Ken Hibbits
CABA Classic Walking Fleece

Huacaya and Suri

Certifications

Huacaya and Suri Halter, Fleece, Performance

Victoria and Ken Hibbits own and operate Alpacas By The Sea, Inc. in Montara, California. They have both worked in the alpaca industry for over 16 years. Alpacas By The Sea has been raising alpacas since 1992. They managed a herd of up 100 alpacas and have presented educational seminars for their clients that provide an excellent informational foundation for success in the alpaca business. Ken is an AOA Halter Judge. Victoria Hibbits was an ARI Phenotypic screener and they have traveled together in Peru learning advanced husbandry directly from breeders on the altiplano. They have also studied and shared breeding techniques and alpaca screening criteria with some of the worlds leading experts. They have enjoyed raising alpacas in Northern California and take great pleasure in sharing the rewards of alpacas with others. Alpacas By the Sea is located just 25 minutes south of San Francisco on scenic Highway 1 along the Pacific Ocean. 

David Barboza
CABA Classic Walking Fleece

Huacaya and Suri

Certifications

Huacaya Halter, Fleece, Performance

David Barboza volunteering as a ring steward recognized the process and challenges that livestock judging presented and decided to attend the International Alpaca Judging School in 2001. After returning from Peru he began the AOA judges training program and completed his certification in both IAJS and AOA as a halter, fleece, and performance judge. He judged his first show in 2006 and has judged over 45 shows both in the US and Canada.

David served a 3-year term on the AOBA board serving as Secretary and President. Promoting youth involvement in alpacas he has been instrumental in developing alpaca youth judging contests throughout the US. To expand his knowledge of livestock, David is currently enrolled in Graduate Studies at Colorado State University. After serving 29 years in the fire service David continues to serve as a soldier in the California State Military Reserve and Mission Pilot in the Civil Air Patrol. He works in the alpaca industry dividing his time between his ranch, judging, and teaching seminars. In 2006, together with his wife Brenda, they started ACE, Alpaca Continuing Education, which provides cutting edge training and education for the alpaca breeder. Today David and Brenda run their ranch, RanchoNC Alpacas, in the foothills of Northern California and devote their attention to the alpaca industry.

Frauke Berman

Certifications

Huacaya Halter, Suri Halter, Fleece

Frauke resides with four children in Manhattan and South Salem, New York.

She has a background in hospitality and interior design and showed horses back in Germany.

In design school she discovered alpaca fabrics and their unique qualities. Soon after, she visited several alpaca farms which consequently inspired her to acquire her first alpaca in 2014. Ever since, she passionately embraced learning about every facet of the industry.

In 2021, she was certified to be a fleece judge and in December 2022 she completed the AOA halter certification. She feels privileged to have had the opportunity to judge several fleece and halter shows.

Frauke is enthusiastic about helping the alpaca industry continue to reach its vast potential.

Robin Näsemann

Certifications

Huacaya Halter, Suri Halter, Fleece, Performance

Robin Näsemann was born in 1985 in Wuppertal, Germany and graduated from high school in 2004 in the North of London, England. He studied Business Management in Germany, Ireland, and Switzerland, receiving a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science in Economics and Communication. Since 2004, his family has been breeding alpacas near the city of Münster in Germany (Abolengo de Alpaca). Robin has been working as an alpaca screener for several different associations in Germany and Austrian and has screened alpacas all over Europe and South America. From 2007 to 2009 Robin was an honorary board member of the AZVD e.V . At the end of 2010 he began the AOBA show judge training program, which he successfully completed as a ‘certified AOBA’ (now AOA) judge in 2013. To date, Robin has judged over 40 shows in the USA, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Austria and Germany. He has judged the biggest show in Europe — the British Nationals, the Royal Melbourne in Australia, US National Fleece Show, and the World Alpaca Conference in 2023.

Madeleine Fortmann

Certification

Fleece, Huacaya Halter, Suri Halter

Madeleine Fortmann has been involved in the alpaca industry since 2005 when her parents started in the industry. Today she is breeding Huacayas and Suris in Germany, Australia, and the United States in her own breeding programs named Oldenburg Alpacas, SURI Royal, and Madrick Alpacas.

Being involved in all its facets and daily tasks of managing those high-quality breeding programs, her client-based services also include a wide range of public and private seminars as well as professional shearing service throughout Europe, shearing > 1,000 alpacas per year. Madeleine is selecting and importing alpacas globally. Regular trips to Chile, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, USA, and Europe have given her an up-to-date understanding of the global alpaca market. Shearing a vicunja at a vicunja chaccu in the peruvian altiplano near Picotani belongs as one of her all-time highlights.

From the very beginning it was very important to her to expand her knowledge about alpacas. She is convinced that the key to breeding and raising alpacas successfully is in-depth knowledge and of course a passion for what you do. In the end, you can only improve what you know in all its facets in the desired direction. Madeleine enjoys sharing her knowledge and is always ready for alpaca discussions.

Madeleine attended Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität (Bonn, Germany) and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural sciences.

In 2018, Madeleine entered the Alpaca Owners Association Judge Training Program and became a certified fleece judge in 2023.