Gobabis Fair

40 April 2015

BEHIND THE SCENES GOBABIS SHOW

FATHER & SON. Dewald and Bertus Walters from Walsim Simmentalers pose with their champion junior bull, Walsim Norwich.

go-southernafrica.com April 2015 41

BIG SHOW IN

LITTLE TEXAS

Come meet the kortbroek cowboys of the Wild East – and their prize-winning cattle – at the 51st annual Gobabis Agricultural Show in Namibia.

WORDS & PICTURES ERNS GRUNDLING

“They’re good people out here. They live close to the red soil of the Kalahari and they work hard through seasons of bounty and hardship.

These farmers know how to pray…”

42 April 2015


IT’S SHOW TIME! The finalists of the Miss Mini Gobabis competition were Mindi Odendaal, Lizelle Bruwer and Dawn van Niekerk (opposite page, top). Stefan du Plessis (7) shows off the boerbok he paraded in the small-stock ring (bottom left). If anything goes wrong, Harm van Zyl, known as the MacGyver of Gobabis (bottom right), is ready to fix it. There are pancakes galore (below) to make sure you don’t starve between events.

When you drive into Gobabis and the first thing you see is a statue of a Brahman bull, you know you’re

in cattle country. The town is about 200 km east of Windhoek next to the Trans-Kalahari highway and it’s known as Little Texas – for that very reason.

What brings me to Gobabis in the sweltering heat of September? The three-day annual Gobabis Agricultural Show, that’s what. The first show was held in 1963: a one-day event with 30 cows and bulls on show. At this event there are 190 head of cattle housed in the stables – breeds like Brahman, Simmentaler, Simbra, Limousin, Dexter… There’s even a giant Romagnola bull called Madiba that weighs more than a tonne.

For the agricultural community in this part of Namibia – an area bigger than the Free State – the show is a not-to-be-missed event. They’re good people out here. They live close to the red soil of the Kalahari and they work hard through seasons of bounty and hardship. These farmers know how to pray, whether it’s for rain in summer, a champion bull or to rid their farm of jackals and stock diseases. The show has grown up over the years as the farmers have built fences and stables, and painted buildings.

From the base of the Jackie Cohen tower, show chairperson Floris van Niekerk and his wife Mariaan patiently hold the fort. Chris Theron, a well-known radio presenter on Kanaal 7 in Namibia, is the official announcer and music man. “Welcome to the Gobabis Show!” he says over the mic. “There’s a light breeze blowing. Let’s listen to a lekker tune and gooi kole! This is ‘One Last Kiss’…”

Horsti Riedel, a seasoned Simmentaler breeder, explains why he’s at the show: “This is where I get to see all my friends. The rest of the year I’m on the farm, hard at work, with no time for socialising.”

There are exhibits of smaller stock, farming implements and everything from Tupperware to tractors, but the main event is the cattle programme. The breeders are the VIPs of the show.

During the day it’s serious business in the judging ring and at night everyone gathers in the Klub 500 hall for some fun. It’s not unheard of to see a Simmentaler (the breeder, not the animal) dancing on a table, powered by excitement and Jägermeister. The table occasionally gives way…

The Gobabis show has always put a high value on entertainment. In 1978, the Strongbow brothers from the US got into the wrestling ring with Boerseun and the Gemaskerde Wonder. The army has marched on the showground in the past, motorbikes have roared and raced, and police dogs have been put through their paces. This year, Afrikaans musicians Jennifer Zamudio, Pieter Naudé and Jo Nichol will perform.

The showground has a farm-like at mos-phere and the children can run around safely. The youngsters take part in boeresport, chase each other with BB guns and suck on syringes filled with caramel.

During the Miss Mini Gobabis competition, moms hover over their daughters, reapplying make-up and adjusting hairdos. Apparently there was a scuffle between parents a few years ago after a disagreement about the judges’ decision…

Chris Theron is the MC and asks contes-tants questions like, “In which district is Gobabis situated?” and “What is the capital of Namibia?”

As far as the main Miss Gobabis com-petition is concerned, Woody Allen said it best: “80 % of success is just showing up.” In 15-year-old Shamoné Reinhardt’s case, it’s 100 %. She arrives in a lime-green evening gown and high heels only to find out that she’s the only contestant! Despite the lack of competition, she is crowned Miss Gobabis and she wears her sash with pride.

A city person like me can learn a lot at a show like this. Some handlers wash their Brahman cattle with Palmolive Classic Egg Shampoo before taking them into the ring. Who knows, maybe the scent influences the judges at a subconscious level?

At the small-stock pens, breeder Bertie van Zyl gives me a stern warning about Damara sheep: “They’re the Brahmans of the sheep world. They’re bad-tempered and they give you battle scars every time you work with them.



44 April 2015


“Judging cattle might never get its own SuperSport channel, but it’s captivating. I learn about structural soundness,

fleshing ability, length, capacity…”


LOOK SHARP. Judges Fred Redecker (left) and Kaspar Günzel cast an eye over the Brahman cattle on show.

46 April 2015


THAT’S SHOWBIZ. Hennie van Niekerk (above) takes his wife Madeline a bunch of flowers. Madeline decorated the hall every day. Miss Gobabis, Shamoné Reinhardt, poses next to a Brahman bull (opposite page, top). Boot Booysen (6) is a well-known junior handler in these parts. Here he poses with Timo, a Limousin bull (opposite page, bottom). Boot has even appeared on television because of his passion for farm life.

They charge head first.”Bertie says this event is a great showcase

for a stud breeder. “You have to know your animal’s best characteristics and highlight them for the judges. The handlers play a big role – they need to know how to keep the sheep or the cow calm.”

Bertie’s handler is Agarob Katsigaraba. He tells me that he “grew up in the ring” and it’s clear that he knows exactly what to do. “You stroke the sheep, position his legs, lift his chin a little and then he looks like a man,” Agarob demonstrates.

I spend hours ringside, watching the cattle show. Judging cattle might never get its own SuperSport channel, but it’s captivating. The judges deliberate in the middle of the ring while the cattle parade around under the watchful eyes of their handlers. I learn about structural soundness, fleshing ability, length, capacity… Phrases like “robust bull” and “good masculinity” carry weight and can be the deciding factor between early elimination and a rosette.

Dawid Krause, a well-known announcer in Namibian cattle circles, is the man behind the mic and often makes a joke or a funny observation. The same goes for the audience, who are mostly breeders themselves and not shy to make themselves heard:

“A Brahman is like a Catholic: when it gets on a truck it falls to its knees.”

“I don’t wear a tie to church, but this judge wears one in the cattle ring…”

“We’re not criticising, we’re just telling you what’s wrong!”

One upset breeder shouts at a judge: “Hendrik, why did you throw out the red bull?” Hendrik Prinsloo calmly explains: “We’re looking for more breadth in the chest and hindquarters. And its testes are too long.”

The Grade 5 learners from Gobabis Gymnasium are on a class tour, which includes a visit to the cattle camps. They have to do a written quiz and some kids try to take short cuts by squeezing answers out of their teacher: “Miss, have you seen a cow with parasites before?” A bulky Irish terrier trots past and one boy asks: “Miss, is that a dog or a calf?” Clearly he spends too much time on PlayStation…

Hennie van Niekerk, an award-winning dairy farmer from the district, has brought his six-year-old grandson Boot to see the cattle. Boot is already a TV star, having appeared on

the Afrikaans show Kwêla. Despite his young age, he’s an excellent handler and leads a bull called Timo around the ring.

“Boot was still in nappies when he started comparing cattle,” says Hennie proudly.

Indeed, the junior handlers are the highlight of the show. Boys and girls, some as young as five, walk bravely next to animals that tower over them. One dad patiently encourages his son not to be scared; another boy’s mom takes a different approach: “You can’t do worse than third place. Just go!”

On the last day of the show there’s a parade to mark the end of the cattle events: a procession of breeders, handlers and animals moves across the rugby field and everyone gathers one last time.

“This is where you see the relationship between man and beast,” says parade MC Oubaas van der Merwe.

A Simbra cow owned by Diethelm Metzger is crowned Champion of Champions. “I knew the cow performed well. I’m very pleased,” says Diethelm.

As they leave the field, Oubaas thanks each breeder by name. “You have to show the guys that you appreciate them,” Oubaas says. “‘Please’ and ‘thank you’ aren’t curse words.”

In a way, 66-year-old Oubaas is the institutional memory of the Gobabis Show. His father Schalk hosted the very first show, where Oubaas participated as a handler. In the five decades since, Oubaas has only missed one show.

“Sentiment plays a role,” he says. “We have to be here to guide the young men, because one day they’ll take the reins. The spirit of the show is very important. We have to keep that spirit alive.”

The 2015 Gobabis Show will take place from 21 – 23 September. Erns also attended the Grootfontein Show. For more about that event, get your copy of go! Namibia 2015, on shelf from 1 April. See page 90 for more details.



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