Thank you one and all for a great show...British Alpaca Futuruty 2015

A huge TOFT thanks to the organisers of the British Alpaca. Futurity 2015 at the Ricoh Arena Coventry. Great room, well organised, fab judging and a lovely atmosphere throughout. A huge thanks to Chas and Rachel of Classical Mile End for what is a colossal undertaking. Big thanks to Mary Jo of Bozedown alpacas for organising the showing and the other sponsors and organisers in the form of Houghton Hall and the Alpaca Stud for giving us a impressive promotional event of this nature.  Much appreciation to all the stewards and secretaries for tirelessly keeping the wheels moving? The Futurity is a wonderful showcase for our industry and much appreciated by all the exhibitors.

 A big hug for Belinda and her merry band of Yarnies who added a great deal of colour and class through the P-Lush event. 

Thanks to Jean Field for organising the fleece show a hugely important feature which always gets a little overshadowed by the moving exhibits but is so vitally important to the future of our industry. 

And finally of a massive thanks to Wade Gease and Peter Kennedy the two international judges who shared of their wisdom and expertise with great charm throughout. However Mr Gease I am still trying to work out how to 'Schnuzzle'  my alpaca. I think that might be illegal in the UK. Thanks to you both I enjoyed your input immensely. Have a great stay in our country and a safe trip home. 

Thanks again to all the organisers and participants for a thoroughly enjoyable alpaca weekend, congratulations to all the winners commiserations to the rest. Let's have a bit rest today and we'll see you all again soon.

Here we go again for day two of the British Alpaca Futurity ...

What else would you do a wet Saturday...? but get along to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry to watch the British Alpaca Futurity and sample the delights of Fibre and Fashion at the P-Lush exhibition where you can buys all manner of yarns, materials and designs by some of the best in the UK. If you are at a loose end today why not pop along and see us there. 

The two International Judges Peter Kennedy of the Australian Alpaca Association and AOBA and Wade Gease of AOBA are busy wading their way through over 400 alpacas representing some of the best young alpaca stock in the UK, Europe and probably the World. They are also doing a fantastic job entertaining the crowd and informing the breeders as they progress towards the big Championships this afternoon.

What about us? Don't we get to go to the Ricoh?

Sorry dudes, we can't take you all. You may have won rosettes at the British Alpaca Society National but this is a different ball game and entries aren't cheap.

In a Futurity it's the nominated sires who are actually competing through their offspring. The sire with the the most winning points achieved through the competition of his progeny  wins the Futurity. Technically if you have a sire with a stack of offspring and your sire happens to pick up the dams colour, and produces elite alpacas and they do well in every class and achieve champions in something you are In with a chance. Not a big ask, huh?  At least I think that's how it works ...

LAVENDER PARK TULLEY who is standing at TOFT is one of the sires and all our entries for the Futurity are his offspring in as many colours and age groups as we can muster. Does he have a chance? It all depends on who is standing next to his kids...hey, that's show business!

TOFT Showteam all shedded up and ready for the Ricoh....

Shedded all the TOFT Alpaca Showteam yesterday ready to go to the Ricih arena tonight for the British Alpaca Futurity on Friday and Saturday. These Elite boys and girls were all taken out of their quarantine paddocks and settled in the dry.  After the last few weeks of dry weather we thought it best not to take any chances with these elite boys and girls of the TOFT Showteam. We want these elite alpacas to look their best in the spotlight over the next two days.

Alpaca fibre is a dry fibre and cannot be judged wet. As it is a dry fibre without lanolin it also can absorb over 20% of its weight in water if left in damp conditions ruining the handle and making the fleece appear coarser thn it truly is. The finer and more Elite the alpaca and it's fibre the more it react to the damp. 

Given our UK weather this probably means that UK alpacas are very rarely judged at ther driest and hence finest, but each year we try. These lot won't be totally dry for the judges at the British Alpaca Futurity but they will be close thanks to a little foresight and a nice dry shed. Hey ho and a showing we will go!

Be nice to my kids at the British Alpaca Futurity on Friday at the Ricoh Arena Coventry

Sorry I can't  make it to the Ricoh  for the Futurity I'm just too busy bonking the girlies but I'm sending my kids along to see you all on Friday...

Give them a good time will you? xxx

Yours sincerely ...

Lavender Park Tulley...standing at TOFT 

TOFT Show team wanting out of quarantine to go to the BrItish Alpaca Futurity at the Ricoh, roll on. Thursday

The TOFT Show team are all ready to go again at the Ricoh Arena Coventry this weekend at the British Alpaca Futurity. Will they do as fantastically well as at the British Alpaca Society National Show a couple of weeks ago? Who knows . Another day another judge anything can happen. If one knew the beforehand what the outcome would be there wouldn't be a point to going would there? Here's wishing everyone who attends a great weekend and much success- including ourselves. 

Well let's get real it is a competition after all !

British Alpaca Futurity 2015 on the doorstep at Ricoh Arena, Coventry

TOFT Show team will be strutting their stuff next weekend  Fri and Sat at the British Alpaca Futurity 2015. This is right on our doorstep  less than 20 mins away so we hope that our alpaca friends who are attending will also take the time to visit TOFT either before, during or after the event.

We only take the very best from TOFT to the shows but you should see what we have left behind. If you are a serious alpaca breeder and coming our way to visit the British Alpaca Futurity then please get in touch. We would be delighted to give you the grand  TOFT tour. We have the famous TOFT Alpaca Shop  on site and we also do some of the best coffee and cake  in Warwickshire at the Cornflower  Cafe. Give yourself a treat make a date with TOFT next weekend to sample the complete Alpaca experience!

Daffs are up....

Daffs have burst into bloom this weekend. TOFT is gently shedding its winter coat.  All the fields that were rested over winter are now harrowed, slit and fertilised. All we need now is a little damp and a lot of warm and visitors will be able to hear the grass grow at TOFT. 

It will be the beginning of May before the first birth so there's a while to go yet where the only excitement will be listening to the grass grow and admiring the elite alpacas roaming the paddocks who look sensational at this time of the year. Don't believe me? Give yourself a treat and get down to TOFT and see for yourself. The fields are brimming with stunning expectant mums, elite weaners and exceptional maidens and young studs in waiting. The big boys are raising their noses in the air as they seek out the open females on the wind readying themselves for the mating season. It's all moving now below the surface at TOFT as we all smell the onset of Spring and ready ourselves for the season ahead.

Team TOFT are all off to the British Alpaca Futurity next Friday and Saturday in search of medals. It's at the Ricoh Arena this year which is literally 20 minutes away from TOFT. So if any of our  UK or European alpaca friends are going to the Futurity and would like to combine it with a visit to TOFT Alpaca Stud then please get in touch. At the Cornflower Cafe we do the best coffee and cake in Warwickshire. Well worth a visit in its own right...honest!