Devon County Show

As I write this, it has been raining for 4 hours on what should have been the final day of the show - it was cancelled yesterday afternoon as cars needed towing in and out of car parks. Until then, only a few heavy showers had interrupted the alpaca judging for ten minutes at a time, with otherwise bright and breezy conditions. Today should be the Championships, but as I left last night, a decision hadn't been made, whether it could take place.

Our small, but perfectly-formed team had to travel on two days, coloured classes being day one, lights and whites on day two. Following heavy showers through wednesday night, we had two very wet alpacas, but I had taken a calculated decision, that the first of their classes was late enough in the day for them to dry out, rather than confine them to a shelter, and the stress that might have added to them - I hadn't reckoned on the white Empress rolling on the dry earth floor of the shelter with her wet fleece, as we collected them to lead them into the trailer, so she had become a red-brown for the day!

First-up was Apple Vale Elstar, in a class of 10 female fawns she came 6th with her lovely soft fleece, behind progeny of equally notable sires.

On day two in another class of 10, female whites, I was chuffed, as judge Liz Barlow waved Apple Vale Empress into 4th place, mentioning the good density amongst her fleece attributes, in a class filled with progeny from other high-achieving sires.

The cheery demeanour  of judge Liz Barlow helps any event, and she makes the gathered spectators feel included - unfortunately, I don't have any photographs of ours in the ring, but we are very pleased with the results, and with the trailer already cleaned out, looking forward to the Royal Bath & West this week, where we'll be showing the females again, and Joy will be demonstrating felting on the wednesday as part of  Fibre Focus, led byVal Fullerlove.