Top honours have been awarded to a Western Australia stud at this year‘s National Dorper and White Dorper Show.
The sheep titles were held for the first-time in Queensland at Toowoomba Royal Show on the Darling Downs with Kaya Dorper and White Dorper Stud’s Kaya Rabada 160921 ram crowned Supreme Exhibit of the Show.
The champion Dorper ram is owned by Adrian Veitch, Narrogin, Western Australia who was extremely pleased to win top honours.
“We named the Dorper ram after a South African cricketer who we think has a bit of attitude and we also think this ram has some good attitude as well,” Mr Veitch laughed.
“The ram has got some real personally.”
Mr Veitch said the Kaya Rabada ram came in the top 10 per cent of performance parameters in the coat shedding sheep breeds.
“The ram is a complete package with high performance figures plus great structure and constitution,” he said.
“We only bring our older rams across from Western Australia because the trip is to hard on younger rams.”
Mr Veitch is well-known in Australia’s Dorper sheep industry as the veterinarian who helped bring the breed into our country for the first-time in 1996.
“I spent two years in South Africa working to import Dorper sheep into Australia,” he said.
“To be honest, I did a bit of shearing when I was young and decided that wasn’t for me so meat sheep like Dorpers and White Dorpers are great for me.”
The Kaya sheep traveled 5000 kilometres to compete at this year’s National Dorper and White Dorper Show.
“I have a friend in New South Wales, so I sent the show sheep across three weeks ago to have a rest before the National Dorper and White Dorper Show,” Mr Veitch said.
The Kaya Stud also won supreme White Dorper and grand champion White Dorper exhibit of the show with their Kaya 160676 ram. The ram had won the White Dorper two-tooth class before going on to take the White Dorper supreme award.
The champion White Dorper breeders group was awarded Nomuula Dorpers and White Dorpers, Moonbi, New South Wales.
The Nomuula stud also took home Most Successful White Dorper exhibitor of the show.
Grand champion White Dorper ewe was awarded to Jean and Moozie Van Niekerk’s African White Dorpers ewe lamb who also won junior champion White Dorper ewe and the ewe lamb over nine months old class.
In Dorper sheep judging, the Van Niekerk family’s Dell Dorpers, Moama, New South Wales was awarded Most Successful Dorper Exhibitor.
Dell African Dumisa also won the Dorper Breeders Group with an impressive ram and two ewes.
Grand champion Dorper ram was awarded to Kaya Dorper Stud’s supreme exhibit champion, Kaya Rabada 160921.The ram was also awarded supreme Dorper Exhibit of the Show after initially winning Dorper ram four tooth and over class and senior champion Dorper ram.
Junior champion Dorper ram went to the Gett family’s Whynot Dorpers, Narrabri, New South Wales.
Grand champion Dorper ewe was awarded to Dell Dorpers’ four-tooth and over ewe. The junior champion Dorper ewe was awarded to Ron and Sandy Pagett’s Netanya Dorpers, Wee Waa, New South Wales.
National Dorper and White Dorper Show judge Danny Teskera, Roslynmead West Stud, Victoria was pleased with the quality at this year’s event.
“The top sheep in every class were particularly good at this year’s show,” Mr Teskera said.
“I believe a lot of the sheep at the event will have plenty of positive impact on the meat sheep industry.”
It’s Mr Teskera first-time judging at the National Dorper and White Dorper Show.
“A standout part of this year’s event has been the number of young people getting involved, which is great for the future of our industry,” he said.
The National Dorper and White Dorper Show junior judges competition was won by Mel Hurley, Melete Dorpers, Kogan.
The National Dorper and White Dorper Show sale recorded 26 rams sold with a top price of $2200 for a Dell African Dumisa ram that sold to Waterloo Dorpers and a sale average of $1073, plus four ewes sold for a top price of $2000 and an average sale price of $1225. The sale was conducted by Landmark Stud Stock and AuctionsPlus.