JOHN and Rosalind Pugh of Sampford Spiney had already won a first prize with Toby, their huacaya alpaca, early on the first day of the show.

Toby won the top prize in the intermediate class, and John, sporting a cardigan made of alpaca yarn, was hoping he was also going to catch the judge's eye when it came to his fleece, or fibre, as it is known.

Rosalind said: 'Our animals are always being noted for their fibre — it's particularly thick — it must be the Dartmoor rain!'

John and Rosalind currently have a herd of 43 alpacas, including both huacaya type and suri. Huacaya fibre is dense and soft, while the suri alpaca has silky, pencil-like locks.

The couple has the fibre spun in Launceston and then made into garments which they sell locally.

They brought ten of their animals to the show, in two separate journeys.