BEHIND THE SCENES GOBABIS SHOW

FATHER & SON. Dewald and Bertus Walters

from Walsim Simmentalers pose with their
champion junior bull, Walsim Norwich.
40 April 2015

Theyre 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

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
go-southernafrica.com

April 2015 41

BEHIND THE SCENES GOBABIS SHOW

W
ITS 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 dont starve between events.

42 April 2015

hen you
drive into
Gobabis
and the first
thing you see
is a statue of
a Brahman
bull, you
know youre
in cattle country. The town is about 200km
east of Windhoek next to the Trans-Kalahari
highway and its 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, thats
what. The first show was held in 1963: a oneday 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
Theres 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.
Theyre 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 its
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. Theres a light
breeze blowing. Lets listen to a lekker tune
and gooi kole! This is One Last Kiss
Horsti Riedel, a seasoned Simmentaler
breeder, explains why hes at the show: This
is where I get to see all my friends. The rest of
the year Im 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 its serious business in the

judging ring and at night everyone gathers
in the Klub 500 hall for some fun. Its not
unheard of to see a Simmentaler (the breeder,
not the animal) dancing on a table, powered
by excitement and Jgermeister. 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 Naud and Jo Nichol will perform.
The showground has a farm-like atmos
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 Shamon Reinhardts case, its
100%. She arrives in a lime-green evening
gown and high heels only to find out that
shes 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: Theyre the Brahmans of the sheep
world. Theyre bad-tempered and they give you
battle scars every time you work with them.

BEHIND THE SCENES GOBABIS SHOW

go-southernafrica.com

April 2015 43

BEHIND THE SCENES GOBABIS SHOW

Judging cattle might never get its own SuperSport channel,

but its captivating. I learn about structural soundness,
fleshing ability, length, capacity
44 April 2015

LOOK SHARP. Judges Fred Redecker (left)

and Kaspar Gnzel cast an eye over the
Brahman cattle on show.

go-southernafrica.com

April 2015 45

BEHIND THE SCENES GOBABIS SHOW

THATS SHOWBIZ. Hennie van Niekerk

(above) takes his wife Madeline a
bunch of flowers. Madeline decorated
the hall every day. Miss Gobabis,
Shamon 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.

46 April 2015

They charge head first.

Bertie says this event is a great showcase
for a stud breeder. You have to know your
animals 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.
Berties handler is Agarob Katsigaraba. He
tells me that he grew up in the ring and its
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 its 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 dont wear a tie to church, but this judge
wears one in the cattle ring
Were not criticising, were just telling you
whats wrong!
One upset breeder shouts at a judge:
Hendrik, why did you throw out the red
bull? Hendrik Prinsloo calmly explains:
Were 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 Kwla. Despite his young

age, hes 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 boys mom takes
a different approach: You cant do worse than
third place. Just go!
On the last day of the show theres 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. Im 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 arent 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 theyll 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 2123
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.

BEHIND THE SCENES GOBABIS SHOW

go-southernafrica.com

April 2015 47