SA Hereford Cattle Society Wouldn’T Be As Successful Vise-President Vise-President As It Is Today
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SA HEREFORD The breed for success 1917 — 2017 A coffee table book to celebrate the centenary of the SA Hereford Society Uitgegee deur Landbouweekblad Media24 Weeklikse Tydskrifte Heerengracht 40, Kaapstad 8000 Alle regte voorbehou © 2017 Landbouweekblad en die SA Hereford-telersgenootskap Eerste uitgawe 2017 Hoofbestuurder: Media24 Weeklikse Tydskrifte: Minette Ferreira Uitgewer: Theuns Venter Uitgewersbestuurder: Edwina Fielies Hoofredakteur: Media24 Landboutitels: Chris Burgess Redakteur Spesiale Projekte: Jacolette Kloppers Taalversorgers: Irma van der Vyver en Jearelle Wolhuter Kunshoof: Elgéé Strauss Produksiebestuurder: Gretchen Peiser Retoesjeerder: Jason Wakefield Reproduksie: André Beck Administrasie: Luzaan Grobbelaar SA Hereford-telersgenootskap: Liezel Grobler Gedruk deur: Lithotech This bull is WDW11 18. His sire was WDW 08-70, which was used as stud bull by Piet Lourens. The sire of WDW 08-70 was WDW 02-23, which was the national champion in 2005. He was also the sire of WDW08-41, the national champion in 2011. Locheim Lets Go WDW11-18 was sold to Danie van Breda of Ja-Niel Herefords for R90 000. Photo: Jan van Dyk Voorwoord 6 Hoofstuk 1 – Geskiedenis – Herefords in Suid-Afrika 8 Hoofstuk 2 – Muur van roem 16 Hoofstuk 3 – Boodskappe van gelukwense 20 Hoofstuk 4 – Ons stoeterye – persoonlike verhale 22 Hoofstuk 5 – ’n Keur van nasionale kampioene 62 Hoofstuk 6 – Waardes en eienskappe 68 Hoofstuk 7 – Demografiese ontleding 72 Hoofstuk 8 – Wêreldraad van die Hereford-telersgenootskap 76 Hoofstuk 9 – SA Stamboek 78 Hoofstuk 10 – SA Hereford – telers oor die jare 82 Hoofstuk 11 – SA Hereford – huidige telers 95 SA HEREFORD 100 JAAR Preface 6 Chapter 1 – History – Herefords in South Africa 8 Chapter 2 – Wall of fame 16 Chapter 3 – Congratulatory messages 20 Chapter 4 – Our studs – personal stories 22 Chapter 5 – A selection of national champions 62 Chapter 6 – Values and traits 68 Chapter 7 – Demographic analysis 72 Chapter 8 – World Hereford Council 76 Chapter 9 – SA Studbook 78 Chapter 10 – SA Hereford – breeders over the years 82 Chapter 11 – SA Hereford – current breeders 95 SA HEREFORD 100 YEARS Preface / Voorwoord genous and hardy Sanga-type cattle. grams which led to the development The strongest of these were then of many new breeds in Africa. The selected for agricultural purposes, most successful was the Bonsmara, 100 YEARS OF mainly ploughing and pulling to which the Hereford contributed wagons. The well-known Afrikaner three-eights of the genetic makeup breed of cattle was established. from Afrikaner-based cattle. The The need for good quality meat Braford also proved to be successful PASSION, GUTS producing animals led to the intro- in the sub-tropical areas. The Brah- duction of Hereford cattle from man brought a lot of hardiness and England in the 20th century. These tick resistance to this breed. good tempered, well-muscled and The evolution from a well-muscled, AND GLORY! fertile animals were very well short-legged, curly haired Hereford of accepted as farmers soon realised the the previous century to the modern huge potential offered by the Here- South African Hereford with its ford breed. medium frame, smooth coat and Geographically, Herefords were good pigment proved to be very soon found throughout South Africa, successful. The fine art of breeding Namibia and even Zambia. As a cattle with a superior genotype in a breed they adapted very well to the very harsh environment demanded a harsh conditions of Africa. century of dedicated cattle breeders From the wet and cold winters of who have put the Hereford first in the Western Cape to the Sourveld their farming operations. and snowy mountains of the Eastern To everybody involved in the Cape and Karoo through to the develop ment of the SA Hereford sub-tropical hills of Natal and even during the previous 100 years: to the semi-arid Northern Cape and I salute you! May the next 100 years Kalahari suited them. of Hereford breeding be as adven- Dr Carl Scholtz The Herefords really showed their turous as the first. SA Herefords potential when introduced into the are ready – are you? Thank you and hen I read Highveld region of the Free State congratulations to everyone who through this and the Transvaal, where maize contributed to this book. book, I was farming led to good-quality grazing totally overcome during winter and the Hereford’s feed Dr Carl Scholtz by feelings of conversion rates made it successful President astonishment, and highly sought after in the feedlot 2009 – 2013 Wproudness and joy. industry. Cattle farming in Africa evolved The Hereford’s potential was The Hereford Centenary Celebration Headline news. Newspapers reported about the Herefords over the decades. from communal free-roaming indi- soon realised in cross-breeding pro- Tour is taking place in September 2017. 6 SA HEREFORD 100 JAAR On this photo, taken in 1926 in Colesberg in the Northern Cape, the United Kingdom’s Prince of Wales is inspecting the first Clewer Hereford Stud. SA HEREFORD 100 YEARS 7 Hoofstuk Geskiedenis / Chapter History A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HEREFORD BREED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HEREFORD BREED IN SOUTH AFRICA Written by Esté van Marle-Köster (PhD; Pr. Anim. Sci) he earliest record thousands of graded or commercial of Hereford cattle Herefords (Walton, 1986). It is dates back to the estimated that 51% of Herefords late 1700s in Here exported by the 20th century went fordshire in central to the USA, approximately 40% to England, with a South America and smaller numbers description of the to Australia and South Africa. Hereford by Thomas Duckham as The Hereford breed was introdu Tan animal of “health and vigour with ced into South Africa between 1892 marks of maturity, provincially oxey, and 1901, when George Moorcroft not steerish”. imported Southern Cross, the bull. It was further described as having George Moorcroft, James Gray, a bright and silky coat, red colour Abe Bailey and G.C. Young were and the bald face – the distinguishing Thomas Duckham referred to in some records as the Advance Domino 20 characteristic of the true Hereford fathers of the SA Hereford popula shire breed. Sir Benjamin Tomkins The first export of Hereford cattle tion. In 1903, the former Transvaal Hereford cattle in South Africa. ture (USDA) had established projects is often described as the founder of (a bull and two heifers) from the Uni government imported 27 Here with different inbred lines focusing the breed and he preferred earlier ted Kingdom was to North America ford cows and four bulls, including ROLE OF HEREFORD on traits important to commercial maturing animals and animals that in 1817. Several further imports took British Gold, the prominent bull CATTLE IN RESEARCH farmers at the time. Line 1 was could be fattened from pastures. As place, followed by the founding of the that was kept at the Potchefstroom One of the most significant contribu started with 50 cows purchased from the Hereford breed grew in numbers American Hereford Cattle Breeders College of Agriculture. tions to beef cattle research with George Miles of Miles City, Monta during the early 1800s, more empha Association in 1881 and the Polled The South African Breeders Herefords as the major breed was na, and two bulls, Advance Domino sis was placed on improving “sym Hereford Breeders Association in Society was established in 1917 and the development of Line 1 Hereford and Advance D 54. From the 14 lines metry, thickness and smoothness” 1907. By 1920, 3% of all cattle in the a hundred years later, in 2017, is cattle at Fort Keogh during the early developed, six were culled due to (Brigss & Briggs). USA were purebred Herefords, with fortunate to celebrate 100 years of 1930s. The US Department of Agricul poor performance, and the remaining 8 SA HEREFORD 100 JAAR research programmes. During the OVER A PERIOD OF 100 1950s, 560 Hereford cows were kept YEARS, HEREFORD at the Mara Agricultural Research CATTLE IN SOUTH Station. Over a period of almost AFRICA CHANGED 15 years the herd was subjected FROM SMALL-FRAMED, to strict selection for smooth coat, WOOLLY COATED ANI- thick hides and pigmentation MALS TO A MEDIUM- of udders and around the eyes, FRAMED, SMOOTH- which resulted in a Hereford COATED AND WELL- herd more suited and adapted to a PIGMENTED BREED sub-tropical environment. It was during this time that the Hereford was used in a cross-breeding pro- gramme with Milk Shorthorn to Advance Domino 54 develop the South African Bons- mara. The Hereford was included for their fertility, constitution and superior grazing abilities. Besides their contribution to the SA Bonsmara , over the past century Hereford cattle have been included in several South African research studies on various traits important to the entire beef cattle industry. South African Hereford breeders have been participating in perfor- Line 1 Dominette 01449 mance recording since 1959, resulting in substantial data being available by the Technology Innovation Agency as the USA, Canada, UK and Austra- lines were crossed to exploit heterosis Hereford cattle worldwide. since the 1990s for genetic evaluations (TIA), with the aim of establishing lia has contributed to the SA gene (MacNiel et al, 1989). This resulted in In an effort to map the bovine and determining estimated breeding reference populations for SA beef pool and the establishment of genetic the well-known Line 1 Hereford from genome, the DNA of a Line 1 bull was values (EBVs). They are also using cattle breeds. linkages that present opportunities Miles City. During the development used in the Bovine Hapmap Project DNA-based parentage for accurate Over a period of 100 years, Hereford for genetic evaluations and collabo- of Line 1, dwarfism was eliminated (Liu et al., 2009), and the DNA of pedigree information required for cattle in South Africa changed from ration across countries.