Entries were down but prices were up at the 106th annual Regina Bull Sale March 13.
A total of 117 bulls sold for an average $3,599, compared to 146 lots averaging $2,943 in 2010.
Sales committee chair Scott Fettes said it’s about time breeders saw better prices.
“We’re not stopping,” he said of the momentum building throughout the beef industry.
The strong sale saw just a handful of bulls pass through without selling.
Freyburn Angus of Oxbow, Sask., led the first bull into the ring. It was the Black Angus grand champion and saw the $9,000 price hold up as the highest.
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Lionel Doud of Radville, Sask., bought Freyburn Final Answer 11X, a January 2010 bull.
“After he won grand champion, we were kind of hoping for some good things,” said Jason Frey, who operates Freyburn Angus with his brother and sister.
The family has participated in the sale for years, and the siblings’ father, George Frey, had the high seller in 1998. The operation also had the high selling lot last year and the reserve grand champion this year, Freyburn Alliance 46X, which sold for $7,250.
“It’s been a good sale to us.” Frey, who serves on the sale committee, said he thought changes made this year worked well.
The committee took over managing the event from two private companies and moved it from the Auditorium at Evraz Place in Regina to Canada Centre Arena.
“Everybody loved it,” said Fettes. “It’s just a better facility.”
No supreme champion was awarded in the show, and some longtime breeders did not attend.
“We lost a couple of big guys who brought big strings,” Fettes said. “They’ll be back.”
The Simmental event suffered the most, with just six head selling this year.
Fettes said the committee is considering a change from a halter show to a tie broke pen show.
“If we go this pen deal, I think we’d see more coming back,” he said of sellers and buyers.
Frey is less enthusiastic.
“It’s one of the few sales around of that kind,” he said of the halter show.
He agreed it’s becoming more difficult for bull sales of this type to continue, but said it’s a good vehicle for smaller producers who don’t have enough bulls for their own sale.
Thirty-five sold in the Angus sale for an average of $3,600.
Fettes’ DKF Red Angus operation showed the grand champion, Red DKF Rubicon 23X.
The bull was also the high selling Red Angus and went to Doug Jones at Lucky Lake, Sask., for $6,500.
The reserve was Red NRA Crossover 22X, exhibited by Nielson Land and Cattle and Brendan and Jenna Erhardt of Craik, Sask. The sale averaged nearly $4,100.
In the Simmental show, Springcreek Tutor 145X from Meadow-Acres Farms at Lampman, Sask., was grand champion, and Double G Xaden 2X from Double G Simmentals at Stalwart, Sask., was the reserve.
The reserve sold for $4,900 to Kelly Silzer of Moose Jaw, Sask. Double G Xander 15X also sold for $4,900 to Clem Sanden at Craik.
The average was $3,583.
The grand champion Charolais, Charhead Mister Mel 1X from Dr. Melanie Roth at Charhead Ranch at Indian Head, Sask., topped that breed sale at $6,200, going to David Esmond at Eyebrow, Sask.
The reserve was SKW Preston 48X from Creek’s Edge Land &Cattle at Yellow Creek, Sask. The sale averaged just more than $3,600.
Rob O’Connor from Lone Pine Cattle Services at Vibank, Sask., showed the grand champion Heref o rd, XLP 101S Showtime 48W. Meadow-Acres Farms showed the reserve, Meadow-Acres 62P Striker 94W.
Square-D Canyon 128W, consigned by Square-D Herefords at Langbank, Sask., was the breed’s high seller, going to Blaschuck Land &Cattle at Chaplin, Sask. for $6,750.
The sale average was $3,475 on 30 two-year-olds and $2,050 on two yearlings.
Eden Meadows Farm at Zehner, Sask., showed the grand champion Limousin, EMF Xcise Tax. He also topped that sale, selling to Reed Andrew of Regina for $3,700.
The reserve champion was HiWays Windfall from Hi-Way Limousin at Bethune, Sask. The sale average was $2,750.
