Supreme Champion White Dorper ram: African, Moama, NSW.
Grand Champion White Dorper ram: African.
Grand Champion White Dorper ewe: Iron Rock, Murringo, NSW
ONLY a hair’s breadth split the top two animals vying for Supreme Champion White Dorper title, according to New South Wales judge Justin Kirkby.
Mr Kirkby, Amarula Dorpers and White Dorpers, Gravesend, NSW, said he plumped for the younger African Dorpers stud ram over the older Iron Rock ewe. He said he had been breeding Dorpers for 17 years.
He said his decision for the top animal came down to the Grand Champion White Dorper ewe, from Iron Rock, Murringo, and the younger ram.
“Being six years old, the older ewe had a couple of issues which come with age,” Mr Kirkby said.
“Ordinarily, I wouldn’t pick on them, but the young ram didn’t have any problems. That’s the hairs that split the decision – on a different day, it could have been a different decision.”
Earlier, he had praised the Iron Rock ewe, as “very well balanced and structurally sound as the day she was born”.
“I have done quite a bit of judging, and you can see the animals progress, over the years,” he said. “The numbers are down, but the quality is still there.”
Africa’s Andrea van Neikerk said she believed the judge chose her ram, the 13-month-old ‘Weapon’ because of his fat and meat qualities.
The ram, born on June 15, 2016, weighed 76 kilograms, had 8 millimetres of fat and a 41mm eye muscle area.
“The win was mostly down to his fat and his length of body. He’s a very correct, white ram, and has a lot of meat for a young ram. He’s very good across the loin.”
“The win was down mostly due to his fat and his length of body, he’s a very correct, white ram, and has a lot of meat.
- Andrea van Niekerk, Africa Dorper stud, Moama
Ms van Niekerk said the ram had already been used in the stud.
“We might sell him at the national sale, in Dubbo, or we might keep him.”