EDMONTON – The show that allowed the little breeds to shine at Farmfair International was cancelled this year.
Wendy Schneider, volunteer agriculture director of Northlands, which organizes the farm show, said the Multi Breed Show didn’t receive enough entries.
“When only two or three head from one breed are showing, it isn’t to the best advantage when they’re competing against different beef breeds,” Schneider said.
In the past, Braunvieh, Miniature Herefords, Speckle Park, Galloway, Dexter, Lowline, Tarentaise and Texas Longhorns have competed in the show, which is designed to showcase minor breeds.
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Only 24 cattle from a collection of breeds were entered in this year’s show, 11 less than the 35 needed to host a show at Farmfair.
This year only Dexters, Miniature Herefords, Longhorn and Braunvieh had animals at the show and only for display. For the first time Lowline cattle had their own breed show, so they weren’t entered in the Multi Breed Show.
Katarina Sundstrom, a Miniature Hereford breeder from Spruce Grove, Alta., was disappointed when she learned about the show’s cancellation a week before Farmfair.
“That’s our only avenue of showing what we produce,” she said.
“We don’t even get enough animals together to put on our own show. This was the highlight of the year to show our animals.”
Laine Thordarson of Stony Plain, Alta., said she and her two children had spent the fall training their Miniature Herefords for the show.
“It was a huge disappointment. When I told the kids it was cancelled they cried.”
Sundstrom said with a little more notice they may have been able to cobble together more animals to achieve the required number.
“If we would have known, we could have got more animals,” said Sundstrom, who has shown her animals in the Multi Breed Show for three years.
Instead, she and Thordarson brought Miniature Herefords for display, as they have for more than 10 years.
Ruth Stone of Elk Point, Alta., was one of two breeders who brought Dexter cattle for display after the show was cancelled.
“It’s better than nothing,” said Stone, who points to low prices as one of the reason so few minor breeds came to the show.
“With the price of cattle, it isn’t worth it to spend the extra money to come here.”
With no show, Stone said, the minor breeds are destined to become novelty display animals and their industry won’t develop and grow.
Braunvieh breeder Ian Peden of Leduc, Alta., said it’s disappointing not to have the show, but the numbers weren’t there.
Peden also wonders about the value of a show where Miniature Herefords, Braunvieh, Longhorn, Speckled Park and Dexters compete against each other.
“There are so many different breeds of cattle bred for different purposes,” said Peden.
“It makes it tough, but it gave us exposure.”
