The Australian Alpaca Association will take over the Bendigo Showgrounds later this month for this year\u2019s national show.<\/p>\n
Alpaca enthusiasts can look forward to three days of events and activities aimed at showcasing the best the industry has to offer.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s lead convenor is Jonathon Provis-Vincent, an alpaca farmer and judge at the show in previous years.<\/p>\n
Mr Provis-Vincent said there is a lot of motivation and commitment in the alpaca breeding community and this year\u2019s show would be the biggest one yet.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy main objective for this show is to show everyone that over the difficult few years that have happened recently, and all the ups and downs, that alpacas are back and better than ever,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Provis-Vincent said he is passionate about building a sustainable alpaca industry and wants to show people what the animals are capable of.<\/p>\n
He said he is frequently asked by people whether his alpacas are going to spit at them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe typical answer is no,\u201d he said, \u201cthey may happen to spit at each other if they\u2019re arguing about food but they\u2019re quite gentle towards people.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to youth, animal and fleece events, a section of the show will be dedicated to art, photography and craft inspired by alpacas.<\/p>\n
The art show, which has a record number of entries this year will be judged by Bendigo based visual artist Sarah Wallace-Smith.<\/p>\n
Convenor of the art show Sharon Dawson said she was pleased with the entries that had been submitted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ll have some beautiful pictures and photos on display,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ms Dawson is an artist known for her animal portraiture and said her art practice is a way for her to relax.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlpacas are actually quite difficult to draw,\u201d she said. \u201cBut they\u2019re such an appealing looking animal, their eyes are very gentle and inquisitive,<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd taking photos, everyone just wants to get that perfect shot and they\u2019re pretty photogenic so there\u2019s the joy in that,\u201d said Ms Dawson.<\/p>\n
Ms Dawson said she is hoping to see more public involvement this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be really good to see the public walking through and taking a bit of an interest in everything alpaca.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Australian Alpaca National Show will be on at the Bendigo Showgrounds from 17 to 19 August.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Australian Alpaca Association will take over the Bendigo Showgrounds later this month for this year\u2019s national show. Alpaca enthusiasts can look forward to three days of events and activities aimed at showcasing the best the industry has to offer. This year\u2019s lead convenor is Jonathon Provis-Vincent, an alpaca farmer and judge at the show […]<\/p>\n