Dundee livestock farmers cleaned up at this year’s Royal Agricultural Show in Pietermaritzburg, taking home most of the top awards in the face of stiff competition.
Shaun de Jager, Jan Labuschagne, Jan Meyer and Andrea Hesom sponsored cattle to Owen Sithole Agricultural college, Cedara Agricultural college and University of Natal (UKZN) for fattening and exhibiting and it was these cattle that wowed the judges.
Shaun de Jager’s Bosvelder types won most classes on the hoof while Andrea Hesom, whose cattle were all shown by girls in pretty pink caps, also did well.
Cedara came first and second with their groups of four oxen, bred by Shaun de Jager and Andrea Hesom.
A handsome specimen contributed by Shaun won reserve champion on the hoof, narrowly losing out to an animal from Tim Hempson from Underberg. Another of Shaun’s oxen also won the future farmers competition, closely followed by a Jan Meyer ox. The champion group weaners on show was owned and exhibited by De Wet Jacobs. Muhamed Amien of Newcastle also entered an outstanding pen of weaners and great things from his breeding at the 2016 Royal Show.

A group of pregnant heifers from Stey Brae farms in Nottingham Road won the champion females on show but had to fight off a challenge from Dundee’s Kobus Muller and his Beefmaster heifers who was placed second.
Andre Labuschagne of Helpmekaar won the open heifer group, with Kobus again in second and third places. Shaun de Jager won the weaner heifer class followed closely by De Wet Jacobs.
The champion carcass was a Bovelder cross ox, bred by Shaun de Jager, and exhibited by the university of Natal (UKZN). This ox was then auctioned off for a new South African record price of R150/kg. The quality buyer was the Oyster Box Hotel and Restaurant in Umhlanga. The carcass weighed 247kg and was sold for R37 000. It scored an impressive 97,8% on the judging score sheet.
The second reserve Bonsmara type ox, was bred by Jan Meyer and also exhibited by Owen Sithole college (it sold for R54/kg). Andrea Hesom came fourth also with a Bonsmara type ox exhibited by Cedara College.
Jan Labuschagne also won the best group of four oxen exhibited with his Brahman cross Simmentaler oxen he bred and exhibited by Owen Sithole College. Andrea’s group of four Bonsmara type oxen won the reserve champion group of four.