The Blenkirons decided to keep their cow out of the show ring after scoring big during the sale, selling for $45,000
When James Blenkiron and his family, owners and operators of Blenview Farms, showed one of their cows at the Junior Shorthorn Show in Erin, Ont., they never expected to sell her. But Darnell Fornwald with First Class Cattle Marketing convinced them to consign her for Canadian Western Agribition.
“At that point, we had no inclination of selling this cow because we knew how valuable she was and her pedigree is second to none,” Blenkiron said.
“So it took us about a week before we agreed that we would do it.”
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Darnell Fornwald is the owner of First Class Cattle Marketing and was the consigner at the Shorthorn sale at Agribition. When he saw the Blenkiron’s cow at the Erin, Ont., show, he knew she would make a great addition to the 50th anniversary of Agribition at the Shorthorn sale.
“She’s as good of a Shorthorn cow as we’ve ever come across in Canada,” Fornwald said. “Her pedigree is basically as good as it gets on paper, and her calf is excellent, too.”
Blenview Farms’ cow sold for $45,000 at Agribition’s Shorthorn sale, easily the highest sale out of the event.
“I didn’t think she was going to go that high,” Blenkiron said. “But I thought she would go fairly high just because of her family track record.”
Fornwald said they expected the cow to sell high.
“It really wasn’t surprising to be honest, with how much interest we had.”
After the cow’s success at the sale, the Blenkirons decided not to show her in the Shorthorn show. Because they were such good friends with the judge, the family decided the success of the sale was enough for them.
“We thought it best for all parties if that cow did not go into the showroom, and just chill out and take in the glory of the sale.”
The cow sold to Cornerstone Farms out of Weyburn, Sask., which is Blenview Farms’ first time working with them. However, Blenview Farms still gets to hold one-third of the embryos.
“We’re pretty excited to work with these new guys.”
At the Shorthorn show, the grand champion female was exhibited by Millbrook Farms of Brome, Que. The grand champion bull was exhibited by Foxtail Livestock of Elrose, Sask.
The only bull sold for $16,000 at the Shorthorn sale. Additionally, one bull calf went for $2,250, and Blenview Farms’ bred cow sold for $45,000.
Of four bred heifers sold, the average was $6,063. The average for five heifer calves was $7,750.
Of 17 semen lots, the average was $1,122. Six embryo lots averaged $2,917, and the only flush lot sold for $6,000.
The gross sales totalled $168,835.
