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Black heifer pays tuition

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Published: December 7, 2006

REGINA – Crystal Young had a good feeling when she entered the Simmental sales ring at Canadian Western Agribition with her pure black heifer.

The bidding kept going up until the hammer came down on $15,000, selling Young’s 2006 black heifer to Austin McGuire of Calgary, who is just entering the business.

“It is exciting to see new people come into the breed,” said Young, who has lived with Simmental cattle all of her 21 years.

She was well ahead of the sale average where 21 lots sold for $104,000 to average $4,952.

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An animal science and agriculture communications student at Kansas State University, Young took a week off during American Thanksgiving to show and sell cattle.

She was sure her calf could hold its own against the best of them and after attending Farmfair at Edmonton for many years, she and her family decided Canadian Western Agribition was the next step. She had never been to the Regina event.

“We figured it would be a good time to come out. I wanted some of the bidders in Saskatchewan and Manitoba to have access to her genetics,” Young said.

The heifer and its mother placed first in class at the earlier Simmental show. The dam is pregnant and should calve in February.

“Hopefully she has another high seller,” said Young.

She also hoped this calf might do well because she relies on her cattle to pay tuition.

Young is on the university livestock judging team and is relying partly on a scholarship, but like all students, every extra penny helps.

Her parents, Rob and Deanne Young, run about 40 solid red and black Simmentals at Breton, Alta., on their farm called High Country Cattle Services. Both work off the farm, so more time is spent on developing quality rather than quantity among the cow families.

They rely heavily on an embryo transfer program and sell four or five bulls in Alberta each year.

Crystal Young has been involved with the Junior Simmental program since she was seven, along with her sister who started at age five.

She showed the first black Simmental at a junior show and at the time, one of the sponsors would not stand for a picture afterward because of the colour factor. That same person showed a black Simmental a few years later and won a championship.

The love of diversity is spreading. She and her family had cattle at the World Simmental Congress in Calgary in July where they sold eight embryos to Australia. These will be the first blacks down under and were drawn from a full sister to her cow at Agribition.

In addition, her family sold their herd sire to Ankony Farms in Georgia. Since the U.S. border is closed, the bull has gone into stud and the semen is shipped state side until the border opens and the bull can leave.

After this show, the cattle return home and Young goes back to Kansas to finish her semester. Christmas at home includes looking over next year’s show prospects and seeing what her winning cow produces.

“She’ll retire and we’ll see what we have to show for next year. This has been an awesome year,” she said.

After graduation next year, Young plans to be an intern at the Calgary Stampede working on the junior programs. It has been an eye opener for her to see the diplomacy required in working with volunteers, pulling together a major show and handling behind-the-scenes details.

Also at Agribition, the winner of the world congress show was named grand champion bull at the national Simmental show. It was from Wheatland Cattle Co. owned by Vern and Denise La Frenz of Bienfait, Sask. The solid black bull retires after this show.

Reserve champion was also solid black and came from Rancier Farms of Killam, Alta., and Brockhoff Simmentals of Edberg, Alta. Grand champion cow was from Lundago Livestock of Sundre, Alta., and the reserve was the entry of High Bluff Stock Farms of Inglis, Man.

About the author

Barbara Duckworth

Barbara Duckworth

Barbara Duckworth has covered many livestock shows and conferences across the continent since 1988. Duckworth had graduated from Lethbridge College’s journalism program in 1974, later earning a degree in communications from the University of Calgary. Duckworth won many awards from the Canadian Farm Writers Association, American Agricultural Editors Association, the North American Agricultural Journalists and the International Agriculture Journalists Association.

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