EDMONTON – Aces Wild, the new prospect steer show at Farmfair, was just the event Don Allingham needed.
The professional cattle fitter had orders to buy about a dozen 4-H steers ranging from $1,000 to $2,400 for children back home on Vancouver Island.
“These little steers they will work,” said Allingham of Chemainus, B.C., pointing to some smaller calves waiting to be led into the sales ring.
The calves are already familiar with the show ring and are pre-selected by the sellers as possible fancy show steers. The children for whom he’s buying the calves live on acreages without chutes or corrals to help with halter breaking, he said.
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“This way the kids make friends with them right away.”
Organizers of the Aces Wild prospect steer show and sale at Farmfair, held Nov. 5-13 in Edmonton, were hoping to attract precisely these kinds of customers.
“Aces Wild is a source for these animals where people will be buying them to show all spring and bring to Calgary,” said Ashley Pearson, chair of the Aces Wild organizing committee.
The steer show circuit is growing in popularity in Canada, especially with kids just out of 4-H who still want to show cattle. In the United States, prize money for steer shows can run up to $100,000.
With the growing popularity of steer shows, Farmfair wanted to supply the growing demand for show cattle with a new show and sale. In its first year, the show and sale attracted 88 entries.
“It really shows the potential of this and enthusiasm,” said Pearson.
“They’re fancy show calves, lots of muscles, really wide tops, just good show cattle.”
Colin Schultz of Stony Plain, Alta., had two steers entered in the Aces Wild sale.
He has a purebred Shorthorn cattle herd and shows steers for sport on the side.
“It’s a fun hobby. It gets me out to meet people,” said Schultz, who had two Shorthorn, Maine Anjou and Angus cross calves entered.
Sarah Raymer of Mayerthorpe, Alta., owned the grand champion steer in the Aces Wild show. She said when they artificially inseminated the cow, they were hoping for a fancy steer or a fancy type calf.
“We bred for a prospect calf,” said Raymer, whose 825-pound calf sold for $1,300.
Doug Hess of Mannville, Alta., bought Schultz’s steers for $3,000 and $2,400 to let Schultz take them on the show circuit next spring and to the final sale at Calgary Stampede.
“You got to support the industry,” said Hess, a Shorthorn breeder.
“It’s good advertising.”
