AOBA has granted an exception allowing us to give “Small Breeders Challenge Color Group” awards, so long as there are 5 huacayas or 4 suris within a color group and that those entries come from two or more classes.
When a color group meets regular AOBA size requirements (10 huacayas / 8 suris), we may award two trophies, Small Breeders Challenge Color Group Winner & Small Breeders Challenge Color Group Runner-up.
When a color group has 5-9 huacayas / 4-7 suri from at least two different classes, a single (Small Breeders Challenge Color Group Winner) trophy will be given.
If total group is 4 or more suris, or 5 or more huacayas, that group is to be run as a single color group, and not combined with another color group.
If the total color group is less than 4 suris, or less than 5 huacayas, they shall be combined per AOBA rules.
The Small Breeder Challenge is an AOBA sanctioned show, specifically for farms with 20 or fewer ARI registered female alpacas. (Male alpacas do not count toward breeder size.) This new show will allow smaller farms to compete strictly against farms with similar resources. The show concept may best be analogized to high school or college sports, where schools with smaller numbers of students play in a different division than much larger ones. It does not mean that the education is of less quality, the games less entertaining, or the competition less fierce. It simply gives schools the opportunity to compete against other schools with comparatively similar resources.
While the Small Breeder Challenge will be held under the same roof as the Futurity show, the two shows will be handled just as separately as if they were held in different places on different dates. There will be different sets of ribbons and awards, separate show rings, different judges, and even a separate stalling aisles.
It will be run in the same venue, and simultaneous with the Futurity Show.
In every other way, the Challenge will operate completely independently.
This show will be open only to breeders owning twenty or less total females.
Other than the ownership restriction above, the show will be run 100% according to AOBA Show Division rules.
Show entry fees will be kept to a minimum.
The Small Breeders Challenge is NOT a Futurity.
The show is open to alpacas of all ages.
There will be no pay-outs or premium awards.
There are no Herd Sire nomination requirements.
There WILL BE CUSTOM TROPHIES for the Color Group Winners and Runners Up.
Exhibitors showing in the Small Breeders Challenge may NOT compete in The Futurity Show. (This includes family and employees of farms participating in The Futurity.)
