EDMONTON – Chris Krozser likes his purebred Shorthorn cattle. He also likes his Limousin cattle, his Charolais cattle and his Black Angus cattle.
Krozser isn’t partial to a particular breed. He likes the breed that wins.
“We want to focus on the top 10 percent of the breed. We don’t want high numbers, we want high quality and low numbers,” said Krozser of the LA Land and Cattle Co. from Leduc, Alta.
His two-year-old Shorthorn bull that won big during the national Shorthorn show at Farmfair International in Edmonton Nov. 12 represents one-fifth of his Shorthorn herd.
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“We cull pretty hard.”
He has about half a dozen Limousin, the same number of Angus and about 60 Charolais cows.
Krozser bought the bull as a calf at its mother’s side. It was the farm’s first Shorthorn animal and he bought the May calf on the advice of his farm manager, Jason Bierwirth.
“I thought he looked cool,” Bierwirth said. “He had things in him I thought the breed needed. I got really, really lucky.”
Since then, the farm has bought four females and has high hopes for next year’s calves bred to the champion bull.
Krozser and his wife, Gisele, are both self-confessed city kids with a love of cattle and farming.
“I like cattle, especially when they’re gentle. This is a stress relief for me,” said Krozser, who admits his off-farm income supports the farm they bought in 2000.
“This is a hobby for me.”
For Krozser, travelling the show circuit is a more enjoyable and cheaper hobby than racing cars on the track near his farm.
“They spend thousands for an eight second thrill. We at least get 30 seconds of enjoyment in it.”
Even spending the day washing and blow drying show cattle is a pleasure for Krozser.
“Today is a stress relief, coming here.”
The next stop for Krozser’s bull will be Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, Nov. 21-28.
