Over 100 alpacas competed for blue ribbons today at the 5th annual NJ Alpaca Classic, which was held at Logan Township’s Dream Park. What’s an alpaca? They’re undeniably spunky mammals that look like small llamas. But more. Alpacas are unique. They’re easygoing, domesticated and have some of the most sought after fleece. They’re charming animals that come in a wide variety of colors from fresh-snow white to velvety black, with all shades of brown and gray in between. And on this cool autumn morning, dozens of breeders from the tri-state area assembled in the indoor arena to show off their fluffy herds.
The faint aroma of livestock was the first thing to greet you when you stepped onto the green-turfed exhibition area. Once you got used to the smell (it only took a few minutes), the next thing you noticed was the spacious pens that were filled with hay, water, and of course, alpacas. Some of them lay squat on the ground while others stood face-forward in front of cooling fans. Others grazed while a few seemed to pose for pictures. They were incredible. As were their friendly owners.
The competition itself took place on dirt-floor show rings and was a judging of movement, character, fine-ness of fleece, weight and so much more. And just steps away from all of the action was a 5-week old baby alpaca (a “cria,” pronounced kree-uh) in her own cozy pen who was being bottle fed every two hours. All in all, it was a family-friendly and safe event, at which the animals were obviously handled with love and attention. There’s still one more day to check it out so if you’re free tomorrow (11/3/13) 8am and noon, go on by and check it out. There are also vendors selling a variety softer-than-cashmere sweaters, scarves, socks, gloves and so much more!
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Visit http://www.njacalpacas.org/NJ_Alpaca_Classic.html for more information.
