Happy dry day.....phew! BAS National only a week away.

The National show is only a week away and as luck would have it we have hit a dry cold spell this week at TOFT. The alpacas love every single minute of it. These are some of our TOFT Intermediate boys who were practicing their 'strut' in the cold walking up and down the fence line showing off their masculine presence trying to impress the wee weaner females who were feeding at the time on the hard standing.

Their fleeces dry real quick in this weather and the cold makes their follicles 'ping' and they truly look magnificent in these kind of conditions. We shall be penning the show team up in the shed as soon as the weather looks like turning. Our elite boys and girls deserve to look their best next weekend at the showcase of the year. The British Alpaca Society National Show 2016 at the Internatinal Centre Telford. Friday and Saturday 8 am onwards. Let's hope TOFT do well, certainly the show team have a look and feel about them- we shall see.

Back at TOFT with my old friend John...

Back to cutting and doing at TOFT after a five day 'break' at the SWAG alpaca show at the Royal Bath & West and then the Irish Association Summer Show at Mullingar. Great break, met some great people, had a good laugh and talked an awful lot of alpaca...as you do. It's a tough life being a companion animal to Mrs TOFT Alpaca judge  but someone's got to do it. 

Next? I'm judging the Three Counties Fleece Show and then a return to Eire to judge  the Irish Association National Show in Dundalk!  Perfick!

Lovely crop of colour....

Every one of the 9 TOFT entries to the BAS National show got placed resulting in a bonny crop of coloured rosettes from some seriously competitive classes. A massive TOFT thanks to. Barbara Hetherington of Beck Brow alpacas and her merry team of organisers and helpers who made the last two days a massive success. Well done one and all. The. National is a credit to our vibrant community. Roll on next year...same time same place and we'll do it all again...Perfick!

TOFT Timogen Champion Brown Male for the second year running at BAS Nationals

TOFT Timogen has delighted us all again at the BAS Nationals 2015 taking the brown Champion Ribbon for the second year running. This Lavender a Park Tulley boy is carving out a name for himself to match his father.... Whoopee!!!

Exhibitors meeting at the crack of sparrows on the first day...

Each year we meet friends and foe to compete for the bling...and we love it! Sad or what ? No just obsessed with moving forward to see where we can go. And the alpacas? They never let is down...Perfick!

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Commentators view... Your truly on the mic for tag first day of judging introducing the acts...

Alpaca Fancy dress at the National Show

Whole family themed for Snow White and the seven dwarves. Daddy in the dress deserves a medal for his dedication. As for the cutie in the pink dress - what a draw. The crowd loved it!

Aha....that looks better...

Up at the crack of Sparrowfart for the Nationals....

The glamour of show biz...Early doors at the Telford International Centre for the first day of the 2015 National Show. TOFT stand looks a little understated until we get the flag here (forgot it yesterday hey ho) and the telly on! White coats at the ready for Linda and Freya when they get here. They are currently whacking their way up the M6 to join us.

What's with the Van, man?

TOFT boys showteam had a new experience today as they were transported to the National Show in Telford in  a Van. Never had this problem when the National was within spitting distance of TOFT. Nowadays it's a big ask to get the TOFT Showteam and our client animals to the show in one trailer. Fortunately Ben Harford of Ashcroft Alpacas stepped up to the plate with his van. The boys were spoilt it even has carpet on the floor. Here's the TOFT boys getting acclimatised.

Hey Ho into the trailer we shall go...BAS National Show Telford International Centre this weekend

TOFT Alpaca Stud ladies team trotting into the trailer...

Hey ho, hey ho, it's off to Telford we all go for the British Alpaca National Show!

Waiting to load the TOFT Alpaca Stud show team on this glorious day ready for the British Alpaca Society National Show at the Telford International Centre this weekend. 

TOFT show team drying out in anticipation...

The first elite TOFT combatants in 2015 alpaca show season are busily standing on the hill in the wind drying out for the British Alpaca Society National Show this weekend. The dry spell this week couldn't have come at a better time. Hopefully by the time they leave for the Telford Exhibition centre on Friday for the Nationals these fine fleeced boys and girls will be dry enough to show of their best. 

However they will be competing against almost 400 of the best alpacas in the UK so we shall be very pleased to find our boys and girls in the frontline never mind being placed. If we knew the outcome before we attend it wouldn't be worth going. Regardless of the results we are getting excited now and really looking forward  to catching up with everything alpaca over the weekend.

Young handlers at the BAS National Show 2014

In a welcome break for the judging of alpacas the young handler competition was held on the Saturday lunch hour with two separate classes, one for the young uns 3-7 and another for the older handlers 8-15. 

Shirley ran the younger class and Tim Hey from Inca Alpacas the older one. 

It was refreshing to see that all of the entrants knew their way around alpacas. All competitors walked and handled with confidence and with very little prompting even the youngest managed to answer intelligent questions on alpacas. Sometimes it's the cute factor which governs the winners and I must admit it was nice to see several first prizes handed out to the under 7's but the older handlers had to strut their stuff in style and be knowledgable about alpacas and were placed accordingly. The winner in the older group was Chloe Edwards from Mulberry Alpacas.

A lovely diversion and an important one we must encourage every opportunity to get the younger generations involved in our industry and much thanks Tim and Shirley for making it enjoyable for all.

Alpaca showing: fantastic results for Toft at the National Show.

What a weekend. Eight alpaca entries  in the British Alpaca Society National Show and a haul of medals and broad ribbons.

Toft Madysen took first and Reserve Champion in the Junior Female fawn

Toft Ikrit took first in the Intermediate Brown Male

Toft Rastaban took first in the Adult Brown Male

Toft Ison took second in the Adult Black Male

Toft Adele took second in Junior Female Brown

Toft Anaire took fourth in the Junior White Female

Then Toft Rastaban took best brown in show!

Eight entries, 6 rosettes and two broad ribbons- what a result.

The British Alpaca Society National Show is the most prestigious show in the season and the competition is fierce. Thanks to Val Fullerlove of Hanley Hall Alpacas and Liz Barlow of Livanti Alpacas for judging the 340 entries and giving such accolades and praise to the Toft Alpaca entries.

Great results for a great Toft Shown Team. 

All these animals are for sale and we have already had a lot of interest. Well done Linda our herds woman who works her cottons off over the weekend!

That's it show season is over for Team Toft. Tomorrow we start shearing.

Alpaca judging

Mary Jo Smith of Bozedown alpacas judging the Heart Of England Alpaca Fiesta 2013.
Congratulations Mary Jo you did a great job on a cold two days and thank for giving Toft Alpacas one of the best alpaca showing days In it's 16 year history. 15 entries, 13 rosettes and two reserve champion ribbons. Roll on the British Alpaca Society National Show at Bury Farm Equestrian centre on the 11th and 12th of May!!