Pieter van Schalkwyk of Samehaling Stud, Namibia is a qualified international Dorper Judge and Inspector who has judged shows and typed for breeders in the USA, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and Namibia. Pieter has presented many Dorper courses and has classed at South African national sales. He was actively involved in establishing breeding programmes for Dorpers in third-world countries such as Angola and Belize and is the youngest ever to hold the Presidency of the Dorper Sheep Breeders Association of Namibia, which in 2008, after eight successful years in the position, he has stepped down from.
Pieter’s involvement with Dorpers has been life long. In 1964 Pieter’s father introduced the Dorper breed to Namibia – to their farm Samehaling (where Pieter and his wife Helena still farm). Namibia at that time was primarily a Karakoel sheep producing country. Today more than 80% of all the sheep in Namibia are Dorpers. This is testament to both the foresight and knowledge of Pieter’s late father, and to the Dorpers ability to thrive, reproduce and raise lambs of quality under a range of extreme conditions where other breeds can barely exist.
Samehaling is located in the Kalahari, where long distances, extreme temperatures, little rainfall and limited grazing make it essential that farming management and genetic selection is carefully planned and managed in order to be profitable.
Pieter’s breeding philosophy is one of achieving the perfect Dorper balance.