HIGH RIVER, Alta. – The cattle on display at the fed beef expo are the closest thing to the real deal at the Calgary Stampede.
Shown loose in pens of five without washing, clipping or polishing, the commercial steers and heifers look like the millions of cattle seen in pens and pastures throughout Alberta.
This year’s fed beef expo was held at the Highwood Market near High River July 13 where five experienced cattle buyers judged the pens looking for muscling and consistency among the five animals per entry.
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Each pen must include cattle representing two of four distinct colours like red, black, tan or white.
Judge Tony Saretsky was impressed with the similarity in type even though there was a variety of breeds and crossbreeds represented.
Each judge has his own set of criteria for selecting cattle and rated them based on lean meat yield and marbling. Scores out of 100 were tallied to name the winners. “Everyone does not value them the same,” said Saretsky, an independent buyer from Ponoka, Alta.
The other judges buy for different packers according to client specifications so qualities favoured by a high retail customer may not be desirable for the eastern Canadian market. At the end of the day, processors want a carcass with good amounts of red meat and one that captures the top marbling grade.”Each of the packers tend to have customers looking for different things. Some cater to the restaurant trade or retail where they want AAA,” Saretsky said.
This year, the heifers presented a more consistent package overall and were rewarded high marks.
The grand champion pen of heifers went to Echo Springs Ranching owned by Bill and Dave Massie of Granum, Alta. They received prize money of $2,500 for the heifers, which weighed an
average 1,419 pounds and scored 91.33 out of 100.
The brothers have won the contest before but when they saw the competition, they wondered how they might place.
They own a feedlot and have grassland for backgrounding mostly heifers bought as weaned calves. They entered three pens and won the first and third prizes, taking home $3,500.
Selection started early.”Over the winter you keep an eye on some pens of cattle that you think are ready to go,” said Dave Massie.
The reserve pen of heifers was from Andy Rock and Ed Stronks. The average weight was 1,353 lb., earning a score of 91.17.
The grand champion steer pen went to Sandy Hill Stock Farm owned by Richard Visser of Taber, Alta. The pen weighed an average 1,410 lb. and scored 91.75 out of 100. Sandy Hill Stock Farm predominately feeds cattle destined for the United States market.
The calves were sorted out by Jeff Smith of the marketing company Gateway Livestock of Taber, Alta. The company is one of the competition sponsors and believes it is a good way to show urban people where their beef comes from, said Les Smith of Gateway.
“We encourage feedlots to participate because our company feels it is very important to help urban people understand agriculture,” he said.
The reserve champion was Leighton Kolk of Picture Butte. The steers’ average weight was 1,402 lb. with a score of 91.
Echo Springs Ranching Co. of Granum, earned the champion pen of heifers title, which sold to Cargill Meat Solutions for $1.04 per lb.
Andy Rock of Sandy Hill Stock Farms of Taber, Alta., was named winner for the champion pen of steers, which sold for $1.10 per lb. to Lakeside Packers, of Brooks, Alta.
