Roger Hardy had one word to sum up his cattle’s showing at the World Angus Forum at Calgary: fantastic.
The owner of Soo Line Cattle Co. at Midale, Sask., has had a stellar year that culminated at the world show, where nearly all of his 11 entries of Red and Black cattle earned prizes, including the grand champion Black Angus female.
Named Soo Line Annie K 6271, this young female, as a pregnant heifer, won the First Lady Classic and grand championship at Canadian Western Agribition last year. Her brother was the supreme champion bull at the same show.
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“She’s been winning her whole life,” said Hardy, who sold a two-thirds interest, full possession for $100,000 to an Illinois partner just before the show. The cow with a heifer calf at side is going into a flushing program this fall. The calf stays behind when the dam moves to the United States, said Justin Morrison of Soo Line.
“It was so exciting when we saw how good her calf was,” said Morrison. Soo Line also won the reserve champion red female and bull banners.
Another excited family was the Gibson crew of Six Mile Red Angus at Fir Mountain, Sask.
They won grand champion bull and female at the Red show July 15. The cow was owned by Clayton and Corrine Gibson’s 16-year-old daughter, Callie. A half interest sold July 14 for $16,000 to the Mankota area farms, Breed Creek Angus and Box X Ranch.
A Grade 12 student, Callie plans to attend university when she graduates next year, with an aim to return to the farm and work with cattle. She has a herd of 10, which started when her grandfather bought her a cow.
“It was a hell of a good looking heifer and a lot of other people thought so too,” said buyer Mike Smith, who has raised Red Angus since 1967. He bought his first Red cattle from Six Mile.
The grand champion bull, Red 6 Mile Full Throttle 171T, was the high seller at their 2008 production sale, where they sold a half interest to the semen company, Genex Cooperative and Triple L Angus. It was also the son of their Agribition supreme champion from two years ago.
After such a good run, the family wants personal time and have cut back on their show appearances.
“This fall we’ll show at Agribition. Showing is a big commitment and we want to do it right,” said Corrine.
Those kinds of results provide valuable market exposure at home and abroad.
“We made so many international contacts, it was overwhelming,” she said.
Rob and Gail Hamilton had the grand champion Black bull while the reserve went to Eastondale Angus of Wawota, Sask.
The Hamiltons also won the best breeders’ herd, premier sire and dam, premier breeder and premier exhibitor awards.
The futurity show started two years ago when 700 animals were nominated and 17 percent made the final cut. Black grand champion female came from Belvin Angus of Innisfail, Alta., and reserve was from Miller Wilson Angus of Bashaw, Alta.
The grand champion Red Angus was from Six Mile Red Angus and reserve was from Soo-Line Cattle Co.
Young Dale Angus of Carievale, Sask., had the Black champion bull and reserve was from Eastondale Angus. The Red champion bull was also from Six Mile Red Angus and reserve was from Soo Line.
The junior show grand champion was the entry of Quinn Hamilton and reserve came from Jaelayne Wilson of Bashaw.
The Angus sale held July 14 averaged $5,978 on 60 lots and the gross was $358,683.
The high seller was the pick of the Belvin Angus 2009 calf crop, which sold for $32,500 to Coul Angus of Angus, Scotland.
