Alpaca Show Champion in Sale Ring
2011-08-05

Livestock auctioneers Harrison & Hetherington have announced the sale of approximately 100 alpacas from the prizewinning Blueberry Herd based in Penrith. The sale at Borderway Mart, Carlisle on the August Bank Holiday Monday is a unique chance to buy stock of all ages from this pedigree herd including show champion Blueberry Alonso Renata II.

Mary & Jim Dent

The award winning Blueberry Herd is raised by Jim and Mary Dent on their farm at Little Acre, Newbiggin near Penrith. Since starting the herd in 2003, they have had at least 10 champions. The most recent, Blueberry Alonso Renata II was the winner of the Best British Bred Huacaya at this year’s Northumberland County Show and is included in the sale. Buyers will also have chance to bid for progeny by or in cria to Houghton Matador, the 2009 Supreme Champion at the BAS Yorkshire Alpaca Group Show.

Harrison and Hetherington are one of the very few specialist auctioneers of alpacas; they conduct regular sales on behalf of the British Alpaca Society and are the official auctioneer of the British Alpaca Futurity. Recently they also conducted the very first Alpaca sale North of the Border when they auctioned the renowned Campsie Camelid Herd in Scotland. Their Pedigree Sales & Marketing Manager Heather Pritchard explains the background to this sale:

Blueberry Alpacas

“The Blueberry Herd is very well known in Cumbria and the North of England and this is a unique chance to buy some of their surplus stock. The sale gives existing breeders the opportunity to improve the bloodline of their own herds and for those new to alpaca farming to start a herd with livestock of exceptional quality.”

Originally from Andes region of South America, alpacas are now bred successfully throughout the world for the quality of their fleeces. Many country shows now have alpaca classes alongside the more traditional livestock classes and it is at these that the Blueberry Herd has performed so successfully. In addition to the show ring, the Dents raise the animals for both their fleeces and to sell them onto other breeders.

Mr Dent explains, “I have always been interested in pedigree animals and when I semi-retired from our dairy farm, I decided to start a herd of pedigree alpacas instead as they need less intensive farming than cattle. They have adapted very well to the Cumbrian fells and we have enjoyed building up the herd.”

All the animals are on the Alpaca Pedigree Register and at the sale on Monday 29th August each animal will be shown individually or in cria in the show ring with information about their pedigree and sales characteristics.

For more information or to arrange a viewing please contact Heather Pritchard at Harrison & Hetherington on Tel. 01228 406230 or visit www.livestock-sales.co.uk

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