Tony Heins came close to tears as he described his first sale at Canadian Western Agribition.
The rancher from Wing, North Dakota, had been to the annual show before but this year marked the first time he brought his own cattle.
All three of his Rocking H Livestock steers took first in their classes, and one was named grand champion in the prospect calf show and sale.
Two of them then proceeded to top the sale.
The grand champion sold for $5,200 to Laura Symens of Mission, B.C. Another went for $5,000 to Shane Cadieux of Southland Angus at Shaunavon, Sask., and the third sold for $1,900 to a buyer from Cobdew, Ont.
Read Also
Adequate colostrum can prevent bloodstream infections
Antibodies contained in colostrum are critical for preventing infections before the young animal’s own immune system gains experience with microbes, matures and takes over.
r
“I thought the calves were good enough (to win),” Heins said. “I just had no idea they were going to sell as well as they did. I thought we had a shot to win the show but the sale is pretty overwhelming right now.
“This is unbelievable.”
Heins said if the three had averaged $1,800 he would have been “tickled to death.”
“Canada’s great right now, absolutely,” he said with a laugh.
Heins and his wife’s family run about 600 Angus cows on their operation about an hour’s drive northeast of Bismarck.
They show at local shows and in Denver, Colorado, every year, and occasionally go to Louisville, Kentucky, and Kansas City, Missouri.
Ranching and raising cattle is what they do for a living, he said, and the exposure the cattle got at Agribition should translate into more Canadian sales.
The resumption of cross-border trade in cattle factored into his decision to bring cattle north this year.
He does own some cattle this side of the border with Cadieux.
“Probably the biggest reason I haven’t been up here before with my own cattle is because you never know how you’re going to be accepted since the border is closed,” Heins said. “I guess the news that the border was possibly going to open kind of cemented the idea that we needed to bring some up.”
He wasn’t sure if he would buy any cattle to take home, but said the open border made all the difference to him.
Some of his neighbours aren’t so happy about it but Heins believes the border must be open.
“It just plain needs to happen,” he said. “We need to get rid of this U.S.-Canada thing and just raise cattle.”
The reserve grand champion steer was shown by Lucky Springs Farms of Rocky Mountain House, Alta., and sold for $2,600 to Laura Sawatsky of Central Butte, Sask.
In the prospect heifer show, Hall’s Cattle Co. of Craven, Sask., showed the grand champion. It was also the high seller, going to Boutin Beef Farms at Alida, Sask., for $3,600.
Jade MacKenzie of Mountain View, Alta., showed the reserve grand champion. The heifer sold for $1,500 to Justin Curtis of Bethune, Sask.
Fifty-two lots sold in the prospect sale for a total of $66,650 and an average of $1,281.73.
