farmers attended the inspection and after a promise of revisits and a number of farewells, Jaco was off again, to the last stop in Texas. By this time, I also arrived in Texas on a flight totaling 23 hours, Johan- nesburg – Dubai – Dallas.
Sallie Kerby and I fetched Jaco from the Austin airport and arrived late, but ready for the next day in Zephyr, Texas. The home spread of my Besties Texan Pack, Sallie Kerby, Jewels Ormsby, Gage Taylor, Casey-Jo Stevens, and last but not the least, famous Wyatt Stevens and his now celebrity Boer goat Ram, Windy Acres Train Station.
This buck is registered as a Stud animal with the SA Studbook
number, RAM U003230044WINDY ACREST TRA having received this South African Stud classification a few short weeks before he won the American Boer Goat Association 2025 JABGA National Champion and 2025 ABGA Reserve National Champion. This Besties Texan Pack of mine have done many trips and training courses with me and the South African judges on some of the best-known Boer goat farms in South Africa. After an early breakfast at the local diner in Zephyr, we were back at the farm, where Joetta Boyd and granddaughter, Kailee, (Merkel, Texas), as well as Lynn and George Akers (Lampasas, Texas) also arrived.
Inspection started in serious mode with all the off-loading and sorting and penning and moving of animals. The animals were in ex- ceptionally good condition and class, and, as with all the other visits and venues, there were a fair share of animals that did not make the SA Standards grade.
Every condition and reason for rejection were well explained and taken to heart by all present. There is always a learning curve. The sun came down hard from above, but we (read, mostly Jaco van der Merwe and Dakota Ash) worked them beautiful beasts and were all done around 1 p.m., according to my recollection. Sallie and Jewels were very happy with their 14 Studs and 18 Flock selections. Joetta Boyd went home with three Studs and seven Flock that will be entered in the SA Studbook. Lynn Aker happily had three Studs and three Flock from the six she presented for inspection.
From there we drove to the Lampasas ranch of Ken and Ginger Bassford, and, I will not omit to also mention their daughter, Erin, our right and left hands on Facebook and other marketing. Ginger, Ken and Erin’s final tally of two Studs and nine Flock, concluded the almost two-week inspection trip. Thank You All, thank you Jaco van der Merwe for travelling all the way from South Africa, thank you to each and every breeder for your hospitality, your eagerness to participate and your willingness to breed the classic Boer, Kalahari Red and Savanna. Your support, friendliness and accommodating demeanor have
no boundaries. This is what dreams are made of. It is truly clear that the US-SABGBA is well on its way and growing fast. An in- credibly special thanks to Nancy Barlas for sponsoring the flight ticket for Jaco.
I dedicate this article to a special SA Friend and co-breeder of most of us, the late Fouche Blignaut.
(Conrad Herbst is a longtime member of the South African Boer
Goat Breeders Association and past-president of the Bosveld Boer Goat Breeders Club.)
22 Goat Rancher | December 2025
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32
