REGINA — Attending Canadian Western Agribition is like a holiday for Montana ranchers Max and Debby Porter.
The Gelbvieh breeders brought two females to this year’s event with one of them sired by a Canadian bull from the Fladeland family of Gladmar, Sask.
They sold a March heifer for $4,750 to Twisted T Gelbvieh of Asquith, Sask.
The Porters first came to Agribition three years ago and started showing this year under the name M Heart D Gelbvieh.
Their west-central Montana ranch is in the middle of Angus country, but Max Porter believes they are holding their own as a breed, especially among commercial bull buyers.
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“For the commercial people, heterosis is king. Combining genetics is a way to create great feeder calves,” he said.
“Getting those extra pounds from heterosis is important.”
They sell most of their cattle privately but participate in a few consignment sales.
They also select show quality animals from their herd of 100 cows, and this year had the grand champion female at the Northern International Livestock Exhibition in Billings, Montana, in mid-October.
That female would have been eligible to show at the RBC Beef Supreme at Agribition, but it was sold to an Oregon breeder at the NILE who did not want to exhibit.
The Porters have been in the Gelbvieh business for 20 years. Max is a retired reconstructive dentist who decided after 35 years in the business to return to the family ranch where his grandparents had raised Angus and Shorthorns.
“They had never heard of Gelbvieh,” he said.
“I really like the quality of the Gelbvieh cattle up here, but more importantly I enjoy the people.”
It was at Agribition where they met people such as the Fladelands, who brought 11 head to Agribition and collected banners for most of their entrants, which were displayed across their stalls in the Gelbvieh barn.
The family won reserve champion female, premier breeder and exhibitor, champion junior female, reserve junior female and senior bull calf champion, which went on to be named reserve champion bull.
They had breed champion at the First Lady classic and won the Sweetheart champion, which is a special event where other breeders vote on their favourite female before the sale, held this year Nov. 13.
Their Sweetheart winner sold for $4,250 to Thackeray Gelbvieh of Weyburn, Sask. They also sold a February heifer to Royal Western Gelbvieh for $5,000.
The operation includes grandfather Ted, father Wayne and sons Del and Clint as well as five grandsons.
They have been in the Gelbvieh business for about 20 years, previously producing Herefords and Charolais. They wanted a maternal breed, and these days keep about 290 commercial and purebred females.
The Fladelands started showing seriously in 2009, and this year was their best.
“This is definitely the best show for Gelbvieh by far,” said Del.
They sell their females at Agribition as well as two breed sales: the Prairie Gelbvieh Alliance bull sale in April and the Wish List sale held in Olds, Alta., at the end of November.
The Agribition sale resulted in 11.5 lots averaging $4,900.
The Fladelands bought the high selling female for $8,000 from McCoy Cattle Co. of Milestone, Sask.
