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Jude Anderson along with her husband, Alan Cousill,
has been involved in the alpaca industry since 1991,
in both Australia and the US.
In 1994 Jude left school teaching to concentrate
fully on the breeding and animal care of alpacas at
Pucara Alpaca Stud in Australia, and for 16 years at
Pucara International in Oregon, USA.
An AAA judge since 1998, Jude gained AOA
certification in 2002 and senior judge and judge
trainer/instructor status in 2005. She was also
certified at the IAJS judging school in Peru in
2000. Since 1998 Jude has judged in Australia, USA,
Canada, New Zealand, UK, Sweden, Norway, The
Netherlands, and Peru. She is involved in developing
and teaching at halter and fleece judging clinics
and works with apprentices to develop their skills.
She has also trained British Alpaca Society judges
in the UK.
Currently, Jude serves as Chair of the AOA Judges
Advisory Committee and as a halter liaison to the
AOA Show Rules Committee. She is involved in alpaca
apprentice training in both the USA and Australia.
Alongside Cheryl Gehly, Mike Safley, and Amanda
VandenBosch, Jude authored The
Art and Science of Alpaca Judging, a
comprehensive judge training text used extensively
by alpaca breeders worldwide. Jude has also
conducted seminars and spoken in Australia, New
Zealand, Canada, USA, UK, and Germany on topics
including breeding, reproduction, alpaca husbandry,
alpaca fiber, conformation, selection, genetics, and
nutrition.
Jacob Hart
Biography
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Native to Central Ohio, Jacob has been
involved in the alpaca industry since 2009, when he
followed his parents into the industry at the age of
12. He first acquired his own alpacas as a way for
his parents to teach him about finances and
investments. It was at this time that he founded
Rakhel Farms, which later became Rakhel Farms LLC.
Jacob
attended Delaware Valley University (Doylestown,
Pennsylvania) and graduated with a Bachelor of
Science degree in Agribusiness in 2018 with the
intention to apply his education to the alpaca
industry.
In 2019,
Jacob entered the Alpaca Owners Association Judge
Training Program and became a certified halter judge
in 2022. He has volunteered at numerous AOA
Certified alpaca shows and served on the AOA Show
Revitalization Task Force in 2020.
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Stephanie
Glyptis
Biography
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After graduating from West Virginia University with
a degree in animal science, Stephanie Glyptis jumped
into alpacas in 2000 as the herd manager for Heart's
Desire Farm, the largest huacaya herd in West
Virginia. This herd of nearly 300 kept her very busy
halter training, delivering crias, and managing the
daily needs of the alpacas. A very active
participant in the show ring, she was finally able
to merge her background in dairy cattle judging with
alpacas in 2006 when she became an AOA Certified
Judge. Since then, she has judged all over the
United States and Canada. Being certified in all
aspects of judging fleece, halter, and performance
has become the perfect fit for many shows that only
need one judge.
Stephanie, her husband Phillip, and their children
Teddy and Abigail live in Weirton, West Virginia
just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Stephanie
runs Glyptis Manor Alpacas and in addition to
judging provides education and herd evaluations for
alpacas.
Arturo Pena
Biography
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.
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