Local game breeding group award honourable members
GWP was founded in August 1986 and was then known as the Gravelotte Sable Study Group (GSSG). The study group was set up by concerned local farmers who were witnessing sable populations crash.
Gravelotte Wild Produsente (GWP) held their year end function at the Eiland on Wednesday, November 14. Three senior members, Piet Vorster, Andre Scholtz and Piet Warren, were recognised for their contribution to the association and each received a trophy during the end of year celebrations.
GWP was founded in August 1986 and was then known as the Gravelotte Sable Study Group (GSSG). The study group was set up by concerned local farmers who were witnessing sable populations crash.
In 1930, it is thought that there was a population of around 20,000 sable in the Gravelotte area. As a change in land use took over, combined with unregulated hunting, the sable population dropped to 800 animals in 1985.
The establishment of the GSSG was largely spearheaded by Pieter Vorster. Vorster was the first Chairperson of the study group and his contributions to game breeding and his role in reversing the diminishing sable populations was recognised by the current board of directors at the recent year end function.
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Also to be recognised was Andre Scholtz. Scholtz sat as the chairman of the group for 22 years and the knowledge he brought to the table was revolutionary in reversing declining sable populations.
Scholtz was the first person to put sable into predator-proof camps which greatly reduced calf mortality rates and he also studied the effects of inbreeding intensely. With this, Scholtz introduced new sable genetics from outside of South Africa in order to strengthen the gene pool.
The next Chairman of the group was Piet Warren. Warren then took the focus of genetics to another level – selecting larger horned bulls to cover the cows. When the GSSG was formed, a bull with horns measuring 38 inches was then considered to be a large specimen.
In present day, there are many bulls in the country with horns measuring over 50″ with the average breeding bull measuring 46″.
Warren was also awarded for his contribution to the study group at the end of year function.
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The group started with just six members and now there are over 50 farmers that belong to GWP. Over the years, approximately 2500 sable have been sold out of the Lowveld. Also, population figures suggest that there were 497 sables in the Gravelotte area in 2002 and this had risen to 3367 in 2017.
The current board of directors of GWP consists of Leon Thom as Chairman, Nicol Martin as Auction Organiser, Prinsloo du Plessis in charge of marketing and Pieter-Daan Cilliers as the WRSA representative.
