REGINA – Jim Smith spent $100 last year on a chance to pick his favourite Simmental at a people’s choice event at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina.
His ticket was drawn and he selected a heifer named Erixon Lady 202S.
That female has gone on to stand undefeated in the show ring and has turned into a substantial earner for Smith’s Czech-Mate Livestock operation in Carstairs, Alta.
“She’s a $50,000 cow that cost us $100,” Smith said after the Nov. 26 Simmental sale.
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Owned in partnership with Mader Ranches of Carstairs, the solid red female born Dec. 27, 2006, was named supreme champion at the Olds Fair in Olds, Alta., last summer and grand champion at Farmfair in Edmonton and Agribition.
The sale offered an embryo flush with a guarantee of five freezable embryos and sold for $12,500 to Double Bar D Farms of Grenfell, Sask.
Harvie has decided to expand his purebred business of Hereford and Charolais cattle to include a Simm-ental herd and better serve his commercial bull customers in the Alberta foothills.
He also successfully bid on a bred heifer for $9,250 consigned by Sunny Valley Simmentals of Hanley, Sask.
He started expanding last year and has built up a herd of 25 Simmentals.
Harvie also supplies breeding stock to the purebred industry and this year had Canada’s top selling Hereford bull when he sold a two-thirds interest in a calf for $80,000 to a syndicate of buyers.
The high seller overall at the Agribition Simmental sale was the show’s grand champion bull, Remington General Lee 106T.
It was shown Nov. 25 by Remington Cattle Co. of Del Bonita, Alta., and Canterra Cattle of Airdrie, Alta., and a half interest sold for $20,000 to Labatte Simmentals of Gladmar, Sask. and Bouchard Semen Services of Crossfield, Alta.
The bull was also supreme bull champion at the Olds Fair in August.
Remington also sold its junior champion Simmental bull to Diamond M Farms of Estevan, Sask., for a two-thirds interest for $16,000.
A strong heifer entry from Robb Farms of Maidstone, Sask., fetched $16,000 from Ashworth Farms of Oungre, Sask.
The reserve champion female came from Rancier Farms of Killam, Alta., with a 2008 female named RF Flirtin For Certain 37U.
The reserve bull was Remington Prowler 111T and was shown by Sun Star Simmentals of Sedgewick, Alta.
Wheatland Cattle Co. of Bienfait, Sask. was named the show’s premier breeder and exhibitor.
