National Show Judges
Meet Our Judge’s for 2025!
Our judges for the British Alpaca Society National Show bring a wealth of expertise and passion for the alpaca industry. With years of experience in alpaca breeding, showing, and fibre analysis, our judges are dedicated to recognising excellence in both halter and fleece competitions. They uphold the highest standards, ensuring each alpaca is evaluated on its conformation, fibre quality, and overall health, helping to set the benchmark for alpaca breeding in the UK. We are proud to have such knowledgeable professionals contributing to the success and prestige of the BAS National Show.
Judging the Males in the halter show is Molly Gardner from New Zealand.
Molly lives at Le Bons Bay on Banks Peninsula, in the South Island of NZ. She runs Angus lowlines and Suri alpaca on her 60 hectare farm together with her sister and mother. Her focus is on producing the highest quality fleece in black and coloured suri. Their breeding program is designed to encourage the positive fleece traits required for high-end product made from suri.
Molly is passionate about alpaca fibre and the luxurious product that can be made from it. She has been involved in numerous fibre projects and continues to champion suri fleece around the world. She has been a keynote speaker at many events in America and Europe, running hands-on workshops at home and internationally.
Molly is also an accredited Level 1 judge in NZ. She has been judging since 2009 in NZ, Australia and Europe.
Judging the Females in the halter show is Peter Kennedy-Gane from Australia
Peter successfully attended the International Alpaca Judging School (IAJS) in the Peruvian altiplano in 2004 and also started judging apprenticeships in Australia and the USA that year.
Subsequently he certified as a judge in the following jurisdictions; Australia, New Zealand and the USA. He has since qualified as a senior judge in Australia for the AAA (Australian Alpaca Association) and in New Zealand for AANZ (Alpaca Association of New Zealand). He was also certified in the USA for AOA (Alpaca Owners Association), where he was also certified as a Judge Trainer. (He is no longer qualified as a New Zealand or American judge as he is no longer a member of the respective alpaca associations)
Peter has designed and presented training clinics for judges in New Zealand and Australia. He has presented training clinics for breeders in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and throughout Europe.
Since qualifying as a judge, Peter has judged shows internationally in Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Europe, the USA and throughout Australia. Highlights have been judging the National shows in Australia, New Zealand, Britain and the USA, as well as the
American, British and Canadian Futurity Shows.
Peter has been involved in alpacas since 1998 and was a full time alpaca breeder for 16 years from 2003. Peter and his husband Robert sold their alpaca business in 2019 but Peter continues to judge and is still involved in training as the opportunities arise.
Judging the Champion of Champions Fleece show is Roger Clarke.
Roger and his wife, Elaine, established Amberly Alpacas in 2006 in the scenic Clogher Valley of Northern Ireland. As one of Ireland’s pioneering alpaca breeders, they have dedicated themselves to developing and refining their herd, which is now recognised as one of the most successful and influential on the Island.
The Clarkes maintain a mixed herd of Huacaya and Suri alpacas, achieving multiple Supreme Championship awards that reflect their unwavering commitment to breeding excellence. Active members of the British Alpaca Society, the Northern Ireland Alpaca Group and the Alpaca Association of Ireland, they have further distinguished themselves through extensive training, becoming Ireland’s first BAS-affiliated trainers. In 2019, they founded the Alpaca Education Centre of Ireland, a hub for delivering and hosting a wide range of training and educational initiatives. Their collaborative vision expanded in 2022 with the establishment of Ambermoon Alpacas, a joint venture with Moonhall Alpacas in the Republic of Ireland.
Roger’s dedication to industry improvement culminated in 2019 when he became the first BAS-certified judge for both halter and fleece on the island of Ireland. Since then, he has been honoured to judge at premier events worldwide, including the Alpaca Expo in Austria, the Melbourne Royal Show in Australia, the BAS National Fleece and Halter Show in the UK, and the Australian Alpaca Association’s National Show in Bendigo. Roger views judging as a privilege, valuing the trust placed in him by breeders globally and the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of alpaca breeding
