CALGARY – While some people may manipulate animals to win at Canadian stock shows, most won’t because there’s no big cash payoff in this country.
Agriculture division manager Don Stewart of the Calgary Stampede said while the stampede offers a large purse for prize winners in comparison to other Canadian shows, it isn’t enough to lead people to risk their reputations.
The Stampede steer show pays a $4,000 prize and the supreme champion female and male of all beef breeds are eligible to win $5,000 each. Compared to prizes of at least $25,000 in American shows, that amount likely reduces the urge to cheat.
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In the steer classes and market lamb sales, a large portion of the money is donated to charity.
The Calgary Stampede has explicit rules governing show animals. Tampering in any way, including use of drugs or fancy grooming where conformation is changed, artificially coloring or clipping of animals, is prohibited.
“We have to let them know that we’re not going to put up with it,” Stewart said.
He said entrants in the horse-pull event were tested for banned substances last year but other categories have not been a problem.
Breeding not jeopardized
Most of the livestock shows at the Stampede are for breeding cattle and few producers would jeopardize the animal’s reproductive performance with drug use, said Stewart.
Barry Bennett of the Canadian Simmental Association agrees.
Like many other purebred associations, his group has a youth program. However, it emphasizes education, public speaking and values rather than developing the show ring aspect, he said.
“We’re trying to focus on developing the youth’s mind as opposed to the marketing side and the showmanship side.”
Wayne Gamble, executive vice-president of Canadian Western Agribition in Regina, said his fair doesn’t have the same kind of money-induced problems.
“Fortunately we don’t have big problems with the steers and lambs. They don’t command premium prices and the prize money isn’t any big deal,” said Gamble.
Prize money for most classes is around $100, although it may get as high as $1,000 for some special classes. At the prestigious Sale of Champions, a lamb might sell for $2,000 to $3,000, and a steer for as high as $15,000, not the $200,000 sale prices at the big American shows.
Gamble said there have been complaints at Agribition about exhibitors filling animals with carbonated water to make them look full.
“It’s all minor stuff compared to banned substances. A good person with a set of clippers and a blow dryer can hide a hell of a lot of faults and that’s considered good showmanship,” he said.
