In the early days of our stud operation, it was all about building numbers; breeding as many ewes as possible to create selection pressure. We ran 13 embryo transfer programs, some with great success and some dismal failures. There’s nothing like practice to get it right and we’re more than happy to share information about our experiences. We’ve settled down to conducting one embryo transfer program per year using our very best proven-performer ewes to keep replicating the best of the best.

We’ve never set out to create an Australian version of a white dorper, whatever that is. We’ve focused on staying within the Breed standard as it is quite possible to do this and breed sheep for local conditions and different market specifications and still breed a sheep that meets the functionality of the Breed standard.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to Gideon Viviers, President of the South African Dorper Society, who recognizing our burning desire for success, took us under his wing. He’s helped us enormously. Gideon invited Graham to South Africa to show him where we needed to head with the breed. Gideon spent 4 days of his own time driving Graham around the Karoo, educating him. We can not thank him enough. “I got it Gideon; I understand about heads, plus a lot of other important selection criteria.”

We also owe a great deal to the education we’ve received from Ron Van Der Merwe, affectionately known as ‘Uncle Ron’. Ron loves his breeding. Whether he’s working with cows, horses or dorpers, you can not beat 40 years of experience to teach you how to avoid mistakes. Ron will be back next year to discuss the outcomes of the breeding decisions we have made this year.

Gideon’s and Ron’s advice has saved us from making most of the mistakes they’ve made while developing their own outstanding stud operations. There is a wealth of invaluable experience available from these guys and they are more than willing to help if they feel you are sincerely interested in doing the right thing by the breed.

We’ve also benefitted significantly from the experience and knowledge shared with us by Dries Weiss, Konie Koetze and Wicus Cronje. We’ve learned a great deal from these gentlemen, particularly the importance of ‘a balanced animal, balance, everything in balance.’ They are encyclopedic in their ability to recall specific experience and records.

By consolidating all the information, guidance, observations and research available to us, we’ve drawn our own conclusions about dorpers. Many Australian farmers think that we are the best sheep breeders in the world because we once rode on the sheep’s back and therefore believe that no one can teach us a better way of breeding sheep. If we wanted to grow wool, I might agree. But we aren’t interested in growing wool, just meat.

The Australian government granted $30Million to the sheep CRC to support research and development of the perfect meat wool sheep. To us, this defies logic. It is like trying to breed the perfect diary meat Angus cow. The fact is that animals convert the feed they eat into protein to support their growth. The most efficient use of available feed is achieved when the protein is needed to support fewer types of body structures. If a sheep can dedicate its protein to producing meat instead of meat and wool, the feed is used more efficiently.

The sheep population in Australia is at its lowest number in 80 years. Just maybe we have lost touch? The world wants protein in general and there is increasing demand for lamb in particular. So let’s give them lamb protein from one of the best farms in the world, downunder, using a breed that works with our environment, dorper sheep . . . even if we did not invent them.

We believe in the future of Australian agriculture. We passionately believe that the dorper breed of sheep offers a tectonic change in the economic viability and associated land values for farmers in central west and western areas.