2025 Melbourne Royal Alpaca Competition Judges
Jude Anderson
2025 Alpaca Fleece Judge
Starting her breeding program in Victoria in 1991, Jude Anderson has a long history with alpacas. After relocating to Oregon, USA, in 2004, she returned permanently to Australia in January 2021, maintaining a co-ownership of a small Suri herd in the United States.
In 1998, Jude qualified as an AAA Alpaca Judge and continues to solidify her reputation as a highly respected figure in the industry. Her extensive judging portfolio includes the AAA National Show and the Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide Royal shows. In 2000, she expanded her expertise through the International Alpaca Judging School in Peru and went on to become a certified judge in the USA in 2002. By 2005, she had achieved AOA Senior Judge and Instructor/Trainer status. Jude remains actively involved in the AOA Show System, contributing to apprentice judge training, certification, re-certification, and calibration clinics for both halter and fleece. She currently chairs the AOA Judges’ Advisory Committee and serves as halter liaison to the AOA Show Rules Committee.
Her international judging experience spans Australia, USA, New Zealand, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Peru. In 2016, she was invited to run a British Alpaca Society judges’ clinic and judge both the National Fleece and Halter Shows in the UK. Jude has also judged National Shows in New Zealand, UK, Sweden, Norway, and extensively throughout North America, including numerous Futurities in the USA, Canada, and UK. She is also a sought-after speaker at alpaca conferences and breeder events in New Zealand, USA, Canada, and UK.
Jude is the co-author of The Art & Science of Alpaca Judging, a globally recognised training resource used by judges and breeders worldwide.
Madeleine Fortmann
2025 International Alpaca Halter Judge
Madeleine has been deeply involved in the alpaca industry since 2005, when her parents entered the industry. Today, she manages her own Huacaya and Suri breeding programs across Germany, Australia and the United States, operating under the names Oldenburg Alpacas, SURI Royal and Madrick Alpacas.
In addition to overseeing these high-quality breeding programs, Madeleine provides a wide range of client services, including public and private seminars. She also operates a professional shearing service throughout Europe, shearing more than 1,000 alpacas annually. Her expertise in global alpaca selection and import is well regarded, with regular sourcing trips to Chile, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, USA and Europe keeping her in tune with the international market. A highlight of her career was shearing a vicuña at a traditional chaccu in the Peruvian altiplano near Picotani.
Madeleine is committed to continuous learning, believing that in-depth knowledge and passion are essential to raising and breeding exceptional alpacas. She enjoys sharing her insights with fellow breeders and is always eager to engage in meaningful alpaca discussions.
Her dedication to the industry led her to join the Alpaca Owners Association Judge Training Program in 2018. She became a certified fleece judge in 2023 and achieved certification as a halter judge in 2024.