Cattle at this year’s Bathurst Show cattle auction exopected to impress
“Spectacular” is what you can expect at the Cape Eastern Livestock/ Future Auctioneers/ Hobson & Co elite fat stock auction at this year’s Bathurst Agricultural Show. Expert eyes will be scrutinising some of the Eastern Cape’s most impressive fat cows and large oxen on the morning of Friday April 4, when judging will take place. Then, at midday, you can rub shoulders with working farmers as fast-paced bidding, engaging auction patter and the thunder of hooves fill the auction arena.
“We’ve got quite a few big oxen entered already,” said Hobson & Co’s Dave Cockroft. “You’re going to be seeing animals that literally weigh a ton – 1 000kg!”
These are not going to be run-of-the mill cattle, Cockroft emphasised. “We’re looking for animals with a ‘wow!’ factor. And size is one aspect.”
Judging on the morning of Friday April 4will be in the following categories:
- Best mature ox
- Best individual slaughter cow
- Pen of three or four A-grades
- Best single A grade
“A grades are younger prime feedlot cattle,” Cockroft explained.
“We expect a strong line-up of contenders in the Big Ox section,” Cockroft said. “In addition to the local entries there will be beasts coming from afar afield as Bedford, Fort Beaufort, Alexandria and Cathcart. These oxen – which have been grown out for four to six years and fed for several months – will weigh in at a ton or more.”
The Umsenge Nguni group would be offering an impressive string of trade oxen to complement the slaughter stock. Expect fast-paced action as would-be buyers from Makhanda, Gqeberha, Peddie, East London and Komgha vie to get their hands on the prestige stock.
Cape Eastern Livestock, Future Auctioneers and Hobson & Co will all be canvassing for livestock for the auction.
“It’s a collaboration for the benefit of the Bathurst Show,” said Dave Howard, of Cape Eastern Livestock. “Each livestock marketer has their own clientele, who can call each of us to enter stock for the competition and the auction.”
Fanie Mostert, of Future Auctioneers, whose clients are mostly in the Alexandria area, confirmed that his organisation would be contributing livestock to the auction.
Bathurst Agricultural Show President Neil Scott said that in order to maintain tight biocontrol, cattle would move on to site on 3 April (under strict dconditions), be judged on 4 April, and would be transported to their destinations immediately after the auction at 12pm on April 4.
Anyone who wants to enter cattle should do so through one of these agents:
Hobson & Co – Dave Cockroft 082-890-0209
Cape Eastern Livestock – Dave Howard 082-573-7008
Future Auctioneers – Fanie Mostert 082-877-2092
BIOSECURITY
Biosecurity has been upgraded for this year’s show because of the prevalence of foot and mouth disease in some parts of the province. FMD is not a threat to human health or food safety and people are unlikely to catch it from animals. However, people can unintentionally carry it from one area to another by walking or driving through infected material. The non-invasive biosecurity measures are to ensure the continued health of the livestock that will be on show at the grounds. They are also the reason traders are setting up on Wednesday – a day earlier than usual. At the show, the following measures will be in place to secure the livestock on site:
- Every vehicle that enters will have its wheels sprayed with dip
- People entering the showgrounds will walk over disinfectant mats
- Exhibitors must adhere to Articles 6 & 8 (forms that confirm the identity of animals, and permission to move them from one place to another) plus health declarations. This is all done via the agents.
- This article was first published in Talk of the Town, February 27, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
