Events of the Hollow
2005 Events
March 12-13, 2005
The Virginia Classic
Lexington, Virginia
Click here for Photos!
Samantha Brigman entered into the Youth PR Class and earned 3rd Place with Mount Airy Snowman. She and Snowman were also in the Junior Showmanship Class where they took 2nd Place! These placements earned Samantha the Youth Reserve Versatility
Championship! Considering this was Samantha's first show we think she did a wonderful job!
Also showing for the very first time was Emily Potter, age 6. Emily was only in one class for this show, the Sub Junior Showmanship Class. Emily showed Thistledown's Angus of Argyll, our Junior Herdsire and they made quite a pair! Emily took 1st Place! Needless to say we are quite proud of her as well!
Angus was also shown in the Mature Brown Halter Class where he placed 6th. He also was shown in the Produce of Dam Class with his half brother Logan. The boys took a 5th place for their dam, River Rock's Sabrina who is owned by Wildwood Alpacas.
Handmade Derby items that Sue created and entered also placed- A beautiful dark brown crocheted stole won 3rd Place and a simple crocheted scarf took 4th Place.
April 3, 2005
Alpaca Budget Caper - ABC Show
www.alpacaheritage.com
Howard County Fairgrounds
West Friendship, Maryland
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The ABC Show, held on April 3rd, was a very nice small show and an enjoyable experience in spite of the wind and cold temps! Better weather would have been the only improvement we could have asked for. It was judged by Bud Griffith, an alpaca breeder with over twenty years experience. He was very fair in his assessments and we feel he did a wonderful job.
For Nottingham Hollow, Angus was the first one up in the halter class. We entered him in the Full Fleece Huacaya Male, Dark Adult Class where he placed 2nd. It had rained the week prior to the show and he had damp fleece (they just love being out in the rain!) and could possibly have taken first had it been dry.
Next up for us was Whitney. Since she was open, we were able to bring her out to the show. Whitney has never been shown and this was a whole new experience for her. She brought home a blue ribbon for her showing in the Full Fleece Huacaya Female Dark Adult Class. The judge was complimentary of her fiber and general condition for her age which is almost six years old.
Next came the costume classes for the kids. Angus and Emily went as Best Friends at a Pajama Party and took 1st Place in the Sub Junior Class. Emily wore a frilly night cap and an oversized pink flannel nightgown and Angus sported a Blue fleece "robe" that went over his back and tied under his neck. He also wore a long stocking cap and was the one who brought the story book along....
Samantha and Snowman went as a bride and groom! She was in the Open Costume Class with the older kids and this duo took 5th place. Unfortunately Snowman refused to wear his top hat which just may have nudged them up a bit in the placings. That doesn't matter as they had great fun and that is what it is all about!
The day wrapped up with the Showmanship Classes. Emily and Angus tied for first place in the Sub Junior Showmanship Class. Sammi and Snow were in the Intermediate Showmanship Class and placed 2nd.
We entered Angus and Jacob's fleeces in their respective classes for the fiber competition. It was Angus' Yearling fleece and that took a 3rd Place. Jacob's fleece was entered in the Huacaya Adult Medium (color) Class and he took a 3rd Place as well.
Of course we are quite proud of the results we had and think the kids and the alpacas did a fine job for Nottingham Hollow!
April 17, 2005
Shearing Day at Nottingham Hollow!
Click here for Photos!
We couldn't have asked for better weather or more helpful friends! What a
wonderful day it was. In order to keep the workers cool and the alpacas as comfortable as possible, we set up a canopy work station just outside the barn. It worked out really well - Tom set the table up under it and was able to make use of the framing to help keep the cord from the shears where he needed it. We walked the alpacas right to the table and it all flowed very well. One each side of the canopy we had "holding pens" for the alpacas waiting to be shorn.
Along with Nottingham Hollow's alpacas, Wildwood Alpacas and Mada Vemi Alpacas were also part of the day. Sue and Judy from Wildwood brought their alpacas over in the Purple Paca Van, two by two. Dawn from Mada Vemi boards two of her alpacas here and they now sport new haircuts right along with the rest of them! Dawn and her daughters, who are relocating their farm to Virginia, came down from NY for the festivities.
We had special friends come and help out too. Linda Polak and her husband Hank Boyd spent the greatest part of the day working. Linda has experience with sorting fiber and offered to be our fiber person for the day. She will never know how appreciative we are for that help! Hank helped out a lot with holding heads, legs and the like during the actual shearing... Thanks to them both!
Sheldon and Hallie Stokes came to watch and Sheldon took many pictures for us. Since we had so little time for that it is thanks to him that we are able to share our day with you. And, they even went home when the camera was full and created four cd's and brought them back for us all! Very nice people and we thank you!
There were many other folks who stopped in to watch and lend a hand... Peter and Lisa, Mary, Brenda and LaMoine and their son and grand children, and Judy and David. We enjoyed having you all and welcome you back any time!
And lastly but most important for this day - Tom Perez. Tom traveled over two hours in each direction to do our shearing this year. Tom and his wife Kate own Mount Airy Alpaca Company in Mount Airy, MD. In addition to shearing all of the animals, Tom taught us all about the table and the shearing process. He was also helpful in instructing us relatively new farmers about our fleece crops! Thank you very much and next year we hope we do you proud when we attempt to do our own shearing!
May 21-22 and June 11-12
The Virginia Renaissance Faire
www.varf.org
Click here for Photos!
Step back in time and visit us at the Renaissance Faire! Nottingham Hollow, along with several other farms will man a booth at the Faire which will be held at the Lake Anna Winery in Spotsylvania, every weekend beginning May 21st until
June 12th. We won't be there for the entire Faire but are opening and closing it! A bit of poetic license has made it possible for nobility and common folk alike to meet the alpacas that Sir Francis Drake mistakenly thought were sheep. He did after all take them off a Spanish ship, how could they be anything but? What curious creatures to present to Her Grace!
Snowman and Angus will represent Nottingham Hollow at the Faire. If you are in the area come by and see us! The alpaca vendors will have demonstrations on needle felting, wet felting, knitting, and crocheting. We will also have raw fiber, roving, wonderful yarns, handmade items and herbal sachets to name a few things. So plan to visit us in The Wool Merchant tent... And yes, you have permission to giggle at us in costume!
August 20, 2005
The Caroline County Fair
at the Virginia Bazaar in Ladysmith, Virginia
Sue will be Show Superintendent of the small alpaca show. Initial plans are to have halter and performance classes.
September 2005
The Virginia State Fair
Richmond, Virginia
A fun day in New Jersey selling handmade alpaca products, fiber and whatever else we can think of!
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