Beef was the theme at the Calgary Stampede Steer Classic held July 17.
Before selecting his champions, judge Cam Sparrow explained how he expected these cattle to fit into the beef grading system. Most would grade well, he said, but he had concerns about the muscling in some.
“The majority of our cattle slaughtered nowadays are AAA. We have to get the yield back into these cattle,” he said.
A Charolais breeder from Vanscoy, Sask., Sparrow’s judging style was more than a visual examination. He manually checked muscle and fat cover and did a quick appraisal of grading.
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
Fred Taylor of the Canadian Beef Grading Agency provided a quick lesson during the show, pointing out the various cuts on a live steer. He also explained how cattle are treated from the time they are unloaded at the packing plant, how veterinarians inspect cattle and how animals are processed. He emphasized these are food animals, not pets.
Competitors in the event have the option of entering their steers and heifers into the quality beef competition. All are slaughtered and graded to determine marbling, yield and conformation. Competitors can win up to $3,000.
More emphasis was placed on yield this year, said Taylor in an interview. Most Canadian cattle achieve AAA or AA grades but the yield of red meat is declining.
“We would like to remove some of the bark on them and retain marbling and improve our cutability,” he said.
Producers also need to watch carcass size.
“The biggest rib eye doesn’t win at Calgary,” Taylor said.
Last year’s best grading animal was also the grand champion steer but that animal does not enter the carcass competition. For the last 10 years, the champion has been sold for $10,000 to the Chicago Chophouse owned by Calgary businessperson Paul Vickers. The restaurant holds an annual champion steer dinner, a $150-a-plate fundraiser. This year, the beneficiary will be the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
This year’s champion was a Charolais cross steer entered by
Roger Hardy of Soo Line Cattle Co. of Midale, Sask. The steer won $9,000 in prize money as champion, in addition to $1,000 for being the best in the Charolais class.
Reserve champion went to an Angus cross owned by Dusty and Sara Howell of Fairland Cattle Co. at Penhold, Alta. It won $4,000 plus another $1,000 for being tops in the open class.
