.com. Electronic format only; 

telephonic or paper entries not accepted. 

MARCH 12-14, 2004: MOPACA Invitational 

Alpaca Show, Lebanon MO. AOBA-CER- 

TIFIED SHOWRING COMPETITION. 

Classes: Full Fleece Halter, Color 

Championships (as appropriate), Get of 

Sire, Produce of Dam, Bred and Owned 

Yearling, Non-Breeder, and Handcrafters’ 

Spin-Off. Judge(s): TBA. Show Superintendent: 

Peg Stephens, pegstephens@ 

earthlink.net or (812) 294-4880. 

MARCH 13-14, 2004: The Virginia Classic, 

Lexington VA. AOBA-CERTIFIED SHOW- 

RING COMPETITION. Judge: Suzanne 

Tuccillo. Show Superintendent: Paige Mc- 

Grath, paigeink@aol.com or (434) 286-4494. 

MARCH 20-21, 2004: Raising Alpacas for 

Fun and Profit Seminar, Rusk, TX. Hosted 

by Able Oaks Ranch Alpacas. Learn to 

breed and market alpacas successfully 

and change your lifestyle forever. Seminar 

covers financial advantages and tax benefits, 

proven marketing methods, vertical 

marketing, identifying and selecting quality 

alpacas, herd management, nutrition, barn 

and pasture setup, hands-on catching and 

haltering, and much more. Every-thing you 

need to know to get started with alpacas. 

$65/person, $100/couple. Contact: 

www.ableoaks.com, (903) 274-5533. 

64 

MARCH 20-21, 2004: CAMELIDynamics 

Clinic with Marty McGee Bennett, Haven 

KS. Hosted by JP Alpaca Haven. You will 

have fun; you will be challenged; and you 

won’t belief the difference in you and 

your alpacas or llamas. Don’t miss out! 

Reservations required, as space is limited. 

Clinic fee $250/person. Contact 

Pamela or Jack Young at sunbird@ 

ourtownusa.net or (620) 465-2379. 

MARCH 20-21, 2004: Spring Fling Alpaca 

Show, Neenah WI. AOBA-CERTIFIED 

SHOWRING COMPETITION. Judge: Jill 

MacLeod. Show Superintendent: Vicki 

Trimberger, mail@mysticspringsranch.com 

or (920) 366-4369. 

MARCH 24-28, 2004: Veterinarians’ 

Conference 2004: Camelid Medicine, 

Surgery, Reproduction, and Nutrition, 

Columbus OH. This course for veterinarians 

offers complete and state-of-the-art information 

on medical, surgical, reproductive, 

& nutritional problems of llamas & alpacas. 

Extensive hands-on sessions for practitioners 

of all experience levels from beginning 

camelid practitioners through seasoned 

veterans. Fee: $200 per day. Save $50 if 

registered for all four days. Contact: Rita 

Remy remy.1@osu.edu or (614) 292-9193. 

MARCH 27-28, 2004: Heart of the Valley 

Alpaca Show & Sale, Linn County Fair & 

Expo Center, Albany, Oregon. Sponsored 

by the Willamette Alpaca Breeders 

Association. AOBA-CERTIFIED HALTER 

& FLEECE COMPETITION. Fleece judge: 

Shannon McConnell. Halter judge: 

Lorraine Guyn. Guest speakers 

Dr. Stephen Hull, Dr. Pat Long, Gary 

Kronmiller, CPA, Shannon McConnell. 

Silent auction stud service and other 

items to benefit camelid research. For 

registration, contact Wendy Greenwald: 

SylvanSkies@aol.com or (503) 394-4266 or 

download from www.alpacas-waba.org. 

APRIL 1-4, 2004: North American Alpaca 

Show, Springfield MA. AOBA CERTIFICA- 

TION PENDING. Sponsored by New 

England Alpaca Tours. Halter Superintendent: 

Peg Stephens, (812) 294-4880, 

or pegstephens@earthlink.net; Fleece 

Superintendent: Kevin O’Leary, (603) 636- 

1474, or rvalpacas@aol.com. Halter 

Judges: Dr. Julio Sumar, Amanda Vanden- 

Bosch. Fleece Judge: Cameron Holt. 

APRIL 2-4, 2004: Kentucky Classic Alpaca 

Show, Louisville KY. AOBA-CERTIFIED 

SHOWRING COMPETITION. Sponsored 

by the Kentucky Alpaca Association. 

Show Superintendent: Cathy Huber, 

crhorses@gte.net. Judges: TBA. 

APRIL 2-4, 2004: How to Buy, Breed, 

& Succeed in the Alpaca Business, 

Hillsboro OR. Presented by 

www.alpacas.com and Northwest 

Alpacas. Learn to compete and succeed 

in the 2004 alpaca market. Read pedigrees 

and discover how to select and 

breed elite, high-value alpacas. Determine 

how to choose a niche within the 

industry and market those alpacas. 

Alpaca breeders (both new and estab-



lished) will learn how to improve 

their business plans. Contact: 

www.alpacas.com or (503) 628-3110. 

APRIL 3-4, 2004: Alpacapalooza, Monroe 

WA. AOBA-CERTIFIED HALTER & FLEECE 

COMPETITION. Sponsored by the Alpaca 

Association of Western Washington 

(AAWW). Halter Judge: Diana Timmerman. 

Halter Superintendent: Rebecca Suryan, 

alpacasfrommars@ earthlink.net or (425) 

334-5896. Fleece Judge: Jill MacLeod. 

Fleece Superintendent: Alise Schmitt, 

Alise@GenesisAlpacas.com. 

APRIL 3-4, 2004: CAMELIDynamics Clinic 

with Marty McGee Bennett, Ostrander 

OH. Two day clinic for alpaca and llama 

enthusiasts. Contact: Carol Testa, (740) 

666-1920, or alpacaoutback740@msn.com. 

APRIL 16-19, 2004: Breeder’s Showcase 

Alpaca Auction & All American Alpaca 

Futurity, Indiana State Fairgrounds, 

Indianapolis IN. Presented by Celebrity 

Sales. AOBA CERTIFICATION PENDING. 

Fifty top-quality alpacas will be sold at 

the auction on Saturday afternoon. The 

“AAA” Futurity, which is one of the highest 

purse events in the livestock industry, 

will be held Sunday and Monday. For 

information: Tim or Teresa Vincent, (541) 

929-3941, or vincent@casco.net. 

APRIL 17, 2004: Star Events’ Suri 

Symposium, Stockton, NJ. If you’re interested 

in suris, this is the symposium you 

can’t afford to miss! Learn the importance 

of genetic diversity from a PhD geneticist, 

how to breed and refine suri traits, how to 

save thousands with your suris from a tax 

expert, and assess fleece qualities with 

hands-on evaluation! For more information 

or to register call the Star Events office at 

(609) 397-2212, www.stareventsllc.com. 

APRIL 17-18, 2004: CAMELIDynamics 

Workshop with Marty McGee Bennett, 

Navasota, TX. Two day clinic for alpaca 

and llama enthusiasts. Contact: Robin 

Roberts, robin.roberts@americanaalpacas.com 

or (936) 870-3887. 

APRIL 17-18, 2004: Alpaca Fiber Felt Fest 

for Feet and More, Jemez Springs NM. 

Hosted by Aspen Ridge Alpacas of 

Northern New Mexico. Featuring Karen 

Kinyon, fiber felting expert and author of 

fiber articles in Alpacas Magazine. Make 

a hand-felted hat and hand-felted slippers 

(with warm, relaxing foot rub). All fiber and 

supplies furnished. Continental breakfast, 

lunch x 2, dinner, and entertainment 

included. $140/person or $250/couple. 

Contact: Mickey Wright, info@aspenridgealpacas.com 

or (505) 829-3312. 

APRIL 22-25, 2004: MAPACA Eastern 

Alpaca Jubilee, Harrisburg PA. AOBA 

CERTIFICATION PENDING. Judges: TBA. 

Show Superintendent: Peg Stephens, pegstephens@earthlink.net, 

or (812) 294-4880. 

APRIL 23-24, 2004: The Great Midwest 

Alpaca Festival, Madison WI. AOBA 

CERTIFICATION PENDING. Marty McGee 

Bennett training seminar. Judges: Kristin 

Buhrmann, TBA. Show Superintendent: 

Kim Tollers, (608) 543-3754, or info@ 

alpacaplanet.com. 

APRIL 23-25, 2004: The Monterey Pronk 

2004, Monterey, CA. AOBA CERTIFICA- 

TION PENDING. Sponsored by Calpaca & 

SoCalpaca. Come to the lovely Monterey 

seaside for a great show, seminars, and 

fiber arts. Forms available at www.calpaca.org 

or www.socalpaca.org. Halter 

Judge: Diana Timmerman. Fleece Judge: 

Maggie Krieger. Halter Superintendent: 

Jan Davis, (530) 787-0007, or jandavis@ 

derwyddalpacas.com. Fleece superintendent: 

Kim Biseglia, mbisceg1@aol.com or 

(408) 998-1408. Contact: Dale Davis, (530) 

795-9512, or daleandalan@yahoo.com. 

APRIL 24 OR 25, 2004: Gentle Spirit 

Alpaca Handling, Seattle (Vashon) WA, 

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Gain a deeper understanding 

of camelid behavior and how 

our human behavior – cues and positioning 

– play a natural part in that communication. 

Recognizing many of the basic 

non-verbal cues and positioning our animals 

can present is the necessary foundation 

upon which to build training, care, 

AOBA SHOW CERTIFICATION 

An alpaca show will be “Certified” only after all of the following are received, 

reviewed, and approved by the AOBA Show Division Office, and notification of 

Certification has been granted. Additional information may be obtained from 

Connie Alexander at aobashows@direcway.com. Information needed to process 

your application includes: 

1. A completed Application for Certification. 

2. A check made out to AOBA in the amount of the appropriate fee. 

3. A copy of your Class List, Show Schedule, and Show Information/Premium Book. 

Only alpaca shows that are AOBA certified may be advertised in AOBA publications 

as pre-event advertising. Post-event advertising is restricted to line-mention in 

private ads only (consult Alpacas Magazine for details). 

65


and herd management skills. Cost: $100/ 

person. See www.islandalpacas.com, or 

contact Frieda or Brian Schieber, (206) 

463-2451 or info@islandwestalpacs.com. 

APRIL 26-28, 2004: U.S. Animal Health 

Assoc. (USAHA) Northeastern Regional 

Meeting, Burlington VT. Contact: Alpacas 

Magazine or Donald Hoenig, Donald E. 

Hoenig@maine.gov or (207) 287-3701. 

APRIL 30-MAY 2, 2004: Great Western 

Alpaca Show, Denver CO. AOBA-CERTI- 

FIED SHOWRING & FLEECE COMPETI- 

TIONS. Halter Superintendent: Cathy 

Huber, (859) 887-0033, or crhorses@ 

gte.net; or Fleece Superintendent: 

Virginia Rodman, (303) 840-6369, or 

mrodman@rmi.net. For more info: 

www.alpacabreeders.org/gwas. 

MAY 1-2, 2004: First Semi-Annual Herd 

Sire Showcase and Alpaca Sale, 8:30 

a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Galion, Ohio. sponsored 

by Glengary Farm Alpacas. Over 15 

huacaya and suri herd sires on display. 

Accoyo, Legacy, Augusto, Glacier, 

Blockbuster, and Quincy bloodlines. 

Also 40 huacuya and suri alpacas will 

be on display for purchase from several 

prominent Ohio breeders. Contact: 

www.glengaryfarmalpacas.com or e-mail 

farmerpat@aol.com. 

66 

MAY 1-2, 2004: Michigan Alpaca 

Breeders Show & Fiber Fair, Ortonville 

MI. Sponsored by Pebble Brook Farm 

Alpacas. AOBA SHOWRING CERTIFICA- 

TION PENDING. Judge: Shannon 

McConnell. Show Superintendent: Kara 

Heinrichs, sales@annarboralpacas.com 

or (734) 975-8168. 

MAY 1-2, 2004: Everything’s Coming Up 

Alpacas, Ballston Spa NY. Join Kelly and 

Paul Zanella of Spa Alpacas and guest 

speakers as they share their alpaca 

knowledge and experience. Seminar on 

Saturday, May 1st from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 

p.m. Reservations required. $75 per person 

or $135 per couple (includes continental 

breakfast, lunch, and presentation 

booklet). Open House on Sunday, May 

2nd from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Contact: 

(518) 885-0585, or pjzanella@aol.com. 

MAY 3-5, 2004: U.S. Animal Health 

Association (USAHA) Southern Region 

Meeting, Read House Hotel, Chattanooga 

TN. Contact: Alpacas Magazine or 

Ron Wilson, Ron.Wilson@state.tn.us 

or (615) 837-5120. 

MAY 7-9, 2004: Star Events’ Spring Fling 

Alpaca Auction, Stockton, NJ. Our fourth 

annual spring sale features a huacaya 

group from Rick & Ann Evans of Enchantment 

Farm Alpacas. The Spring Fling is 

known for its first-class amenities, world- 

Moved? New telephone or e-mail? 

Don’t forget to send us changes in your contact information. 

If you have changed, or are planning to change your: 

Address, phone, FAX, or e-mail address, let us know. 

ARI: 703-610-9022, E-mail: ari@alpacaregistry.net 

AOBA: 856-439-1076, E-mail: aoba@ahint.com 

class entertainment, and spectacular 

award-winning animals from Star 

Breeders across the country! For more 

information and a catalog, call the Star 

Event’s office at (609) 397-2212 or visit 

www.stareventsllc.com. 

MAY 7-9, 2004: Wild West Alpaca Show, 

Salt Lake City UT. AOBA-CERTIFIED 

SHOWRING COMPETITION. Sponsored 

by Intermountain West Alpaca Association 

(ImPACA!). Judges: TBA. Contacts: 

Dan Adams, (435) 783-6626 or alpaca@ 

allwest.net; and Clark Otterness, (801) 

572-9831, otterness@altamistalpacas.com. 

For more info: www.impaca.com. 

MAY 8-9, 2004: New England Alpaca Fest, 

Hopkinton Fairgrounds, as part of the 

New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival, 

Hopkinton, NH, May 8-9. NEAOBA and 

NHSWGA join ranks to host the largest 

fiber festival in New England. Fiber 

animals, fiber products, demos and workshops, 

and activities for everyone. 

Contacts: Liz and John MacEachran, 

kilblaan@aol.com or (603) 924-6113. 

DID YOU KNOW…? 

Did you know that if you forget 

to notify the AOBA office when 

you have a change of address, 

it costs AOBA approximately 

$11.11 to send a replacement 

copy of Alpacas Magazine to 

you? (Those are “hard costs,” 

exclusive of labor and overhead.) 

So please remember 

to keep your contact information 

current… and don’t forget 

to notify ARI, AFCNA, etc. 

as applicable too!



MAY 8-9, 2004: CAMELIDynamics Clinic 

with Marty McGee Bennett, Mt Juliet, TN. 

Hosted by Hickory Bluff Farms and Long 

Hollow Alpacas. A fun filled, two-day clinic 

to learn ways to get the results you need in 

training your alpacas and yourself. Space 

is limited and advanced reservations are 

required. Contact: Ruth Fuqua, (615) 444- 

4765 or info@hickorybluff.com. 

MAY 13-16, 2004: Alpaca Western 

Extravaganza, Redmond OR. AOBA-CER- 

TIFIED HALTER & FLEECE COMPETITION. 

Halter Judges: Julio Sumar, Jill MacLeod, 

Amanda VandenBosch; Fleece Judge: 

Diana Timmerman; Show Superintendent: 

Ron Mendonca, (503) 723-3121, or 

r.mendonca@comcast.net. For more info: 

http://www.awe-alpacas.org. 

MAY 15-16, 2004: Breeder’s Showcase, 

Lawrence County Fairgrounds, Pennsylvania. 

Sponsored by the Pennsyvania 

Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association 

(PAOBA). AOBA SHOWRING AND FLEECE 

CERTIFICATION PENDING. Judges: Kristin 

Buhrmann, Lavona Fercho, and Tim 

Lavan. Contact: Peg Stephens, pegstephens@earthlink.net; 

(812) 294-4880; or 

www.paoba.org/breeders_showcase.html 

MAY 15-16, 2004: Multi-Farm Farm Day, 

Elizabeth CO, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. each 

day. 20 alpaca farms together at the 

Running Brook Polo & Equestrian Center, 

36355 CR 13. See and learn about these 

incredible animals and feel their fabulous 

fiber. Walk and interact with an alpaca. 

Presentations on investment and tax 

advantages of owning alpacas; getting 

started with alpacas; alpaca health and 

care; alpaca fiber use and products. Door 

prizes and complimentary lunch. Contact: 

Paula Bowman, (303) 840-6369, bowmans@mountainviewalpacas.com. 

MAY 22, 2004: Foundation for Success 

(Alpacas 101+ Seminar), Akron OH, 8:30 

a.m.- 3:30 p.m. Sponsored by Glengary 

Farm Alpacas. Learn front-to-end alpaca 

care, tax advantages of alpaca ownership, 

pasture management, farm layout, 

and more. Speakers: Dr. Claire Whitehead, 

DMV, resident OSU; Jim Loy, partner 

Devries, Huntly,Trifiletti, and Loy; 

David Damm, past President of AOBA. 

Tuition: $65.00 per person, $120.00 per 

couple (includes session manual, continental 

breakfast, and hot lunch). Contact: 

Patrick Cassese, www.glenagryfarmalpacas.com 

or farmerpat@aol.com. 

MAY 22, 2004: Alpaca Showcase and 

Fleece Harvest, Zeeland MI. Celebrate 

the 2004 harvest of luxurious alpaca 

fleece. Event runs from 10:00 a.m. - 

4:00 p.m., and includes alpacas for sale, 

alpaca seminars, on-going shearing, fiber 

sales, fleece skirting, spinning demonstrations, 

and vendors of alpaca products. 

Eight farms represented. Contact: 

Barb Martinie, martinie@novagate.com or 

Rich Kruithoff, rkruithoff@starband.net. 

MAY 22-23, 2004: CAMELIDynamics 


Chillicothe, IL. Two day clinic for alpaca 

and llama enthusiasts. Contact: Shari 

Pritchard, autumn@mtco.com or 

(309) 274-8286. 

MAY 28-30, 2004: Fourth Annual Pagosa 

Fiber Festival, Archuleta County Fairgrounds, 

Pagosa Springs CO. Event sponsor: 

Sunrise Mercantile. Friday: half- and 

full-day fiber arts training classes; Saturday/Sunday: 

alpacas and other fiberbearing 

livestock, fiber arts demo, vendors, 

fashion shows, and much more. Contact: 

Suzy Belt, alpacapubs@yahoo.com or 

(970) 731-2729. 

MAY 29-30, 2004: CAMELIDynamics 


Mt Airy, MD. Two day clinic for alpaca and 

llama enthusiasts. Contact Neil or Jo Padgett, 

mpcpneilp@aol.com , (301) 829-1762. 

JUNE 2-6, 2004: Annual AOBA National 

Summer Conference, Kentucky Fair 

& Exposition Center, Louisville KY. 

Conference theme: “Twenty Years and 

Growing!” – celebrating the twentieth 

anniversary of the first commercial importation 

of alpacas into the United States. 

Stay tuned to Alpacas Magazine and 

OneVoice for further details. Contact: 

Anne Hallinan, AOBA Conference 

Manager, anne_hallinan@hotmail.com. 

JUNE 10-13, 2004: Estes Park Wool 

Market & Fiber Animal Show, Estes Park 

CO. Come to the alpaca tent to see, touch, 

and learn about these wonderful animals. 

Workshops June 10-11. Spinning contests, 

demonstrations, vendors, and animal 

shows (llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, 

and angora rabbits) June 12-13. Contact 

Alpacas Magazine or Estes Park Wool 

Market, Estes Park, CO 80517; (970) 586 

6104 or events@estes.org. 

JUNE 12-13, 2004: Maine Fiber Frolic, 

Windsor Fairgrounds, Windsor ME, 10:00 

a.m. - 4:00 p.m. A celebration of fiber animals 

and the fiber arts: spinning, weaving, 

dyeing, felting, and rug hooking. 

Alpacas, demos, lectures, workshops, 

and products for all ages to enjoy. Special 

attractions: sheep dog demo, fleece 

show, kids’activities. Admission $2/person, 

$5/family, seniors/children under 12 

free. Contact: Liz and John MacEachran, 

(603) 924-6113 or kilblaan@aol.com; or 

www.fiberfrolic.com or (207) 993-6262. 

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JUNE 12-13, 2004: 5th Annual Alpaca 

Spring Event, Chagrin Falls, OH. Hosted 

by C R Alpacas, Inc. Two days of shearing, 

carding, felting, and spinning demonstrations. 

Free hands-on seminars on 

husbandry and farm setup. Learn how to 

prepare fleece for competition, spin-offs, 

and the North American Fiber Co-Op. 

Our herd sires will be on display for your 

inspection. For more information, contact 

Cheryl Palmentera, (440) 543-6114), or 

cpalmentera@earthlink.net. 

JUNE 13, 2004: Burlington County Earth 

Fair, Smithville Mansion, Eastampton, NJ. 

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Visit with our Earthfriendly 

alpacas and watch how yarn 

is spun from their luxurious fiber. 

Environmental exhibits, entertainment, 

refreshments, crafters, canoeing, lots of 

fun activities for kids. Free admission. 

Contact Ingrid Wood, (609) 261-0696, or 

alpacas@uscom.com. 

JUNE 19-20, 2004: CAMELIDynamics 

Clinic with Marty McGee Bennett, 

Oshkosh WI. Hosted by Apple Orchard 

Alpacas. Cost is $290.00 per person which 

includes meals both days. Contact: Patty 

or Dick Kandiko, (920) 232-5431, or 

kandiko@vbe.com. 

JUNE 25-27, 2004: The Alpaca Marketplace, 

Lane County Fairgrounds, Eugene 

OR. Presented by the Emerald Valley 

Alpaca Association, the Alpaca Marketplace 

brings to you all in one nice location, 

alpacas (huacaya and suri), herdsires, 

fiber animals and females, alpaca fiber, 

alpaca merchandise, and educational 

opportunities. Also, on site will be the 

nationally known Black Sheep Gathering. 

Contact: Cathy Fountain alpacame@ 

alpacacountry.net or (541) 342-2284. 

68 

JULY 2-4, 2004: Parade of Champions 

Sale, Pacific Crest Alpacas Accoyo Norte 

Center, Hillsboro, OR. Sixty lots of champion-quality 

alpacas. Co-sponsored by 

Pacific Crest Accoyo America, Crescent 

Moon Ranch, Alpacas de la Patagonia, 

and Latah Creek Alpacas. Educational 

breeder seminars, Greek barbecue, and 

live band. Contact: Dr. Greg Mecklem, 

(503) 647-7770, or alpacas@teleport.com. 

JULY 10-11, 2004: CAMELIDynamics 


Stanley NM. Hosted by Windrider Suri 

Ranch. 2-day alpaca and llama clinic for 

newcomers and old hands alike. Day one’s 

emphasis will cover the basics of Camelidynamics 

and TTEAM philosophy. Day 

two, showing and obstacles. Clinic cost is 

$275 per person if registered before May 

15, 2004. RV parking available. Contact Bob 

or Cathy Wargowsky, windridersuriranch@juno.com 

or (505) 286-0567. 

JULY 17, 2004: 3rd Annual Herd Sire 

Showcase, Penfield Township OH. Hosted 

by Slow & Easy Alpaca Farm, 39136 State 

Rt. 18 (Lorain County). Noon to 6:00 p.m. 

See over 40 outstanding huacaya and suri 

herd sires from various local Ohio farms, 

all available for viewing at one convenient 

location. Contact: Judy Keske, 

slowandeasyalpacas@yahoo.com, or 

(440) 647-9502, or http://www.ohioalpacas.com/herdsireshowcase.html. 

JULY 17, 2004: “Alpacas – All Things 

Considered” with Tom Cameron, DVM and 

Steve Hull, PhD, Cambridge MN. Hosted by 

Soulfood Alpaca Garden. Veterinary and 

management tips, including: worming 

regimes/drugs, West Nile Virus, nutrition, 

pastures, breeding, and birthing. Includes 

a “hands-on” session covering drawing 

blood, microchip injection, giving shots, 

trimming toenails, and handling alpacas. 

Meals and workshop materials provided. 

$100 per individual; $150 per farm (2 people). 

Contact: Kirsten Kraushaar, (763) 444- 

8636, www.soulfoodalpacas.com, or 

SoulfoodAlpacas@aol.com 

JULY 17-18, 2004: CAMELIDynamics 

Workshop with Marty McGee 

Bennett, Berthoud CO. Hosted by Fisher 

Farm Alpacas and Luna Nueva Ranch. 

Once you’ve mastered Marty’s techniques, 

you won’t believe the change in 

your animals and yourself. Don’t miss out! 

Space is limited; reservations required. 

Contact Kathy Fischer, kathy@fischerfarm.com 

or (970) 532-2667; or Barbara 

Byrd, barbara@lunanuevaranch.com or 

(970) 532-5417. 

JULY 24-25, 2004: Alpaca Affaire 

Northwest, Chehalis WA. Sponsored by 

Alpaca Ranchers of the Northwest 

(AROW). AOBA SHOWRING CERTIFICA- 

TION PENDING. Judge: Jane Tellier. 

Show Superintendent: John Snyder, (360) 

263-2092 or AlpacasAtParadisePointe@ 

yahoo.com. 

AUGUST 14-15, 2004: CAMELIDynamics 


Oregon City OR. Hosted by Stonyridge 

Alpacas. Fun, educational, hands-on 

training will change the way you relate to 

your alpacas or llamas. This clinic is for 

newcomers or old hands alike. Come 

experience just how CAMELIDynamics, 

TTEAM, and the TTouch can make a difference 

in the relationship you have with 

your animals. Registration is limited. For 

further information contact Linda 

Buttolph, (503) 632-6640, or 

Stonyridge@bctonline.com.



AUGUST 14-15, 2004: Alpaca Health, 

Nutrition, and Fiber Outcomes Clinic, 

Santa Fe, NM. Presentors: Maggie 

Krieger and Dr. Norm Evans, two foremost 

experts on alpaca fiber and nutrition. This 

is a course for the serious breeder who 

strives for the best in fiber quality, volume, 

and marketability. Nutrition plays a 

vital role in the health and production of 

your alpacas. $295 per person; $550 for 

two from same ranch. Contact: Bonnie 

Samuel, infor@alpacasdesantafe.com. 

SEPTEMBER 4, 2004: “Alpacas – All 

Things Considered” with Steve Hull, PhD, 

Mt. Airy MD. Sponsored by A Paca Fun 

Farm. Hear Steve blend facts, humor, and 

farm wisdom. Seminar includes: farm/ 

pasture layout, nutrition,breeding/birthing, 

vaccinations/worming, pasture agronomy 

(soil testing, fertilization, irrigation, and 

composting) and “hands on” alpaca handling/training. 

Cost $125 per person/ 

$200 per couple, including light breakfast, 

gourmet lunch, and seminar 

book. Contact: Neil or Jo Padgett, 

mpcpneilp@aol.com or (301) 829-1762. 

SEPTEMBER 4-6, 2004: Legacy Investors’ 

Select 2nd Annual Alpaca Auction, 

Newberg OR. Auction will feature some 

of the finest alpacas in the country today, 

both suris and huacayas. Pedigrees 

reflect multiple generations of awardwinning 

colored suris and huacayas! You 

won’t want to miss out on this opportunity 

to purchase alpacas from Park View 

Alpacas and Legacy Farms Alpacas. 

Watch for event updates at www.legacyselect.com, 

or call Deb Clagett at Legacy 

Farms Alpacas, (866) 554-0819. 

SEPTEMBER 10-11, 2004: Sunset Hills 

Farm Fall Festival and Alpaca Sale, 

Butler PA. Sponsored by Sunset Hills 

Farm, Alpacaventures, Heart’s Desire 

Farm, and West Penn Alpacas. Do you 

need to find the perfect alpaca(s)for your 

herd? Do you enjoy learning more about 

alpacas? Enjoy free educational programs 

on nutrition, fleece types, spinning 

and weaving, alpaca care, etc. Alpaca 

sale on Saturday. Contact: Laurye Feller 

or Cheryl Youkers (724) 586-2412, laurye@sunsethillsalpacas.com 

SEPTEMBER 11-12, 2004: Everything’s 

Coming Up Alpacas, Ballston Spa NY. 

Join Kelly and Paul Zanella of Spa 

Alpacas and guest speakers as they 

share their alpaca knowledge and experience. 

Seminar on Saturday, Sept 11th 

from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Reservations 

required. $75 per person, $135 per couple 

(includes continental breakfast, lunch, 

and presentation booklet). Open House on 

Sunday, September 12th from 10:00 a.m. - 

4:00 p.m. Contact: (518) 885-0585, or 

pjzanella@aol.com. 

SEPTEMBER 11-12, 2004: CAMELIDynamics 


Woodland, Utah. Two day clinic for 

alpaca and llama enthusiasts. Contact: 

Linda Gardner linda@bluemoonranch.net 

or (435) 783-4428. 

SEPTEMBER 11-12, 2004: 4th Annual 

Alpaca Fall Event, Chagrin Falls OH. 

Hosted by C R Alpacas, Inc. Two days of 

viewing pleasure and educational seminars 

on husbandry, what to expect in the 

show ring, marketing your alpacas, and 

starting an alpaca gift shop. For more information, 

contact Cheryl Palmentera, (440) 

543-6114), or cpalmentera@earthlink.net. 

SEPTEMBER 17-19, 2004: 3rd Annual 

Northwest Alpaca Showcase, Post Falls, 

ID. Sponsored by the Pacific Northwest 

Alpaca Association. AOBA FLEECE AND 

SHOWRING CERTIFICATION PENDING. 

Alpacas and breeders from six states 

meet at Templin’s Resort for competition, 

education, vendors, and participant lodging. 

Beginning and intermediate level 

seminars are free. Art/Photo contest, 

silent auction, and alpaca products. The 

2003 Showcase had excellent public 

attendance. Details: Leslee Miller, (509) 

229-3655, or www.alpacashowcase.org. 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2004: “The Private 

Collection: An Elite Suri Alpaca 

Breeders’ Sale,” Findlay OH. Presenting 

the finest suris in the country! Twentyfour 

premier suri breeders have organized 

to offer the best suris in the country, 

representing the full spectrum of colors 

and diverse genetics of distinction. With 

a two-year history of phenomenal success 

and the “All-Suri Feature,” you will 

not want to miss this auction. Contact: 

Alpaca Jack’s Suri Farm, (419) 423-3890, 

or jack@alpacajack.com 

SEPTEMBER 18-19, 2004: CAMELIDynamics 


Bellingham, WA. Two day clinic for 

alpaca and llama enthusiasts. Contact: 

Linda Bylsma, LRAlpacas@aol.com or 

(360) 966-5763. 

SEPTEMBER 25-28: TTEAM/ Camelidynamics 

Advanced Training, Bend OR. For 

people who want to develop a high level of 

animal handling skill. Begins where the 

two-day clinics leave off. Intensive, handson 

experience. Personal coaching with 

Marty, work with a large variety of camelids 

with various issues. Includes a fiber evening, 

ranch tours, and fun! Prior attendance 

at a two-day clinic with Marty required. 

Contact: Marty McGee Bennett, marty@ 

camelidynamics.com, (541) 318-5026. 

69


OCTOBER 2-3, 2004: Fourth Annual 

Alpaca Heritage Sale and Open Farm 

Day, Princeton NJ. October 2nd (10:00 

a.m. - 4:00 p.m.): Mid-Atlantic breeders 

offer a diverse selection of alpacas, 

including a herd sire showcase. Visit with 

multiple breeders in one day at one location. 

Educational seminars, spinning 

demos, alpaca products, free parking, 

and refreshments. October 3rd: participating 

breeders will open their farms to 

visitors with no appointments needed. 

Contact: Alice Brown, (856) 697-8127, 

or fpalpacas@aol.com), or 

www.AlpacaHeritage.com. 

OCTOBER 2-3, 2004: CAMELIDynamics 

“TTeam Weekend” with Marty McGee 

Bennett, Alpaca Meadows, Mansfield, OH. 

Day One covers training and handling 

techniques, herding, catching, haltering, 

trimming toenails, giving shots. Day Two 

includes halter training, grooming without 

trauma, understanding keys of shearing as 

preparation for the show ring, judging 

quality fiber, cleaning fiber, ways to keep 

your pastures clean, and marketing issues 

for the cottage industry. Cost: $325.00. 

Contact: Julie Perry, (419) 529-8152 or 

mandj@alpacameadows.com. 

OCTOBER 8-10, 2004: 5th Annual 

Breeder’s Choice Auction and Customer 

Appreciation Futurity, Litchfield OH. 

Hosted by Magical Farms, Inc. and 

Ameripaca Alpaca Breeding Company, 

Inc. Mark your calendars now to attend! 

The Breeder’s Choice Auction continues 

70 

to be America’s premier private auction/ 

futurity event, and each year has been 

better than the last, so be sure not to 

miss the stunning 2004 auction animals, 

seminars, Futurity, and most of all, the 

FUN! Contact: Magical Farms, info@ 

alpacafarm.com or (330) 667-3233. 

OCTOBER 9-10, 2004: AlpacaMania 2004, 

Jackson County Expo Center, Central 

Point, OR. Sponsored by The State of 

Jefferson Alpaca Association (SOJAA). 

AOBA HALTER & FLEECE CERTIFICATION 

PENDING. Educational seminars, vendors, 

private treaty sales, silent auction, 

Saturday night BBQ, and more, all under 

one roof! Halter Judge: Jill MacLeod; 

Fleece Judge: Kristin Buhrmann. 

Show Superintendent: Dale Davis, 

(530) 795-9512, or fax: (530) 795-9512, 

or daleandalan@yahoo.com. 

OCTOBER 16-17, 2004: CAMELIDynamics 


Santa Ynez, CA. Three day clinic for 

alpaca and llama enthusiasts. Contact 

Joan Speirs alpaca@silcom.com or 

phone (805) 688-2821. 

OCTOBER 21-28, 2004: 108th U.S. Animal 

Health Association (USAHA) Annual 

Conference, Sheraton Greensboro Hotel. 

Contact Alpacas Magazine or go to 

usaha.org for additional information. 

OCTOBER 23-24, 2004: Empire Alpaca 

Extravaganza, Syracuse NY. AOBA CERTI- 

FICATION PENDING. Sponsored by the 

Empire Alpaca Association. Halter 

Judges: Jude Anderson, Kristen 

Buhrmann; Performance Judge: Harold 

Herbold; Fleece Judge: Jill MacLeod. 

Contacts: Halter Superintendent: Melissa 

Young, (607) 637-5201, melissayoung45@ 

hotmail.com. Fleece Superin-tendent: 

Al Beatty, (301) 704-0054, or 

bellaseraalpacas@msn.com. 

OCTOBER 30, 2004: Peruvian Classic, 

Mantua OH. Sponsored by Stachowski 

Alpacas; Pet Center, Inc.; and Camelids 

of Delaware, Inc. Contact: Dr. Anthony 

Stachowski, (330) 274-0280, sa@alpacaworld.com. 

NOVEMBER 13, 2004: Fiber Seminar, 

10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Topics include 

shearing, show-fleece preparation, 

breeding and feeding for superior fiber, 

color genetics, and similarities/differences 

between huacaya and suri fiber. 

Cost: $45 per person (lunch included). 

Make checks payable to Alpaca Heritage 

Events and send to Ingrid Wood, 1862 

Jacksonville-Jobstown Road, Columbus, 

New Jersey 08022. Information: 

www.AlpacaHeritage.com, or (609) 

261-0696, or alpacas@uscom.com. 

FEBRUARY 2005: Third Annual Fiber to 

Fashion Conference, Orlando FL. Watch 

OneVoice and Alpacas Magazine for 

details.

Members are encouraged to contact staff on their direct phone lines. 

Michele Biordi, Certified Association Executive (CAE) 

Executive Director, Ext: 3034 

Direct phone: (856) 642-4434, e-mail: mbiordi@ahint.com 

Michele oversees the organization, including day-to-day 

operations. She works with the AOBA Board of Directors 

on plans and budget; implements board decisions; and 

supervises the core staff. Staff liaison to Raw Fiber & 

Finished Products Committee, Government & Industry 

Relations Committee, and Nomination Committee. She 

is the point person for any board-related and other 

association issues. 

Rebecca Haines 

Registration Coordinator, Ext: 3061 

Direct phone: (856) 642-4213, e-mail: rhaines@ahint.com 

Rebecca handles pre-registration and on-site registration 

for the Fiber to Fashion & AOBA National Conferences. 

She is the point person for questions related to these events. 

James Jurgens 

Marketing Manager, Ext: 3027 

Direct phone: (856) 642-4205, e-mail: jjurgens@ahint.com 

James serves as the staff liaison for the marketing committee 

and is responsible for implementing the committee’s 

decisions on behalf of headquarters. He is the marketing 

division’s point person at AOBA headquarters. 

Naomi Rawlins 

Receptionist/Administrative Assistant, Ext: 3000 

Direct phones: (856) 439-1076 and (800) 213-9522 

Naomi answers the AOBA phone lines. She handles 

consumer inquiries/requests and assists Shannon in 

member questions and requests. 

Publications, Calendars 

Alpacas Magazine Executive Editor 

Dave Belt, Sunrise Editorial Services 

Through June 1, 2004: 678 Dichoso St., 

Pagosa Springs CO 81147 

After June 1, 2004: 1631 Route 6 Bayhead, Tatamagouche, 

NS B0K 1V0 (postage from U.S. is 

60 cents for 1 ounce or less; 85 cents for two ounces) 

Alpacas Magazine Advertising Sales 

Stephanie Pride, Advertising Manager, c/o Able Publishing 

785-537-0320, steph@llamabanner.com 

Photo Submissions for Alpacas Magazine, OneVoice 

Steven and Annie Segal, Design Horizon 

303-621-8505, segal@designhorizon.com 

AOBA Contact Information 

Shannon Ashe 

Member Services, FRG Staff Coordinator, and 

Library Coordinator, Ext: 3028 

Direct phone: (856) 642-4211, e-mail: sashe@ahint.com 

Shannon is the primary point person for member questions/ 

requests; sign-up for the Farm and Ranch Guide and 

www.alpacainfo.com marketing website; and AOBA lending 

library transactions. 

Heather Petet 

Assistant Executive Director, Ext: 3041 

Direct phone: (856) 642-4204, e-mail: hpetet@ahint.com 

Heather provides direct support to the Executive Director 

in all operations of AOBA. Staff liaison for both the 

Affiliate and Education Committees. She is also the staff 

liaison for Show Division Administrator, and the Show 

Division. Heather is an additional contact for the membership 

regarding requests, questions, orders, etc. 

Lisa Wagenseller 

Conference Manager, Ext: 3056 

Direct phone: (856) 642-4401 

E-mail: lwagenseller@ahint.com 

Lisa plans and executes the Fiber to Fashion and AOBA 

National Conferences. She works with the Board of 

Directors, committees, volunteers, and headquarters office 

on event arrangements. Questions other than registration 

should be directed to Lisa at the headquarters office. 

ARI Contact Information 

Alpaca Registry, Inc. 

c/o Association Management Group, Inc. 

8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300 

McLean VA 22102 

Phone: (703) 610-9022 

FAX: (703) 610-9005 

ARI Office Manager: 

BJ Stanger, bjstanger@alpacaregistry.net 

Magazine Subscriptions and Changes of Address 

Michele Biordi, Heather Petet, or Shannon Ashe 

aoba@ahint.com or 856-439-1076 

All Calendar Submissions (website, Alpacas Magazine, 

and OneVoice): see p. 64 for details

The quarterly newsletter of the Alpaca Owners and Breeders Association, Inc. and the Alpaca Registry, Inc. 

OneVoice is published four times a year by Sunrise Editorial Services. Words and Commas: David Belt; Circles, 

Squares, and Triangles: Steven and Annie Segal; Ink and Paper: Stephanie Pride/Able Publishing, Shutterbug: Jeff 

Laydon, unless indicated otherwise. © 2004 Sunrise Editorial Services. Individual contributors retain copyright to 

their original submissions to this derivative work. 

OneVoice Deadlines 

Issue Deadline for Input Release Date 

June 04 May 1, 04 June 20, 04 

September 04 Aug. 1, 04 Sept. 20, 04 

December 04 Nov. 1, 04 Dec. 20, 04 

March 05 Feb. 1, 05 March 20, 05 

Send all OneVoice correspondence and inputs to: 

alpacapubs@yahoo.com. Electronic inputs only 

(exception: hard copy photographs accepted). 

678 Dichoso Street 

Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 

Address Service Requested 

PRESORTED 

FIRST CLASS 

U.S. Postage Paid 

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