Cape Town - Before we begin this story, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room.
There’s been some controversy about the monthly Sheepstakes at Doran Vineyards; most of that noise has come from those who have heard about it but not actually been to the farm to see for themselves how it works.
The phrase “sheep racing” has had them huffing and puffing about animal cruelty.
To be absolutely clear, the SPCA’s policy is opposition to any kind of animal racing – and that includes horses, which is a mainstream sport.
However, representatives from the fine organisation are on site for all the Sheepstakes, and have been happy with the way the sheep are treated, and the manner in which the race is conducted.
Having attended an event and seen it first-hand, I will tell you what it’s all about. Sheep are not always the best mothers and it’s not uncommon for them to reject their lambs.
Sometimes these lambs are small or sickly, or simply unable to suckle. On a farm on which sheep are bred for the wool and meat business, these babies are a liability, not an asset.
But being kind of heart, when this happened at Doran, farm manager Basson Potgieter and his wife Hilette lovingly took on the task of hand-rearing five hanslamme (Afrikaans for orphaned or tame sheep), bottle-feeding them, and nurturing them into healthy, full-figured adulthood.
Rambo, Sid, Lucky, Séan (I would have called him Shorn) and Alice have become the Potgieters’ pets. Every farm person knows you never name your food, unless ironically; I’ve heard of a racing sheep in the UK called Shepherd’s Pie.
There’s also one known as Lamborghini, who is a champion and has a Guinness World Record.
The word “racing” should be used very loosely. These greedy sheep run to food, plain and simple. They are not chased. They do not have jockeys.
They are not beaten. They are not even herded. It’s all about the reward at the other end of the small field, and, oh boy, do you have any idea how fast a sheep can go when motivated by a snack?
I didn’t. The whole thing is over in less than a minute; blink and you’ll miss it.
You are most welcome to place a bet on the sheep of your choice, and if you’re lucky you might get an inside tip from farm director André Badenhorst. It won’t really help you, but it’s all part of the fun.
Alternatively, you can pick the colours of the sheep you fancy. There is a R30 minimum bet and all proceeds go to the SPCA in Wellington. If you’re holding a winning ticket, you’ll get a wine prize, which is a fair trade, I reckon.
It was Badenhorst’s idea to have these events, which take place from 11am till 3pm on the last Saturday of every month (that’s today), with the main event at 2pm.
The idea is to draw visitors to the farm to spend a family day – take a picnic or meat to braai (the loser of the race is not on the menu), throw down blankets on the lawns or sit at tables under umbrellas, explore the farm, let the children run around and play on the jumping castle and water slide, taste some wine, buy some wine, and watch the very cute sheep.
There is no entry fee. The more this is supported, the better the chance of survival for these rescued sheep. Because if they don’t earn their keep, well… you get the idea. When Basson told me this, I swear he had a lump in his throat, or something stuck in his eye. He really loves those animals, and they seem to adore him too. Or it could just be the food.
l Doran Vineyards is off the R45, Voor-Paardeberg Road, in Paarl. For more information, call 021 869 8328 or go to doranvineyards.co.za
Weekend Argus