Ruzzel - 1st Place VAOBA 2008

 Chilly Brook - 2nd Place VAOBA 2008

Platinum Fox - 1st Place VAOBA 2009

Ash Hauler - 1st Place VAOBA 2009

Sugar - 2nd Place MAPACA 2010

 Macho Man - 1st Place MAPACA 2010 plus Color Champion

more to come

So far I think our plan is working.  We are now starting our fourth year as an Alpaca farm and we are winning ribbons in every show we've attended.  We went to MAPACA again this year.  Times are tough and money is tight but we had to go to the Jubilee again.  The MAPACA Jubilee is probable the biggest show on the East Coast (over 1,000 Alpacas were there this year).  There are always some disappointments but after only a few years in this business I think we're doing really well.

We did our job well last year and we've got some beautiful cria to show-off this year.  I took four girls to MAPACA this year.  Sugar, Nilla, Montabella and Prada.  All but Prada placed in their classes.  I knew Prada didn't have the best fleece - she just looks so cool I had to take her.  Prada is a pinto. 

I took Sugar back again to see if the judges still liked her.  She took second last year and she got 3rd Place this year.  That's o.k. i'm happy with that and i got some good feedback from the judge.  The main reason I took her was I wanted to compete in 'Produce of Dam'.  Nilla and Sugar are both from Spice (one of my best girls) so I had a chance to get Spice a new ribbon and she got 4th Place!  It's cool to get a new ribbon for a Dam in production.  Sugar also got 6th Place in 'Bred and owned yearling female'.  Nilla her little sister got 3rd Place in her class.

Montabella was this years surprise for us.   She just made the cut for MAPACA at 6 months old.  Her Dam is Shenandoah and her Sire is Capt. Morgan.  Shen (3rd place MAPACA 06) is great and I love her confirmation.  Bella is a chip off the old block - 2 blocks.  She's got her mom's build and dad's luster.  I knew she was a nice cria and a definite evolution for our breeding program but I think the judge wanted to adopt her on the spot.  Her class was so big they broke it up into two groups.  When the classes get big you have a good chance of getting walked.  Bella took 2nd Place in her group.  The cool part was that we got to go back for Color Champion selection.  The 1st Place finisher in her group got Color Champion so Bella got to move up and compete for Reserve Color Champion which is still a big deal.  It was Bella and the other 1st Place finishers in the fawn color group.  The judge came back and gave Bella another long look.  I got the feeling it was a true toss-up but the Reserve Banner went to the Ameripaca entry.  I think this is the fourth time Ameripaca has just barely beaten my girls.  I'm not complaining; Ameripaca produces some awesome alpacas and it's exciting to compete at their level.

Sugar - 3rd and 6th Place Finishes MAPACA 2011

Nilla - 3rd Place MAPACA 2011

Montabella - 2nd Place MAPACA 2011

Captain's Spiced Girl - 4th Place MAPACA 2011 'Produce of Dam'

Sugar - 2nd Place MAPACA 2011 'Fleece entry'

AABC Macho Man - 2nd Place MAPACA 2011 'Fleece entry'

So far, so good.  We've done a little better at every show we've attended.  We only had two classes that we didn't place in.  Prada got walked and I chose to give the 'Breeder's best three' a try.  'Breeder's best three' is a hard class!  All the big, old, well established farms were there.  I might've placed if I had three Montabellas.  One of these days - you'll see me there with that 1st Place ribbon.

I'll let you know how the VAOBA Show goes this fall.