Cuddly alpacas return to Shelbyville

"We have folks come from all over," said Kay Kemp of Stoney Ridge Farm, located on the edge of Bedford County near Petersburg. Kemp has been organizing this particular show for seven years now. "People are coming from as far as Utah, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and lots of folks from Kentucky and all over the Southeast."

Smaller than their llama cousins, alpacas are camelids, members of the camel family whose dense, soft fleece is highly valued and used in items such as blankets, sweaters, hats, gloves, and scarves. Domesticated for centuries, they are gentle creatures, said Kemp.

The show, which is free to the public, serves several purposes.

"It's a way of marketing our animals," said Kemp, "having judges who are seeing animals from all over the country at various shows looking at ours, and seeing how they match up."

Breeders use the shows as opportunities to find new stock and owners enjoy the chance to show off their animals as well as network with other owners.

A big part of the show, however, is sharing the alpacas with the public. The stables will be open, giving everyone the chance to meet the humming creatures up close. Some may even have "crias," or baby alpacas, with hem, although they aren't shown until they are six months or older.

"They kind of fragile when they're that young," said Kemp. "It's better they stay at home with mom."

She said children are welcome to come visit the alpacas -- but not pets.

"Other than service dogs," she said. "The alpacas get very nervous; they don't like dogs."

Saturday's schedule will include a some performance and obstacle classes that start about noon.

"It's mostly children doing that, but not all," said Kemp. "They practice with their animals, having them go through obstacle courses. It's things alpacas are not going to want to do, like step across the creek or go through a tunnel. It's to see how well the animals are trained and how well the children can handle them. Kids like it a lot."

For those interested in alpaca products as well as the alpacas themselves, there will be a store, run consignment-style, featuring products from members of the Southeastern Alpaca Association.

"You can get roving -- those are strands of wool that have been washed and carded and can be spun into yarn," she said.

Yarn itself will be available, as well as many items made from the wool.

"For the first time, we're having an Alpaca Spin-Off," said Kemp.

Judy Thelen, a friend of Kemp's and a local fiber artist, will teach participants how to spin on drop-spindle or wheel. The demonstration will take place Saturday morning on the mezzanine at Calsonic Arena.

"Anyone who wants to try will be given some fiber to try it," said Kemp. She said a drawing would be held later and one of the participants could win an entire fleece.

"A lot of people there are going to be members of the local fiber guild, Fleece on the Duck," she added.

While most people will be grateful for the warmer temperatures expected this weekend -- in the 60's and 70's -- many of the alpaca owners will bringing fans along for their charges, whose ancestors lived in the high, cold peaks of the Andes mountains.

"It might be a little bit hot for the animals," said Kemp. "Winter doesn't bother the animals. It's the summer that's hard on them."

Most people shear the alpacas by mid-June, she said, harvesting the fleece as well as providing some "air conditioning" for the animals. Because Tennessee tends to get warmer sooner, she tries to shear her own animals by the end of April.

The show is Saturday and Sunday, open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is expected to be one of the premier halter and fleece shows in the nation. Classes and alpaca care seminars will be held Saturday. Sunday, the show begins at 9 a.m. Parking and admission are free.

If you go

The 8th annual Southern Select Alpaca Show is Saturday and Sunday at the Calsonic Arena. The event is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free.