EDMONTON – Some cattle producers try all their lives to win a national cattle show.
It took Rick Salzsauler two years.
“It’s awesome. It’s beyond my wildest dreams,” said a tired looking Salzsauler the day after his two-year-old bull won grand champion at the national Shorthorn show at Farmfair.
Two years ago Salzsauler didn’t own an animal. Now, his string of purebred Shorthorns is winning top prizes at cattle shows across Canada.
In the first two years he has won champion Shorthorn bull at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, supreme overall bull at the Lloydminster, Sask., show and grand champion bull and reserve champion female at the breed’s national show at Farmfair in Edmonton.
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“I had a pretty good day,” he said.
It was during a farm show in Woodstock, Ont., that he saw a Shorthorn cow and calf and fell in love with the breed. Last year he owned four cows. This year he calved 75 cows and his herd is still growing.
“I was successful in another business and I came back to the love of farming,” said Salzsauler of Rockwood, Ont., who grew up in Wilkie, Sask.
With the help of Grant Alexander of Weyburn, Sask., half owner of the bull, Salzsauler crossed the country looking for the ideal bull. They found it at a bull sale in Saskatoon. The bull was thick, well muscled, sound on his feet and looked good, said Alexander, whose family has raised Shorthorn cattle since 1903.
Salzsauler has sought the advice of breeders to teach him about the purebred cattle business.
“This is totally new to me,” said Salz-sauler, who can’t believe the primping and pampering show cattle receive.
“Nobody bathes and dries me off every day.”
At his first show he took a calf out of the pasture, put on a halter, led it in the show ring and won.
“I never washed a cow in my life before this.”
He has since learned the finer points of show cattle and the months of preparation needed to get the animals ready for a show.
The day of the Farmfair show, the crew was up at 2:45 a.m. to wash, dry, style, groom, spray and brush the string of cattle.
“I never knew there was so much attention to detail.”
Salzsauler said he doesn’t mind the work, especially when the rewards are so great.
“It’s an enjoyable way to spend some time with people that you know.”
The bull will be shown at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina and then semen will be taken from it to sell the winning genetics around the world, he said.
