Queensland Stud Bellevue Brings Home Double Header at National Show. With 456 entries from 52 exhibitors, Dorper and White Dorper breeders from all over Australia gathered last week in Dubbo for the annual National Dorper and White Dorper Show. This is almost a 40% increase in the number of entries from 2011 and a 52% increase in the number of exhibitors from 2011.
Dorper and White Dorper breeders, Bellevue Grazing Company, Millmerran, Queensland achieved the ‘double header’ by being awarded Most Successful Exhibitor – Dorpers andMost Successful Exhibitor – White Dorpers. This is the first time that one stud has won both awards in the same year. Bellevue was also awarded Junior Champion White Dorper Ewe Lamb, Reserve Junior Champion Dorper Ewe Lamb, Senior Champion White Dorper Ewe, Grand Champion White Dorper Ewe, Reserve Senior Champion White Dorper Ram, Reserve Junior Champion White Dorper Ram Lamb, Junior Champion Dorper Ram Lamb, Senior Champion Dorper Ram and Grand Champion Dorper Ram.
Stud Principal, David Curtis says that these unique animals come from the genetic lines of experienced and long time Namibian breeders Pieter and Helena van Schalkwyk ‘Samehaling’. They originate from embryos imported from South Africa. ‘Samehaling’ is located in the Kalahari region of Namibia, where 5 – 8 inch rainfall, extreme temperatures, long distances and limited grazing make it essential that genetic selection and farming management is carefully planned and managed in order to be profitable. Today in Namibia, more than 80% of all sheep are Dorpers.
Dorpers and White Dorpers are an impressive and outstanding low maintenance meat sheep, with the ability to thrive, reproduce and raise lambs of quality under a range of conditions. Mr Curtis said that his enthusiasm and confidence in the breed continues to grow, with commercial crossbred prime lambs reaching a saleable live weight of 45kg from five months of age.
Mr Curtis also said that what is particularly exciting for prime lamb producers is the rapidly growing demand from butchers and meat processors who have indentified White Dorper and Dorper crosses as a breed of choice for top eating quality and a high yielding prime lamb carcass.
Bellevue will hold their fifth on property sale on Monday 24th September 2012 at ‘Bellevue’, Millmerran Queensland. The Bellevue sale will give stud and prime lamb producers the opportunity to acquire stud and commercial quality White Dorper and Dorper pure blood ewes and rams.
For further information please see www.bellevuedorpers.com.au or contact Mark Scholes, Landmark 0409 229 651 or George McVeigh, Elders Warwick 0438 405 522. The auction will be interfaced on AuctionsPlus www.auctionsplus.com.au for those who cannot attend on the day.
Sophie Curtis, Bellevue Dorper and White Dorper Stud Manager, holds the Junior Champion Dorper Ram Lamb Bellevue 110047 who went on to beat the Senior Champion Dorper Ram Bellevue 100185 to become Grand Champion Dorper Ram at the National Dorper and White Dorper Show held in Dubbo NSW on 5 & 6 September 2012
Sophie Curtis, Bellevue Dorper and White Dorper Stud Manager, holds the Senior Champion White Dorper Ewe and Grand Champion White Dorper Ewe Bellevue 100325 at the National Dorper and White Dorper Show held in Dubbo NSW on 5 & 6 September 2012
Sophie Curtis, holds the Junior Champion Dorper Ram Lamb Bellevue 110047 who went on to beat the Senior Champion Dorper Ram Bellevue 100185 (held by David Curtis) to become Grand Champion Dorper Ram at the National Dorper and White Dorper Show held in Dubbo NSW on 5 & 6 September 2012
Sophie Curtis, Philip Glass from Half-Circle Six Ranches Texas USA, David Curtis, hold the Junior Reserve Champion White Dorper Ram Lamb Bellevue 120001, and Senior Reserve Champion White Dorper Ram Bellevue 100297 at the National Dorper and White Dorper Show held in Dubbo NSW on 5 & 6 September 2012.
