For 109 years, the Calgary Bull Sale has been one of those red letter days for Alberta beef producers looking to sell or buy purebred stock and share a brew with friends.
Lauris Beck does not come to the sale every year, but the Angus breeder from Delburne, Alta., believes in big consignment sales because they promote his family’s annual bull and female production sale and support breeders.
“These consignment events are extremely important for the individuals,” he said.
“Smaller breeders need a place to market their cattle.”
Read Also
Sheep sector navigates changes in traceability
The sheep sector is developing advanced traceability systems and addressing ongoing challenges in accessing veterinary drugs and treatments.
It was also worth his while to come this year because he won the grand champion Angus bull, an honour he has never had before. He also had the best pair of bulls in the Angus division.
“You never think you have the champion, you just know you have a good bull,” he said after the sale, where his champion sold for $4,700 to Atlee Angus of Jenner, Alta.
While showing is not mandatory to enter the sale, many believe it is worthwhile. Entrants are no longer allowed fancy grooming techniques where plenty of colour, hair spray and glue is applied. The bulls are brushed off and shown as is.
“If you bring a decent bull, you should definitely take it out and display it so the prospective buyers have a chance to see him moving,” Beck said.
His family got into the Angus business in 1962 when Lauris’s father and uncle started Rainbow Hills Ranch. Now he is working with his son, Warren, running a cow herd of 230.
They have sold animals around the world, including the United States, Mexico, Ireland, Japan and most recently Russia.
The purebred industry has been struggling since the discovery of BSE in Canada halted trade in 2003, but he sees returned optimism now that breeding animals are allowed to leave the country.
Prices may not be what they once were and some may put off buying a bull this year, but those with well managed beef programs do not skimp.
“Prices have leveled off but good producers have a program and replace their bulls as needed,” he said.
Hereford breeder Brad Dallas of Bowden, Alta., has been coming to Calgary since 1974. As president of the organization hosting the sale, he believes these kinds of large sales support ranches of all sizes.
The farm economy has been struggling in recent years and is now enveloped in a worldwide recession and credit crisis, but Dallas remains hopeful producers will not economize on buying a new bull.
“People have not spent as much on bulls in the last couple years,” he said.
However, he said buying better bulls has long-term benefits. The resulting steer calves and replacement heifers that are born the following spring will be better genetically and subsequently worth more.
The Dallas family also exports cattle, but for them this is the premier event. They decided a few years ago not to hold on-farm production sales and concentrate instead on marketing herd sires through Calgary. They offered 13 bulls for sale this year.
“This has been our top bull sale,” he said. “We can sell our bulls better here. We can bring in a broader spectrum of buyers.”
This year’s sale featured Hereford, Angus, Charolais and Gelbvieh bulls, a stock dog show and sale, and a cow horse sale that filled the stands.
Dallas would like to see the sale expand to more than 500 consignments. The committee offers the lowest commission of any other consignment sale, and it is cheaper to run the event when there is more volume.
Changes include shortening the event from a week to four days, with shows condensed into one day and sales run consecutively the following day.
This year, 281 bulls sold for a total of $1,021,550, down slightly from last year’s total on 283 head.
The sale average was $3,635, down about $250 from 2008 results.
The high selling bull was a two-year-old Hereford from Grant and Annette Hirsche’s Adams Hirsche Herefords of High River, Alta. It sold to Anderson Family Herefords of Aetna, Alta., for $29,000.
The grand champion came from Norm and Joanne Parrent, owners of JoNomn Herefords in Clyde, Alta., and sold for $12,000 to Bannerlane Herefords of Livelong, Sask. Parrents also had the reserve champion, which sold for $8,000 to Little Fort Herefords of Red Deer.
The second high seller was the consignment of Gavin and Mabel Hamilton of Belvin Angus in Innisfail, Alta. Their yearling sold to Flint and Flint of New Norway, Alta., for $20,000.
John Flint, who also sold eight two year olds at the sale, is a long-time Angus breeder. His grandfather registered the family’s first purebred Angus in 1932 and the Flints have been selling bulls at Calgary off and on since 1936.
The reserve Angus was from Lee and Dawn Wilson of Bashaw, Alta. Their bull sold for $5,000 to Gary Seutter of Millet, Alta.
The high selling Charolais was also the reserve champion from P & H Ranching Co. in Innisfail and sold to the White Lake Colony of Nobleford, Alta., and Cameron Farms of Turin, Alta., for $10,000. The grand champion Charolais, also from P & H, sold to Gordon Church of Balzac, Alta., for $6,000.
Two Gelbvieh bulls sold for $2,000 each to Charles Locke of Calgary. They were consigned by Jonus Cattle Co. of Calgary and Keriness Cattle Co. of Airdrie, Alta., respectively.
The high seller at the ranch horse show and sale was from Rod and Jennifer Warren of Big Valley, Alta., and sold for $10,250 to Bill Moody of Alder Flats, Alta.
The high selling stock dog consigned by Jeff and Teri DeMarni of Saskatchewan went for $2,100 to Bushfield Farms of Airdrie, Alta.
