New for 2012!
Cottage Fleece Competition in the=
AOBA
Show System
The AOBA Show System’s new Cottage
Fleece competition offers exhibitors the opportunity to show their fleeces =
in
an innovative way that: 1) pr=
ovides
the exhibitor with a Fleece Scorecard judged by an AOBA Certified Fleece Ju=
dge
and 2) provides the exhibitor with a spun skein from that same fleece that =
has
been judged and scored in the Spin-Off by a Spin-Off Judge.
This competition is an excellent opportunity to show those fleeces t=
hat
may not quite fit into the regular Fleece Show since there is less emphasis=
on
scoring for overall weight and uniformity of color, but even fleeces that w=
ould
be competitive in the regular Fleece Show can be entered. The Cott=
age
Fleece competition can be offered at any show that is also holding a
Handcrafter’s Spin-Off competition. There are many exhibitors wh=
o elect
to submit the mandatory two-ounce samples to enter multiple Handcrafter’s
Spin-Off competitions. This will reduce the remaining prime blanket weight =
of
that fleece and may make it an unlikely or less competitive candi=
date
for entry into a traditional Fleece Show. Since the Cottage Fleece
competition places minimal value on overall fleece weight,
these exhibitors now have an additional venue to highlight these fleec=
es,
even after they have been sorted for other types of competitions. The Cottage Fleece competition may=
also
be ideal for those fleeces that have been shown multiple times, are from ol=
der
alpacas that still retain excellent fineness but do not have associated high
fleece weights, or are from alpacas whose fleeces can be processed into
beautiful end-use products but may individually lack overall weight or may =
not
be of uniform color.
How does it w=
ork?
You first wil=
l take
two ounces of the selected blanket and enter it into a specific
Handcrafter’s Spin-Off competition.&=
nbsp;
Each Spin-Off remains a stand-alone competition and each entry will =
be
judged, scored and placed regardless of the Cottage Fleece competition. When you enter the Spin-Off, you w=
ill be
asked to indicate if you will be entering the Cottage fleece competition.
The next step for any Cottage Fleece entry occurs once registration
opens for the remainder of the show.
You will see online where you will enter your halter entries, fleece=
entries
and cottage entries. If you a=
ttempt
to enter the Cottage Fleece competition but did not enter the Spin-Off, this
option will not be permitted. You
will only be able to enter the Cottage Fleece or regular Fleece Show –
not both with that fleece. Yo=
u can
certainly enter the Cottage Fleece competition and the regular Fleece Show =
if
you have two different fleeces to enter, providing that all rules pertainin=
g to
entry in each are met.
Once all Spin=
-Off
entries have been judged and final scores are tallied, the Show/ Fleece
Superintendent will request the Spin-Off scores from the Spin-Off Coordinat=
or
for those entries that have also been entered into the Cottage Fleece
competition. Using that Spin-=
Off
score, the Superintendent will then calculate the “Spinning ScoreR=
21;
points for the Cottage (25% of the total Cottage Fleece score) Fleece entry=
.
During the Co=
ttage
Fleece judging at the show, the Fleece Judge will judge the Cottage entries
separate from the regular Fleece Show entries – these are separate co=
mpetitions
and results are not combined. The
Cottage Fleece competition has its own unique Cottage Fleece Scorecard. Placements and awards are also
completely separate from the regular Fleece Show.
Exhibitors ha=
ve the
opportunity to compete and place twice – in the Spin-Off and Cottage
Fleece– with the same fleece.
This is a great opportunity for those fleeces that fit best in the
Cottage industry, the fleeces that fiber artisans love!