Two families with long histories in the Alberta beef business won the championship banners at the 106th Calgary Bull Sale March 2-3.
Murray Stauffer’s family has been bringing Herefords to the Calgary sale since 1924 but the last time they won a banner was in 1965 when they had reserve grand champion.
Bryce Medin, who works for the Stauffer family at Eckville, Alta., raised this year’s grand champion. It sold for $6,000 to Byemoor Colony at Byemoor, Alta., and traces back to a Bar Pipe bull Medin purchased several years ago.
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The family sold eight bulls this year with an average price of $3,556.
Clyde Stauffer came to the Eckville, Alta., area in 1935 after leaving the dust bowl and hard times behind in Saskatchewan. He registered his first Hereford heifers in 1919 and continued the tradition on the farm east of Red Deer. Eventually a 7,500-head feedlot was built on site using Hereford influenced cattle.
“We like Herefords for their hybrid vigour, gain and cost per pound of gain,” said Stauffer.
Murray was born at the Eckville farm where he and his wife Marge raised three sons and a daughter.
“All three of my boys are cattle people and we are remaining in agriculture to make our livelihood,” he said.
The Stauffers also hold an annual bull sale on the farm at the end of March, selling about 50 two-year-old Herefords and yearling Charolais from Murray’s son, Dwayne.
Another son, Stacey, raises Angus at Pincher Creek, Alta., while a third son, Rick, keeps a commercial cow herd. Their daughter is married and lives in Okotoks, Alta.
“The boys made their own choices and decided to be independent,” Stauffer said.
“The crux of all this is that Mom and Dad must have taught them something about life and the cattle business.”
As for all purebred producers, the BSE-closed border time was difficult and it took some careful manoeuvring to uphold the family beef tradition.
“We had to readjust and look at parts of our business. Through it all we are in excellent shape at this time,” Stauffer said.
The reserve grand champion Hereford came from Bar Pipe Farms of Okotoks, Alta., and sold for $21,500 to Lyle Stevenson and Adams-Hirsche Herefords of High River, Alta.
This bull was sired by the 2000 Calgary reserve grand champion.
Bar Pipe Farms was established in 1953 by J.B. Cross and has regularly stood centre stage with grand and reserve champion bulls at Calgary.
For the first time last year the Cross family decided not to hold its annual production sale but they plan to be back this fall to continue a 50-year-old tradition. A decision was made to switch calving from January-February to April-May and they needed time to rejig production practices on the ranch so they can offer the best, said owner Donald Cross.
Bar Pipe is constantly looking to upgrade its bull battery with solid bloodlines that offer something different and are still capable of producing good cattle consistently.
After watching the ups and downs of the industry, Cross is confident in a return to good times for the purebred industry, especially once the American border reopens to breeding stock.
“There is a pent up demand among American breeders who want to buy Canadian genetics,” he said.
The family production sale counted on half the cattle going to American buyers, and since few wanted to leave their purchases here for semen collection, sales were hurt, he said.
The Hereford section of the sale offered 183 lots grossing $693,400 to average $3,789.
Two other breeds were represented this year.
The Angus sale had 100 lots average $3,723.
For the fourth consecutive year, Belvin Angus owned by Gavin and Mabel Hamilton of Innisfail, Alta., had the grand champion bull. It sold for $7,500 to Caiton Beef of Balzac , Alta.
The reserve grand came from Scott Stock Farm of Crossfield, Alta., and sold for $6,250 to Diamond G Ranch and Cattle of DeWinton, Alta.
The high seller went for $9,500. Named reserve senior champion Angus earlier at the show, it was consigned by Hirsche Angus of High River and sold to Lazy S Ranch of Mayerthorpe, Alta.
Charolais breeders led out 28 bulls this year for a sale total of $95,200 and an average of $3,400.
The grand champion bull came from P & H Ranching at Innisfail and sold to Gordon Church of Balzac for $5,800. The bull was named senior champion earlier at the show. The reserve and high selling bull came from Harvie Ranching of Olds, Alta., and sold for $6,000 to McLeod Farms of Claresholm, Alta. This bull was the junior champion.
