David Barboza-Walking Fleece Judge

Judge Trainer Performance

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.

Wade Gease-Halter and Walking Fleece

Senior Judge and Judge Trainer for all Certifications

Certifications

Huacaya Halter, Suri Halter, Fleece, Performance

Wade Gease is an AOA-certified senior alpaca judge, judge training instructor, presenter, designer, and consultant/mediator for the worldwide alpaca industry. He is a previous owner and manager of a sustainable alpaca ranch for eighteen years. He now unveils his own wholesale/retail product line and services as The Alpaca Guy.

Wade has been honored to be involved with many different activities in the alpaca world: presenting his personal educational seminars at industry gatherings, consulting, commentating, coordinating for auctions or fashion shows, and providing private evaluations for alpaca breeders. Another favored activity has been leading yearly educational trips throughout Peru. Contact him to be put on his Peru Trip notification list.

Wade was the first to produce a N.A. made alpaca bamboo fabric. Thereafter, he created an upscale clothing line highlighting alpaca fabric, Alpaca Couture. The company’s vision was to gain greater attention from a discriminating consumer and help the industry gain greater recognition as an attractive fiber for fashion. Fashion shows were presented in Las Vegas, Orange County, and San Diego. The business transitioned into his popular wholesale business, The Alpaca Guy.

Mr. Gease also forged ahead in making other alpaca materials and created a wet felting machine for home/farm use to empower ranches to make on-the-farm products, The Wet Felting Wizard. It has had over 25,000 views on YouTube and has sold as far as the Netherlands, France, and South Africa.

Wade earned an associate degree in Aeronautical Science, a bachelor’s degree in chemistry & a master degree in Biochemistry. He is also a Camelid Fibre Sorter certified from Olds College Natural Fibre Centre, Canada. His past has given him experience in construction, was a certified flight instructor, chemistry instructor, co-owner of a gift & floral store and a cardiovascular sale representative for multiple pharmaceutical companies. He enjoys scuba diving, home improvement projects, and anything related to alpaca fiber!

Arturo Pena-Halter and Walking Fleece

Senior Halter Judge

Judge Trainer Halter, Fleece

Certifications

Huacaya Halter, Suri Halter, Fleece, Performance

Arturo was born in Arequipa, Peru, and moved to the United States in his twenties. Since then, he has been managing large alpaca farm operations. His love for the Alpacas and his passion for its luxury product “The Fleece” motivated him to become an Alpaca Owners Association (AOA) Certified Judge in Halter, Fiber, and Performance. In addition, Arturo currently serves on the AOA Judges Advisory Committee (JAC).

He is an alpaca expert with extensive knowledge in animal health, alpaca selection, genetics, and management. He has an educational background in Veterinary Medicine and has a bachelor’s degree in management. Before devoting full-time to alpacas, he had planned, organized, and executed Dog Shows while serving as Treasurer at the Regional Peruvian Kennel Club Association. He also worked as a Travel Agent at one of the prestigious agencies in Peru where he developed his passion for traveling. He also organizes an alpaca educational trip to Peru annually.

Arturo has judged across the United States, Canada, and Europe. He strongly believes that education is the key to success in the alpaca industry. Through Judging, seminars, workshops, and consulting, he has assisted and guided new and seasoned alpaca breeders to achieve their goals.

Along the way, he has been recognized as a collaborator of scientific and biomedical research about “Antibodies from Alpacas as Tools to Study Virus-Host Interactions.” His co-authored scientific research study “Do Differences in Maternal Immunoglobulin G Influence Passive Transfer and Subsequent Cria Growth in Alpacas?” was accepted for publication in the prestigious scientific veterinary journal, Theriogenology.

Arturo and his family donate their free time at the local library and Cornell University Cooperative Extension 4-H Putnam County doing what he knows the best: creating awareness about the alpaca industry and trying to make a difference in his community.

He lives in North Salem, New York with his wife, Kat, their son, Nicholas, and their dog daughter, Sabrina. They love to spend time outdoors and take alpaca pictures.

Madeleine Fortmann-Halter and Walking Fleece

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.