Hennie Jonker’s love of lamb earns him the Lamb Champs national title

This is what Jonker told Farmer’s Weekly after walking away with top honours at a gala dinner held on 17 October during Nampo Alfa in Bothaville in the Free State.

Jonker, who farms on Kromdraai near Kroonstad in the Free State, beat three other regional champions from across the country after his Hampshire Down lamb impressed in every judging category, from on-the-hoof evaluation to final taste.

Headlined by Pick n Pay, the Lamb Champs series was presented by the Southern African Agri Initiative (SAAI) and Provantage, with Toyota and ZARBet as key partners.

This year, four national qualifying events were held, with a total of 266 lambs spitted and more than 12 000 visitors attending the competitions.

Apart from a trophy sculpted by renowned artist Nic van Rensburg valued at R80 000, Jonker also won R50 000 in cash and additional prizes sponsored by the event’s partners.

Jonker has been participating in the competition since 2022, and he said the biggest driving factors for what he does are family and love.

“I was born in Bethlehem in the eastern Free State, not far from where we farm at Kromdraai. I’m a farmer to the core; it’s in my blood. The experience I had with my dad certainly has helped. I know the Free State, I love this place, and this makes it so much easier and nicer,” he explained.

Breeding strategy

There were various judging criteria during Lamb Champs, including on-the-hoof assessments and laboratory analysis. Each participant also had to present two lambs for the traditional spit evaluation, where a panel of three independent judges assessed the flavour and tenderness of the meat.

Jonker said breeding strategy was very important: “You have to obtain the best genetics, as it makes a big difference. If you make the right selection and build up the right lines, it can open big doors.”

Despite participating in and winning other shows and competitions, he said he still faced some challenges.

“One [challenge is] identifying the right carcass on the hoof; choosing the right lamb from a handful. You have to envision it, and I think we are starting to get it right more often than not.”

According to Jonker, competitions like Lamb Champs were important, and farmers should most definitely participate.

“It is fantastic that the end consumer has an opportunity to see there’s a family behind the whole process; somebody who has a passion for that chop, who breeds the lamb for that chop and who works extremely hard, with love, to get that chop to your plate.

“Farmers should use the competitions to go out and meet the public and talk to them,” he explained.

It’s about family and raising awareness

Speaking at the awards evening, SAAI CEO Francois Rossouw said Lamb Champs was about more than just who had the tastiest lamb. “It is about giving family farmers a proper platform. These events open doors, create networks, and showcase what quality farming looks like. Every farmer is a champion.”

He told Farmer’s Weekly that the aim of the competition had always been to raise consumer awareness about lamb.

“We can see there is a real difference in the farmers who use the platform to their advantage, especially those who place well in the competition. For them, the demand for their product and its associated brand is high, and they become price makers rather than price takers,” he said.

Asked about next year’s competition, Rossouw didn’t want to divulge much.

“We don’t want to talk too much about 2026 yet. However, it will have a completely different dimension in terms of competition. We are still in the process of putting certain strategic partnerships in place before we announce next year’s structure,” he explained.