ALPACA WESTERN EXTRAVAGANZA 2009
RENO, NEVADA 4/11/09 thru 4/12/09

This will take you through from start to finish setting up an alpaca show.
The AWE was held this year at the Reno Sparks Convention Center over Easter weekend.

First, plastic is taped down where the stalls will be.

Next, the stall panels are delivered and set up.  Remember, this is all done by volunteers.  Two days to set up, one day for check-ins, two days of show, one day of tear down.  Then one day in the lazy-boy with a margarita!

Then we put 1/3 of a bale of straw in each stall.

Sod is put down for the show rings.  Once the show is over, the volunteers get to take it home.  We use it to patch our backyard!

Our girls are early arrivals so it frees us up to help with the check-in.

All the trailers full of alpacas arrive for the show!

The animals are all checked out by a vet before they are allowed into the show area.  They all must have a health certificate issued by a vet within the last 30 days, and must pass inspection by the show vet.
Then it is on to the color check station to determine which class the animal will participate in.  Mike and I were color checkers and learned a lot from having our hands on over a hundred animals.  I don’t have any pictures from the vet check or color check.  The flash on the camera might have startled an already upset alpaca!

Everyone has arrived!

Most people stayed at the Atlantis Hotel and Casino, across the street from the convention center.

Showtime!

Tenaya

Jazmin

Ahhhh……a well deserved rest after a hard day looking beautiful!

Then we had to tear it all down on Monday!  We will be back next year in Reno for the 2010 Alpaca Western Extravaganza!

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