Photo: Supplied
The winning lamb for the competition was entered by commercial Meatmaster producer Morné Coetzer, who farms between Koppies and Kroonstad.
Coetzer told Farmer’s Weekly he never expected to walk away with the laurels, but he only entered to see how his commercial sheep, earmarked for slaughtering, compared with the carcasses of the other entrants.
“I was surprised when it was announced that my entry was selected as the tastiest in the competition. This sheep was not backgrounded and did not receive any supplemental feed before the competition, other than normal rations, and came directly from the veld,” said Coetzer.
As the first prize winner, he went home with R25 000, a Pick n Pay hamper, a Weber braaier and a bronze trophy. Asked how he planned to spend the prize money, Coetzer said he would probably spend it on new breeding animals to expand the genetic base of his flock.
He said: “The winner was determined by means of a blind tasting session based on, among others, texture and taste. The meat was spiced with only salt and pepper, making it a very fair judging process.
Coetzer started with only five Meatmaster sheep a few years ago for home use. The flock has since increased to 70 animals.
Saai said in a statement that 10 farmers’ unions also competed in a lamb spit braai competition, judged not only on the taste of the meat but also on the preparation, including braai techniques and spice blends. The winner, Sonop Farmers’ Union, was awarded R15 000 per year’s supply of Buffelsfontein brandy and a bronze trophy.
A highlight of the day was the sheep’s head eating competition, hosted by the Riemland Farmers’ Union.
