BROADCASTER Kim Inglis had to gather her nerves as she swapped the spotlight of small screen for the show ring.

Kim was among the novice handlers putting their skills to the test for the first time at the North West Alpaca Group’s (NWAG) annual alpaca championships in Carlisle.

The freelance television journalist has a small herd of alpacas at her home on Blencogo Farm but she was handling some of the 19 animals at Saturday’s show taken along by event organisers Barbara and Paul Hetherington.

The Hetheringtons run Beck Brow Alpacas at Ainstable and have organised the NWAG championships for the last four years.

“This is making me more nervous than doing live television,” said Kim, as she prepared to make her debut.

“Judges are very strict and are looking for particular things. It is very competitive out there. You have to show your animals at their best and it is often much more about how you behave in the ring than your animals because of the link between you.

“Alpacas always appealed to me and so I got my first two, Marco and Pedro, two years ago. Now I’ve got 11 and four of them are pregnant. We’ve also got four Herdwick sheep, two of which are due to have lambs soon.

“Even though I’ve had them for two years I’ve never done an event like this, I’ve never been a handler. I didn’t even have a pet until I was 40 and my first pet was a cat. I’ve been at agricultural shows and at a mart as a reporter but I’ve never been on this side before.”

Such is her fondness for alpacas, Kim has also learned to crochet so she can make pieces from their fleeces once they’ve been shorn and processed.

Organiser Mrs Hetherington, of Beck Brow Alpacas at Ainstable, was a winner on Saturday. She handled On The Money, aged 11 months. He was named champion brown male.

Mrs Hetherington said: “We started this event because for northern breeders there wasn’t really anything locally for us.

“There were the county shows but they weren’t ideal because of the time of year they take place. Ideally events need to be in February, March or April because of the fleece growth of alpacas.

“It is always nice to meet up with the breeders, and we enjoy getting together.”

Nine-year-old Kirsten Barrowclough, of Walkmill Crescent in Carlisle, was also among the first-time handlers.

Kirsten was with a national champion, nine-month-old Hejira.

The young alpaca was named light grey champion at the British Alpaca Society national show in Telford two weeks ago.

Kirsten’s father Dean is friends with breeders Jean and Stuart Macdonald, who had travelled to Cumbria from Innerleithen.

Saturday’s NWAG event took place at the Borderway Mart’s exhibition hall at Rosehill, Carlisle.

Entries closed early in the run-up to the show when organisers had reached the 150-animal limit, a record number for the event.

A total of 38 exhibitors from all over the country took part in Saturday’s showcase including Ben Wright from Eden Valley, Calthwaite, and Amanda Bell from Florens, Brampton.

Classes were decided by renowned judge Nick Harrington-Smith and apprentice judge Viv Darcy.