MEONSTOKE RECEPTION CLASS ANNUAL VISIT

The weather felt more like February than mid May but the chilly rain didn't stop the fun with the Reception class of boys and girls from Meonstoke School today.

All dressed up in boots and waterproofs off we went to meet the alpacas who as usual were very pleased to see our little visitors - especially to have a look at their boots! We kept warm with the occasional race across a field and a hilarious gathering in a dust bath pretending to have a roll about! I was right in the middle of that so didn't get a picture!

Farm walk finished and we took shelter in the stable to look at alpaca food and fleece. A quick snack - a brilliant surprise for me of little cheesy nibbles.... and then all the boys and girls painted pictures. The finale was the whole class singing to me "Mrs Oglesby had a Farm ..... " to the tune of Old MacDonald!  Lovely!


All the Juniors meeting the Juniors!

A race to look at the Llama

Very good listening ears!

How cool are these snacks !
Tasty little llamas - I think they look more like alpacas!

Great picture - love it!

Artists at work

Wow - a whole herd!

Love the blue sky - not much of it around this morning!

This lady keen on multi's I think

Time for a song - complete with Hummmm!

BAS NATIONALS 2013

Another busy weekend - this time at the BAS Nationals near Leighton Buzzard. I really haven't spent much time in Bedfordshire before and being Friday thought it best to avoid the M25 and go cross-country to the show. The little man in my phone, who speaks English in a foreign accent, often the cause of much hilarity from me and Rebecca, took us through some really beautiful villages with views across to the Chiltern Hills which made it a very pleasant journey.  With animals settled in and voting done at the AGM we checked in at our Hotel - the hub of nightlife in Leighton Buzzard it seems, complete with bouncers on the door! However, our room was up the quiet end and very comfortable with lovely duvets too.  What I hadn't realised when booking it was that the Saturday Market would be set up at 4.45am just outside our Hotel, which took a couple of hours and involved what sounded like a lorry load of metal poles being dropped and rolled onto the tarmac ....

This was an Age Championship show, so the running order is completely different from the Colour Championship shows of the rest of the year, it took me a while to get my head round what was going on.  I prefer the Colour Championship shows, it just seems to make more sense to me. My frequent  trips to the penning in a different building to bring members of our show team to the ring, was a bit of a nightmare at times, thanks largely to members of the public complete with their dogs and toddlers oblivious to the dangers of frightened alpacas potentially kicking out at toddler-head height, blocking up the walkways from the penning shed.

The first mornings showing for us was our 5 junior females and all of them were placed with Bonnie winning her Light class and Macy Grey and Enigma coming 2nd in their grey and black classes.  The afternoon was the turn of our 4 intermediate boys, again all placed.  Eros and The Sorcerer both clear winners in their classes.

The Gala Dinner was a great success - a bit chilly but great fun with very good food. There was a pair a ridden camels, one of them moving as gracefully as possible given it's conformation and gait, and in complete harmony with his rider performing quite tidy flying changes - I would love to have had a 'go' on him - never ridden a camel! The pony scurry racing, would like a go at that too, and dog agility were both very entertaining.  Our taxi driver was very considerate and parked right outside the door so thankfully we didn't have to plough our way through all the strange smelling black mud in the car park.

On Sunday Topsey Turvey came 2nd in his multi class. Last in for us was Bonami, who won his Adult fawn class and then went on to win reserve Champion Adult Male,  I couldn't have been more surprised given the line-up of whites in that Championship - the Judge praised him for his fineness, great density and very low transition line.

New to the Nationals this year the Regional Groups were in competition for points across everything in the show and our own Southern Regional Group won the massive trophy which I was presented with as it's Chairman and I must say well done to all our Members!

So that's it for shows for  us for a few months. Now it's cria time and our first "Jumper"  is due today, on eleven months - she doesn't look ready yet.

Rebecca and Marah having a go at the agility course

Macy Grey and Enigma

Rebecca in the middle with Topsey Turvey

Bonnie , Bonami and Eros 

NORTH SOMERSET SHOW - IN THE SUNSHINE

The alarm went off at 5am ... bit of a shock, but more for Rebecca than me! The promise of a sunny day had dawned very foggy, and quite chilly and I did wonder whether packing T-shirts and SPF 30 might be a tad optimistic, but as it turned out we needed both.

Originally from Somerset, I was vaguely aware of where I had to go, but having never been to this show before I was very relieved when my sat-nav got us there on time and without any wrong turns.

The venue was idyllic - a very English Country scene and soon the show ground was packed to bursting point.  Why don't they put more loos about and more ice-cream stalls too, like right next to our ring for instance?  There was a 'foodie' van selling all sorts of weird stuff like dried worm crisps and exotic meats, such as zebra, crocodile and ALPACA burgers.  An unfortunate pitch choice I thought, maybe the organisers thought watch alpacas - eat alpacas! Not that I'm adverse to people eating alpacas as long as they've had a good life and a humane death ... sorry to upset some of you!  I'm certain there will be a meat market here in the future. (Discussion for another day!) I haven't tried it yet and apparently it is delicious and I will one day - I have threatened one in the past, but found a home for him! They were our nearest 'food' but being first thing in the morning we went for the safe option of their bacon roll, which was fairly disgusting and so I decided not to go for the 'burger' at lunchtime and had a rather lovely ice cream instead, and then another one later too!

Anyway, I digress, so back to the show. We took 5 in the end, Eros had rubbed all the fleece off his ears because of the midges and so we didn't take him.

Now comes the horribly braggy bit, please skip straight to the photos unless you really want to know how we did!

Macy Grey was first in the ring - there weren't many grey females but she was placed first and then went on to win Champion Grey Female. Good.

The Sorcerer was next - he always behaves so badly in the ring, he's quite angelic at home honestly! The Judge Dominic Lane (now with bruised shins - not just from TS) has a special interest in greys, well he just loved him. He praised him in every way possible, but the one word which has stuck in my mind was "Wow.  He won his class and then went on to win Champion Grey Male. Excellent - really, really good. I'm very happy.

Then it was Enigma's turn - Rebecca took her in, a half sister to The Sorcerer - same sire -Meon Valley Ardingly.  A class of 6 and she took 1st and then went on to win Reserve Champion Black Female. Really good - very pleased.

Bonami - fawn adult male - 1st and then Champion Fawn Male - he did it again bless him! Excellent. Even happier!

Bonnie - Beige Junior Female, she is a sweetie and my favourite of our little girls.  1st and Reserve Champion!

What a result! And to top it all Dominic said that The Sorcerer was very much in the running for the Supreme! We really enjoyed the show, relaxed and friendly with plenty of time to chat and eat ice cream! Thank you Garry and team for organising it and to the Judge for some great comments and results - pay you later - JOKE!!! (not that he reads this drivel I'm sure!) Nationals next - bigger show altogether and don't expect to do anything like as well!

Sorry - so much excitement I kept forgetting to take pictures! Here are the girls going back to their field this morning...

Bonnie, Enigma and Macy Grey


Sorry can't show you any more pictures tonight - our internet is desperately slow and won't upload the photos - only 3 more anyway - will add them tomorrow!






FOND FAREWELLS

Three of our boys went off to new homes this week. Meonstoke has gone to live with our retired stud boys Grayling, Ocho and Sir G and I gather there has been a few punch-ups whilst they're all sorting out whose going to be boss, but as they're old buddies and there's no females about I'm sure they'll sort it out soon. They're only a couple of miles away and so I see them quite often when I drive past their field which is lovely.

This morning Bobby Dazzler and Midlington were delivered to their new owners, who also live not far away.  They're going keep another two wethers company, along with a couple of jacob sheep and some chickens. They were very unsure of themselves when we put them in the paddock - their faces were a picture as they were approached by the sheep. I held my breath whilst the chickens pecked about near their feet ... the thought of a startled kick sending a ball of feathers skyward being a strong image in my mind, but thankfully they stood stock still!  I'll particularly miss Bobby D' as he's such a gentle soul and usually walks beside me in the mornings to the feed trough with my hand on his back.  Their new owners have grand children and I'm sure they'll have fun with them when they visit.

This weekend we're off the The North Somerset Show .. leaving home at 5.30am, which means I won't sleep a wink for fear of not hearing the alarm, but it's either that or sleeping in a tent and I'm not that hardy anymore! We're were only allowed to enter 6, so choosing the team was tricky. Should be fun though and I'll report back when I've caught up on my sleep in the week!



Midlington and Bobby Dazzler about to leave home

"What is this woolly thing!"

"If we hide our faces no-one will see us!!"