On 6 August, well-known brothers Rodney and Leonard Neuman successfully presented their annual Drakensberger and Merino production auction on the farm Newlands near Vrede. They have been established farmers in the Vrede area for many years and are known for the exceptional quality of their Drakensberger cattle and Merino sheep.
By Salomé van den Berg
Rodney is an established Drakensberger stud breeder with a family history in the breed spanning several generations. The family’s involvement with Drakensbergers dates back to the 1950s, and Rodney continues this tradition with a strong emphasis on pure genetic material and hardy, functional cattle. He believes in breeding profitable cattle for commercial producers, with a focus on adaptability, good fertility and low input costs. In addition to selling weaners to feedlots, he breeds stud bulls and females.
Rodney has built a respected name in the Drakensberger industry over the years and has also been involved in organising the national Drakensberger auction. In 2025, an open heifer from his herd achieved a record price of R62 000 at the national Drakensberger auction.
Leonard is an established Merino breeder and plays an important role in the brothers’ Merino stud. He focuses on breeding strong, quality Merinos with good genetic material and functional characteristics. Leonard has built a good reputation in the Merino industry over the years and continually strives to improve the quality and performance of his herd.
According to Eduan Eksteen of OVK, 800 rams went through a strict selection process in September 2025, after which only 65 were selected for the auction. The selection pressure is particularly high, as only the best animals are selected from the large group. The 65 rams were notably uniform, especially in terms of head and wool quality.
These qualities were evident at their 19th production auction, where the most expensive bull, lot 6 (F22123), sold for R270 000 to André van Dyk of Tasbet Park. The most expensive ram, lot 15, also attracted strong interest and sold for R65 000 to the Cheviot Trust of Jan Reeders at Rhodes.
The 44 bulls offered sold at an average price of R100 455, while 10 pregnant cows achieved an average price of R26 600. A total of 112 pregnant heifers were offered at an average price of R21 339. Among the sheep, the 414 pregnant ewes offered sold at an average price of R3 947, while 63 rams achieved an average price of R16 151.
The auction achieved a 100% sell-through rate.
Rodney thanked all his loyal supporters for their continued support and said he was very pleased with the prices achieved at the auction. His daughter, Jodee, emphasised that it takes hard work to bring a herd to auction day.
Bulls were available across a wide price range, offering buyers a broad selection. According to Rodney, the secret to breeding top-quality breeding stock is to set clear breeding goals, stick to them and not allow other people to distract you from those goals. He also emphasises the importance of breeding adapted animals that can perform well under local conditions.
OVK hosted the auction. Andrew Miller auctioned off the sheep and Gareth Hughes the cattle.
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