DENVER, Colo. – For the second straight year a Canadian Red Angus breeder has won the grand champion award at the National Western Stock Show held in Denver Jan. 6 -23.
Named Northline Fat Tony 605U, the win was huge for the two-year-old bull’s Alberta owners, Howard and Wendy Schneider of Northline Angus of Ardrossan, Jim and Greg Pugh of Edgerton and Glessbar Angus of Barrhead, Alta.
Northline was also recognized as premier breeders and exhibitors based on the farm’s total placings at the show.
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Sired by a bull named Gangster, this bull was not related to their 2010 Denver champion named True Blood nor has it appeared at any major Canadian events, said Schneider.
“We knew he was a good one when he was born. We wanted him to peak at this show,” he said.
Winning at the Denver show is always a feather in the cap for Canadians because of the high level of competition.
Eighteen breeds were exhibited at the 105-year-old show.
“This is the hardest show to win at that I know of,” he said.
Fat Tony was named senior champion bull earlier at the show and was followed in that division by Clint and Angela Morasch of Bassano, Alta., who won reserve.
In addition to capturing the purple stock show banner, Northline also won the divisions of champion and reserve spring bull calf, reserve champion spring bull and reserve champion intermediate bull as well as a number of first place class winners.
Carousel Farms of Monroe, Wisconsin, entered several Northline bred cattle and won reserve champion senior yearling bull and two first place class winners.
Rob and Gail Hamilton of Cochrane, Alta., entered HF El Tigre 28U in its final show before the animal will be retired.
Owned in partnership with Ring Creek Angus Farm of Fairview, Alta., the bull went out on a high note, winning reserve senior champion bull. This winner was a half brother to their bull that had a similar win in 2010.
“We had a good go,” said Hamilton, who entered four bulls and two females.
The Canadians demonstrated the different kinds of cattle found in the business today, said judge Bill Wilson.
He was one of three judges for the black show where each man scored the cattle individually before final selections were made.
“With three different opinions, it takes some of the politics out of it,” he said.
“In the Angus business this (show) is as tough as it gets. This is the best you can get.”
Wilson raises Herefords, Angus and Chi-Angus, a cross between Chianina and Angus cattle at his Indiana farm.
He last judged the Denver Angus show 25 years ago when the cattle were taller and longer. A return to a more moderate type has benefited the breed, he said.
“It is the dominant breed in the industry today. Angus registers more cattle than any of the other breeds put together,” he said.
The grand champion Angus went to Doug Satree Angus of Montague, Texas, and Cherry Knoll Farm of West Grove, Pennsylvania, won reserve.
