Saskatchewan producer pleased to take grand champion Red Angus female; says the show is ideal place to market cattle genetics
DENVER, Colo. —Kevin Blair evaluated every animal that passed by as he leaned against the rails at the Red Angus competition during the National Western Stock Show.
Blair, a keen eyed cattle producer who has marketed purebred cattle around the world, appreciated the quality of every individual on display at the show, held Jan. 9-24 in Denver.
His family had their moment of glory when their female, Red Bar EL Kassie 129B, was named grand champion at the Jan. 11 show. Blair bought the female as a calf from Bar EL Angus of Stettler, Alta., last year.
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U.S. hogs averaged $106.69 on a carcass basis July 11, down from $110.21 July 4.
It was a good day overall for Blairs.Ag Cattle Company of Lanigan, Sask., but as international marketers of purebred cattle genetics, the show meant more than satin ribbons. It is also a prime promotion opportunity.
“We have always done very well here, particularly on selling of genetics,” he said after the Jan. 11 show.
“We are very focused on selling genetics. It is always nice to win, but we are here to market our genetics around the world.”
Besides having the top female, Blair cattle also won classes and divisions at the show.
The family won the junior champion bull award with Red Six Mile Signature 295B, owned with Jeff Keller of Nebraska and Six Mile Angus of Fir Mountain, Sask. The partnership offered 200 semen units exclusively at Denver.
“He has been very popular here,” Blair said.
“I sold semen on him that averaged $585 a straw.”
Blairs.Ag is part of a family of companies that sells crop inputs, livestock nutrition, commercial cattle and purebred genetics from Black and Red Angus and Herefords.
“There are a lot of buyers who are searching out genetics, and they come to Canada because our environment requires us to raise animals that perform in tough conditions. People around North America recognize that and look to add that to their program,” said Blair, who specializes on the purebred side of the business.
“Our genetics are fresh to them, and they are the type of cattle that will work in their environment.”
He also sees growing interest in red cattle, even though Black Angus dominate in North America.
“Globally, the red hided cattle have the largest numbers,” he said.
They are found in South America, Australia and Europe, where they perform well in temperate climates.
“We have sold red genetics to Australia, South Africa and Mexico,” he said.
The declining loonie is another plus for Canadian agriculture exporters.
“It is a real benefit for Americans to buy genetics from us,” he said.
The Blairs, who will hold their bull sale April 5, have noticed that more Americans are looking to expand either through live cattle or semen and embryo packages.
“We are hopeful that the beef industry is going to have a good 2016,” he said.
“People have waited a long time for livestock to be strong. We have waited a generation for it to be like this. It is time to grow the business when there is money to be made.”
The show favoured all the Canadians in attendance.
Some may question the ongoing value of cattle shows, but judge Kevin Jensen of Kansas said they are still relevant, even when science can provide accurate information about the animal’s potential to produce outstanding offspring.
“We still need to look at these cattle individually,” he said.
He emphasized the value of physical properties such as proper body structure and strong feet and legs that allow animals to walk correctly.
- Grand champion Red Angus bull was Red Six Mile Taurus 519A, owned by David Spencer of J-6 Inc. of Gibbon, Nebraska. This bull, bred by Six Mile, was also the 2014 Denver grand champion. Half possession, half semen interest was sold to Spencer at the Six Mile sale in April 2014 for $55,000.
- Champion junior bull calf was Damar Power Eye C501 from Blairs.Ag.
- Northline Angus of Ardrossan, Alta., won the intermediate bull champion with Red NL GAF Crush.
- Champion junior heifer calf title went to Clayton and Corrine Gibson of Six Mile Angus in Fir Mountain, Sask., while the reserve went to Dave Babitz of Rainbow Red Angus in Cherhill, Alta. The female, named Red Rainbow Lark, was sold earlier at Canadian Western Agribition to Top Line Farms of Illinois and Mid Continent Farms of Kansas.
- First place in the February bull calf class went to Dave Longshore of Bar EL Angus for BAR-E-L High Tide 63C.
