March 18 was a red-letter day for Angus breeders Brian Blyth and Stuart
McIntyre when their yearling Red Angus bull walked into the ring as
supreme champion and high seller at the Regina Bull Sale.
The bull has an impressive pedigree, coming from the same sire as the
Canadian Western Agribition supreme champion bulls in 1999 and 2000.
Buyer Dennis Ericson of Wetaskiwin, Alta., saw this youngster as a calf
and liked it enough to pay $11,500.
Blyth and McIntyre joined the Red Angus fraternity in 1996 and have
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quickly risen through the purebred ranks.
“It’s been a bit overwhelming. It’s almost been too quick,” said
Blyth.”This was really just a hobby that got out of hand.”
This year they calved out about 30 purebred cows and another 65
commercial cows. They are vying for the next brass ring this fall.
“We’ll see what happens at Agribition,” said Blyth.
The reserve grand champion was from DKF Red Angus owned by Dwayne
Fettes of Gladmar, Sask. He was purchased for $4,650 from Alex
Skarpinsky.
Overall, 228 bulls were sold for $672,600 to average $2,950.
The atmosphere at Regina was somewhat more positive than some of the
spring bull sales this year, said sale organizer Helge By.
Many of the bulls are sold south and east of Regina where pasture and
moisture conditions have been better and cow herds have not been
reduced.
“The snow before had people in a better frame of mind,” he said.
Broad buyer interest saw bulls going to new homes in Ontario and
Alberta. Another 31 went to the United States.
The Black Angus show and sale drew some respectable bids when the grand
champion sold for $11,100. Consigned by Levi and Carmen Jackson of
Sedley, Sask., this yearling went to Thomason Angus Farm at Bethune,
Sask. The reserve champion entry from Yong Dale Angus Farm at
Carievale, Sask., sold for $3,900 to Raymond Schaeffer.
At the Charolais sale, the high seller was also grand champion. The
entry of Belmont Charolais of Lipton, Sask., sold for $6,300 to B & M
Farms at North Gower, Ont. The reserve grand champion, also from
Belmont Charolais, sold to Gerard Allmaras for $3,750.
The crowd did not agree with the Hereford show judge when they bid up
the high seller to $7,000. That bull came from Lone Pine Cattle
Services at Vibank, Sask., and sold to Jim Joyce Farms of Manitoulin
Island, Ont.
The grand champion was the entry of Shorty Croft Polled Herefords owned
by Garth and Jeremy Charlton of Weyburn, Sask. The successful bidder
was Keith Young at $2,900. Melvin Freitag of Alameda, Sask., had the
reserve grand Hereford. It sold to Steele Thorn Farms for $2,500.
Six bulls were sold at the Limousin sale with five coming from Splendor
View Acres owned by Reg and Linda Cummins of Lumsden, Sask. They took
grand and reserve honours as well as high seller. The high seller was
also reserve champion and went for $4,800 to Darcy Brewster of Earl
Grey, Sask. The grand champion sold for $3,800 to Robert Wunder, Foam
Lake, Sask.
The Simmental sale’s high seller came from Diamond M Farms of Estevan,
Sask. The bull sold for $6,300 to Windmill Simmental, Haywood, Man. The
grand champion was entered by Spring Creek Simmental and sold for
$3,650 to Douglas and Aaron Rathgehar. The reserve edged out the
champion by $50 when it sold to Keith Young for $3,650. Estevan’s
Prairie Wind Farms Ltd. consigned him.
