TOFT ALPACAS GOES DUTCH...

Published: 12/20/2011 6:09:00 PM

Toft Alpacas goes to Holland where Rob Judges the Stichting Alpaca show Assen

Shirl and I went to Holland last weekend where I was judging the Stichting Alpaca Show in Assen.

Neither of us had ever been to Holland before so we took the ‘wee’ car and drove down to Harwich at the crack of Sparrows on the Friday.

We took most of Friday on they Ferry getting the Hook of Holland and then drove the 2.5 hrs to Assen.

I judged the fleeces on the Saturday the Alpacas on the Sunday and we had a great drive back on the Monday.

As always it was a bit of a bus mans holiday but thoroughly enjoyable.

The alpaca show was held in a very impressive equestrian centre with enough room in the one building to house all the alpacas and two show rings.

Half the arena was boarded over to host a Christmas fair of stalls selling all sorts of food and fayre and not just alpaca related stuff. There was a permanent grandstand ringside that seated about two hundred. Christmas music played throughout and it was a very grand atmosphere indeed.

The show was real treat and very well organised from start to finish. It was truly impressive to see how the Dutch Breeders all work together to make the event a success. They all wear team these red team fleeces signifying they are part of Team Nord. I presume that Team South has a different coloured fleece, I forgot to ask.

Some of the volunteers had travelled hundreds of miles to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in to make the event happen. I had a wonderful interpreter Anna who spoke better English than me and was a young alpaca breeder so could make sense of the all the technical detail.

Margreet Joling was the show secretary and did a great job. I had a couple of ring stewards who were great but I can hardly pronounce their first names let alone spell them but I thank them all the same.

It was a real Christmas event with  a great atmosphere which managed to attract about 400 members of the general public along to enjoy the alpacas. Mind you it was bitterly cold that weekend in Holland so I don’t think they felt like hanging around too long. I had to do a lot of walking between classes to keep warm.

The ring consisted of an Equestrian surface of sand and rags but was also irrigated from underneath which made the floor cold and very damp. I noticed it big time when kneeling to get closer to inspect the fleece.   .

We all had a lot of fun and although it was seriously cold we didn’t let it get us down.  Needless to say the Dutch breeders made Shirley and I very welcome and we made a lot of new friends and all had a lot of fun despite it being a very cold weekend.

The alpacas were generally of a very high standard especially in the championship line up and it certainly was a credit to the Dutch Alpaca Breeders that the Championship line up would have held its own anywhere in the world both in huacaya and Suri.

A beautiful Fawn male took the Supreme Huacaya just pipping some excellent white and beige alpacas. It might have been a surprise to the White champions that the Fawn boy took the big cup but he really was so good you wanted to bring him home.

It was a quick visit to Holland but it won't be our last the people adn the alpacas are just too nice to ignore.

We had a great time and wish all the alpaca breeders of Holland a great year ahead for their alpaca herds and their community

Rob Bettinson

Toft Alpacas, Dunchurch , Warwickshire

Alpaca Fleece Show European Judge Alpaca Halter Judging Alpaca Event Alpaca feature European Alpaca event Rob Bettinson BAS Alpaca Judge Alpaca Halter show European Alpaca Breeders Alpaca Europe Practical Introduction to Alpacas Stichting Alpaca Show Assen Holland