DENVER, Colo. – Canadian Red Angus bulls have been named grand and reserve champions for the first time in the history of Denver’s National Western Stock Show.
Howard Schneider of Northline Angus at Ardrossan, Alta., and his bull Red Northline Trueblood took home the grand champion honour Jan. 12.
The bull Cowboy Cut, owned by Clint Morash of Lazy MC Angus at Bassano, Alta., won the reserve spot.
Roger Hardy of Soo Line Cattle Co. of Midale, Sask., won grand champion female honours with his cow Red Sooline Rainbow.
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Schneider has attended the Denver show since he was a child, but 2010 was only his second year showing a string of animals in Colorado.
“More people came by our stall that remembered our cattle from last year,” said Schneider, who won reserve senior champion bull and champion spring heifer calf at the 2009 show.
Of the six head he brought to Denver, it was his two-year-old bull that caught judge Alan Sears’ eye.
“The judge said he liked our bull because he could move so good and walk so free. I attribute it all back to genetics and how Canadian cattle have been developed,” Schneider said.
Doug Fee, chief executive officer of the Canadian Angus Association, said many Angus breeders gained confidence after Canada showcased the breed at the World Angus Forum in Calgary last July.
“The forum did two things for us. A lot of Americans were up here and they were able to see the best in Canadian genetics on display. I heard a lot of comments from Americans on how impressed they were,” Fee said.
“The other thing that happened was that a number of breeders heard that and I think it might have given us some confidence to go down to Denver, show off and promote what we’ve got. Obviously, it worked because we did very well.”
Cowboy Cut was also named grand champion at the 2009 Northern International Livestock Exhibition held in Billings, Montana, in October.
“Canadian cattle offer a lot of different genetics to the Red Angus base in the United States.… A lot of (American) producers are looking to Canada for some out-cross genetics,” Morash said.
Solution Genetics owner Cassie Johnson first saw Cowboy Cut at the World Angus Forum. The 24-year-old from Cushing, Iowa, immediately bought the bull’s U.S. semen rights.
After Cowboy Cut’s win in Denver, Johnson and Morash expect to see an increased demand for semen.
“Right now we’ve sold 25 packages and there’s a lot on request,” Johnson said.
Packages sell for $2,100 US.
On the Black Angus side, Jonathon Fox of Justamere Farms of Lloydminster, Sask., saw his bull, Panamajack, named reserve champion.
Rob Hamilton of Cochrane, Alta., won the senior reserve grand champion title with his three-year-old bull Tiger.
