Hatari Farming Claims Double Supreme Honours at the 2026 Standard Bank Gold Cup Awards
Hatari Farming secured a remarkable double victory at the Royal Agricultural Show’s prestigious Standard Bank Gold Cup Awards, claiming both the Supreme Champion Ram and Supreme Champion Ewe titles.
Marius Eksteen of Hatari Farming claimed both the Supreme Champion Ram and Supreme Champion Ewe titles at the 2026 Royal Agricultural Show, securing a remarkable double victory at the prestigious Standard Bank Gold Cup Awards held at Tweedie Hall, Howick, on Saturday evening, 10 October.
The awards brought the Royal's Interbreed Sheep Championships to a fitting conclusion, recognising some of South Africa's finest stud sheep and the breeders whose dedication, expertise and careful genetic selection have earned them a place among the country's leading livestock producers.
The Standard Bank Gold Cup Awards are a longstanding tradition of the Royal Agricultural Society of Natal. They represent the pinnacle of the Show's stud livestock competitions, with champions selected in their individual breed classes progressing to the Interbreed Championships, where they compete for the coveted Supreme Champion titles.
The 2026 awards held particular significance as the Society celebrated its 175th anniversary and hosted its first Royal Show at its new home in Tweedie.
Hatari Farming produced the 2026 RAS Supreme Champion Ram, a Dormer.
Hatari Farming produced the 2026 RAS Supreme Champion Ewe, a Dormer.
A double Gold Cup triumph for Hatari Farming
Hatari Farming's Dormers dominated the supreme championships, with Eksteen taking home both the Supreme Champion Ewe and Supreme Champion Ram honours.
The 2026 Standard Bank Supreme Champion Gold Cup winners were:
Supreme Champion Ewe on Show: Dormer — Marius Eksteen, Hatari Farming
Reserve Supreme Champion Ewe on Show: Suffolk — Tjaart Steenekamp, Twee Seuns Suffolks
Supreme Champion Ram on Show: Dormer — Marius Eksteen, Hatari Farming
Reserve Supreme Champion Ram on Show: Hampshire Down — Hennie Jonker, Zorro Hampshire Down
For Hatari Farming, the result builds on an impressive record of success at the Royal.
At the 2024 Royal Agricultural Exhibition, Hatari's outstanding Dormer ram, Oorlog Jnr (HE22-037), was named Supreme Champion Ram on Show, having already secured Senior Champion, Grand Champion and Supreme Champion honours at the Dormer National Championships.
The stud has demonstrated similar excellence in carcass competitions. At the 2025 Royal Carcass Competition, Hatari Farming made history when two of its Dormer carcasses tied for Champion Lamb Carcass, each achieving an identical score of 84.04%. A third Hatari entry secured the Reserve Champion title.
Hatari Farming continued its strong performance this year in the 2026 Royal Carcass Competition, securing four awards: Second Reserve Champion Lamb Carcass; First and Second Reserve Champion Group of Four Lamb Carcasses; and Reserve Champion Group of Four Lamb Carcasses with Substantial European Genetics. These results further demonstrate the stud's ability to produce animals that excel both in the show ring and in carcass competitions.
The latest double Gold Cup victory adds another distinction to the achievements of Marius Eksteen and the wider Hatari Farming team, whose loyal participation has made them familiar and highly respected competitors at the Royal.
Twee Seuns Suffolk produced the 2026 RAS Reserve Supreme Champion Ewe, a Suffolk.
A distinguished record of Royal champions
The reserve supreme awards were claimed by breeders with their own impressive histories at the Royal Show.
Tjaart Steenekamp of Twee Seuns Suffolks, whose Suffolk was named Reserve Supreme Champion Ewe, has a longstanding association with the Show's highest honours.
Steyn and Tjaart Steenekamp bred the Supreme Champion Ewe on Show in 2016. In 2023, Tjaart's Twee Seuns Suffolk secured the Reserve Supreme Champion Ram title, followed by another Supreme Champion Ewe victory at the 2024 Royal Agricultural Exhibition.
His 2026 result continues a distinguished record of success in the Suffolk breed and in competition against other leading stud sheep breeds.
Zorro Hampshire Down produced the 2026 Reserve Supreme Champion Ram, a Hampshire Down.
Hennie Jonker of Zorro Hampshire Down, who claimed Reserve Supreme Champion Ram, is another established champion.
Based near Kroonstad in the Free State, the Zorro stud has achieved consistent success in Hampshire Down competitions and at interbreed level. Its previous Royal Show achievements include a Supreme Interbreed Champion title in 2023 and Reserve Supreme Interbreed honours in 2024.
Zorro's success has also extended to meat quality and carcass competitions, including their major victory at Lamb Champs Parys in 2025.
Four-way tie highlights strength of Interbreed competition
The competitiveness of the 2026 championships was further demonstrated by an unusual four-way tie in the overall Interbreed points standings.
Four exhibitors finished with 15 points each:
Twee Seuns Suffolks
Vredesig
Hatari Farming
Gras Karoo Dormers
The BKB Trophy traditionally recognises the exhibitor accumulating the most points in the Interbreed classes, while the Moreland Molasses Floating Trophy recognises the runner-up. This year's results recorded the same four-way tie in the standings for both awards.
The tied result brought together breeders who have repeatedly distinguished themselves at the Royal.
Vredesig Dormers, associated with Johnny and Mala Forbes, claimed the Reserve Supreme Champion Ewe title at the 2024 Royal Agricultural Exhibition. Gras Karoo Dormers, represented by Steyn Steenekamp and Abraham Steyn, has also enjoyed considerable success, including winning the Royal Champion and Reserve Champion Super Lamb Carcass awards in 2024.
The results reflect the exceptional depth of competition among breeders who have invested years in developing the quality, consistency and performance of their stud animals.
(From left) Steyn Steenekamp, Puxley Raeskgala (Standard Bank Regional Manager for KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga), Marius Eksteen (Hatari Farming), Tim Nixon (Royal Agricultural Society President), Janita Muller (Hatari Farming).
Standard Bank's longstanding support recognised
The Gold Cup Awards dinner welcomed Puxley Rasekgala, Standard Bank's Regional Agricultural Manager for KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, as guest speaker.
Standard Bank has a longstanding association with the Royal's Supreme Champion Awards, with its sponsorship of these honours documented in Royal Show prize schedules dating back more than a decade.
The Royal Agricultural Society extends its sincere appreciation to Standard Bank for its generous sponsorship of the 2026 Gold Cup Awards and its continued support for the recognition of agricultural excellence.
The Society also thanks Rasekgala for his participation in the awards evening and for representing Standard Bank at this important occasion in the Royal's agricultural calendar.
Celebrating the people behind the champions
As the Royal Agricultural Society marks 175 years of agricultural heritage, the Gold Cup Awards remain an important expression of its founding purpose: to encourage excellence in breeding, support agricultural advancement and provide a platform for producers to measure their achievements against the highest standards.
Many of the breeders recognised this year have travelled considerable distances to exhibit at the Royal, investing substantial time, resources and preparation in bringing their animals to KwaZulu-Natal.
Their continued commitment contributes enormously to the quality and reputation of the Royal's livestock competitions.
The Royal Agricultural Society congratulates Marius Eksteen, Tjaart Steenekamp, Hennie Jonker and all the successful exhibitors at the 2026 Standard Bank Gold Cup Awards, and thanks every breeder whose participation helped make the first Royal Show at Tweedie a memorable occasion.
