DENVER, Colorado – An outstanding show career was culminated for a Canadian bull that won the reserve grand champion Hereford award at the National Western Stock Show in Denver Jan. 17.
Owned by Grant and Annette Hirsche of Okotoks and Upstream Ranch of Taylor, Nebraska, this two year horned bull was also grand champion at the World Hereford show in Alberta last summer and Supreme bull at Canadian Western Agribition.
Named UPS Uptown ET this bull will be retiring from the show ring and is returning to Hirsche’s ranch near Calgary. The grand champion bull came from Richard and Shirley Thomas of Gold Creek, Montana and was a half brother to the Hirsche bull.
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“The judge said it was the hardest decision he ever had to make,” said Hirsche after the show.
Judge Hampton Cornelius also praised the cattle as being working herd sires rather than show bulls.
“There are too many people who say these are just show bulls but not real bulls. We have been trying hard for years to develop bulls that will help the breed move forward,” said Hirsche after the show.
Ultimately he wants sound working cattle that to produce better beef. He owns a butcher shop in Okotoks where customers are demanding AAA beef that should come from bulls of similar breeding to his champion.
Calves from this bull are just being born. Ultrasound tests show it is in the top five percentile for marbling and its carcass EPDs are in the outstanding range which are highly heritable traits.
The Hereford females show Saturday, Jan. 19.
