Barend van Staden with
Magic, the bull with which he
was crowned as the 2018
Hinterland National Handler
of the Year @ALFA.
NEWS
Barend van Staden
Handler of note
“A handler?” the average person may ask. Well, it is the person who literally and
figuratively holds the reins when it comes to the judging of bulls and cows at cattle
shows. We meet Barend van Staden, the new 2018 Hinterland National Handler of the
Year @ ALFA. A title which he won at the ALFA Expo in Parys and which he will hopefully
defend in 2019.
By Aubrey Kruger
Senwes Scenario Editor
D
ifferent to most other handlers
in the industry, Barend is new
on the scene and started
demonstrating his skills in
2017 in this arena, after his employer,
Brahman stud breeder, Willie Jacobs from
the farm Rietfontein between Rustenburg
and Swartruggens, presented him with the
opportunity of a lifetime. The Sannieshof-
born Barend has a lot of respect for
Willie and describes him as his father: “I
think God sent him into my life." He even
understands why Willie scolds him when
he makes mistakes: "He tries to improve
my performance in the process and I have
to bring my side.”
For those who attend agricultural
shows on a regular basis, Barend really
20
exceeds the limits of his responsibilities.
He used to be a truck driver for Willie,
who transported the animals. But he got
stuck in and started to perform all sorts of
other duties as well. He cleaned the pens,
fed the animals and started to learn the
duties of a handler.
He regards the day in 2018 when he
was crowned as the 2018 Hinterland
National Handler of the Year @ALFA, as
the most important day of his life. To top
it all, he was not even aware of every time
he was judged. At the event he was not
only judged in the ring, but also while
looking after and handling the animals.
His big moment was when he was
greeted with a louder applause than the
National Bull and Cow Champions.
He has no intention of relaxing now. He
has a passion for animals and regards it
as a duty of love - “I love those animals.”
He also talks to them and jokingly says
SENWES SCENARIO | MIND-SHIFT 2019
that they speak Afrikaans. He is firm, but
he also gives the animals room to put
forward their best .... hoof to enable the
judges to see their best characteristics.
He doesn't even shout and scream at
them and, according to Willie, he is really
attuned to them. What does he plan for
2019? Well, he inherited a tame team
and will have to break in the new ones,
thereby demonstrating the excellence of
his skills.
Points on which they are judged:
General tidiness in respect of clothing
and shoes is very important. There
has to be a connection between the
handler and the animal as well. Contact
with the ring leader is critical and the
animals must understand his non-verbal
communication. Presentation of the animal
to the judges, such as lifting its head and
looking at its stance, is also important.