REGINA – Red and white cattle have become complementary rather than competition for many modern Hereford breeders.
The Harvie family of Olds, Alta., is one such farm.
It uses Charolais and most recently Simmentals as well as polled Herefords to offer customers variety.
A spring bull sale planned for March will feature 70 bulls representing all three breeds.
“Now we want to bring up the Simmentals to the same level as the others,” said Cole Harvie, who won grand champion polled Hereford female at Canadian Western Agribition, held Nov. 22-27 in Regina.
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The female was also champion at the Fall Classic Show in Olds, Alta., and stood beside other Harvie Herefords at Agribition, where the farm won bull calf champion, reserve heifer calf champion, five class winners and a premier breeder award.
The Harvies also had class and division winners at the Charolais show and won two classes and reserve junior champion bull with their Simmentals.
Kelly Feige of Parkvista Herefords breeds horned Herefords and Angus. He has won grand champions in the past at western Canadian shows and this year won the horned Hereford female grand championship at Agribition.
“We have only missed one year where we haven’t qualified for the Supreme,” he said.
His female won at Saskatoon Fall Fair, Agribition’s First Lady Classic and the Lloydminster Fair.
The family has been in the Hereford business since 1943. Feige is his family’s third generation of Hereford breeders and four years ago bought an entire herd of Angus to build a strong black and white component.
“I can market those Black Baldies in a heartbeat,” he said.
“Since we bought the Angus, we have sold more Herefords.”
He said buyers come shopping at the Feiges’ farm near Parkside, Sask., and are easily sold on the merits of both breeds once they see the broader offering.
Kevin and Janice Wirsta of Elk Point, Alta., are new to the business and have shown their own Herefords since 1999.
The Wirstas won the grand champion polled Hereford bull banner this year, which they owned in partnership with another breeder. It was sent to its new home in Quebec as soon as Agribition ended.
Wirsta said no one is ever sure if they will capture the brass ring.
“You never know until the hammer comes down. ”
He started in the beef business as a professional cattle groomer and fitter and said it was once possible to make a full-time living travelling from show to show.
“I’ve fitted just about every breed in the barn,” he said.
However, he was not preparing his own bull for the Supreme beef breed challenge held at the end of Agribition. He instead enlisted the help of a friend to make sure the bull looked its best.
The winner of the Supreme bull award went to Hereford colleagues Big Gully Farm.
Wirsta’s bull, K-Cow Jake 291U, was named among the top 10 during the show’s finale.
