Eddie Holland, NYS&W judge, said that he liked Ari for his solid frame, good size, and his fineness of fleece. Ari did not place first in the class because of a lack of style and character to his hair. It's just not quite formulating that ringlet style that is so necessary for the perfect Angora fleece.
It is noteworthy that Zoe's older sister Anna (same breeding of Jessie x Jared) is Ari's mother. Anna
placed very well as a kid, but never took first because her hair was so fine and oil-free that it never curled into ringlets, and like Zoe, she was also 2/3 the size of the rest of the competition. She
looked like a little dust mop.
The judge did not mention anything about Ari's airplane ears, and barely commented on what I think are
perfect horns. In general, the judge called those kinds of things "pretty points" because "you don't shear horns or ears."
Here's a photo of him with his ribbon for reference.

Also, the friend I introduced you to at SVFF? The woman with long black and purple hair? She's starting to budget fiber money, and I couldn't remember how much I paid per ounce for raw fleece and that lovely roving. If you could send me an email, so she can start saving, we would greatly appreciate it! its contradictionchild at yahoo.
Usually I sell my dyed roving for $2.50/ounce, and raw fleece runs at about $1 an ounce except for when it doesn't because I just want it gone. I'm also good for barter. ::grin::
I can't even imagine how proud you must be! Hell, I'm excited for you, and I'm only your internet stalker!
Oh, yes, I'm very very proud.
Thanks for sharing. This is great!