CARMEL RICKARD: Ewe must be kidding
Value of colour-variant antelopes leads to dispute between game farmer and auctioneer — and dramatically different versions of what led to their fallout
Game farming is not all sun and hunting, though it’s touted as a great way to make money. Investment companies specialising in “exotic and rare species” promise “exceptional financial returns” of between 20% and 27%. But there are problems too, as farmer Chris Labuschagne found out when a deal with a local auctioneer curdled. The 2014 verbal arrangement between Labuschagne and auctioneer Andrew Hutchinson related to the blesbok on Labuschagne’s farm. But just three months later the two fell out and Hutchinson went to court, saying Labuschagne had reneged on their agreement. Central to their dispute were four “colour-variant ewes”, said to fetch enormous prices on auction. Hutchinson said that after Labuschagne sold him 90 blesbok, including the four special animals, at R2,000 plus Vat per animal, he captured an initial four animals on Labuschagne’s farm: a common male, a masked blesbok ewe and two colour-variant blesbok ewes.Then, he said, Labuschagne cancelled the deal and told him...
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