EDMONTON – At seven years of age, Reid DePalme may have been the littlest showman at Farmfair International in Edmonton.
The second grader from Red Deer, who stole hearts with his tenacious handling of his calf, walked away with reserve bull calf champion at the Salers show, competing against a large class of more experienced adults.
A grandson of Ray DePalme, who has been in the Salers business for more than 30 years, Reid has been showing cattle since he was five years old.
Owned by the DePalme family’s Sky West Land and Cattle Co., the red bull calf will be offered for sale this March. It is a son of a former Farmfair champion from two years ago.
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“We thought he might come third. He’s a quiet calf so we let Reid show it,” said his father, Travis DePalme.
Accepting guidance from his father behind the scenes, the gap toothed youngster with smudged glasses walked into the ring alone, drawing on past experiences at Farmfair and the fair in Olds, Alta.
Mishaps and recalcitrant cattle don’t faze this boy.
“At the last show my cow laid down,” he said.
This time, the calf stumbled on a ramp leading into the show ring.
However, he didn’t let the mishap bother him and carried on to a championship.
