Alpacas lined up to be shown off at the Royal Adelaide Show for the first time. (Image: Juliette Aubert)
By Juliette Aubert | @AubJuliette
The Australian Alpaca Association (AAA) hosted its 2022 National Show at the Royal Adelaide for the first time ever.
Previously, the AAA National Show was a stand-alone event on rotation between South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, but they had to find a new home after being cancelled by the pandemic in the last two years.
The association chose the show to hold their annual competition due to its alignment with their regular scheduling, as well as the large crowds, agribusiness, and rural enterprise the show attracts.
Held at the Alpaca and Goat Pavilion within the showgrounds, this year’s alpaca competition was one of the AAA’s biggest yet.
With over 200,000 alpacas registered in Australia, the National Alpaca Show put 300 of the best from around the country on display.
On his first outing without his mum, six-month-old Blaze won Reserve Champion Junior Male, thrilling alpaca farmer Lee Sadler.
Also, a board member of the AAA and convenor of the National Alpaca Show, Ms Sadler said it was a strategic move to no longer hold a stand-alone show and instead coattail off of the Royal Adelaide Show.
“With the use of their infrastructure and security, we have been able to spring forward into the future,” she said.
“The alpacas are in their best leg of their fleece, they are looking the best that they are all year, and this is the Royal Show that best aligns with this timing wise.
“We have a really good relationship with RAS … and it was a way to further that relationship and showcase alpacas to the people of Adelaide.”
Competition judges said the alpaca community has had a positive reaction to the event being held at the show, and they look forward to continuing to showcase their animals, fibre and products to the public.
When alpacas were introduced to Australia, the goal was to create a commercial fibre industry. Decades on, the alpaca wool industry is thriving, producing over $25 per kilogram with farmers saying it is comparable to Marino wool.
“Alpacas were expensive, much more expensive than they are now, but it was about building numbers,” Ms Sadler said.
“Unless you have enough animals, with a range of colours from which you can make beautiful products, you’re still at the breeding phase.
“We are transitioning into a commercial fibre industry at this point, so significantly different to how it was early on and making enormous and various, very encouraging steps forward for the future.”
Ms Sadler explained that the fleece of the alpaca has many uses – including clothing production, home insulation and even fibre-optic cable wrapping – due it its light and insulating nature.
Ms Sadler showed off her favourite purple scarf, which was hand-knitted, hand-spun and hand-dyed by fellow alpaca breeder, Lyn De Bruyn, using fleece from Ms Sadler’s stud, Lorimar.
After such a successful competition, judges are hopeful the event will return to the Royal Adelaide Show next year.
“This has been a fun, happy show; we’ve been delighted to be able to have the public visit us and talk all things alpaca,” Ms Sadler said.
“The weather’s been kind, Adelaide has been welcoming, it’s been a privilege to be here.”
ontherecordunisa.com 