PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – After 75 years, 4-H cattle participation is showing no signs of slowing in northern Saskatchewan; in fact it’s growing.
Generations of farming families can even trace their lineage to relationships that began at the three-quarters of a century-old, regional 4-H Prince Albert Fat Stock Show.
Now called the Prince Albert 4-H Beef Show and Sale, the fat stock show, as it is still known to the kids who participate, had more than 120 entries in 2005.
Although there are fewer individual clubs than in the past, total entries have remained steady to up slightly over the past 20 years. And in 2005, a new club joined the event, the Shell Lake 4-H Beef Club.
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Members of Shell Lake took their place beside other groups, such as the more than 60-year-old Wild Rose and Shellbrook clubs that blanket the southern edge of the forest fringe of Saskatchewan.
Shell Lake’s members come from as far away as La Ronge, Sask.
Randy Venne, 16, of La Ronge, is relying on borrowed cattle when competing in senior showmanship classes.
“There aren’t too many cows at home. We’ve got a herd of bison, though. But I don’t think they’d take well to the halters in the showmanship events,” he said.
“Our club is a great experience for me, even if we don’t have too many cattle at home.”
When Byrnne Rothwell started out in the Wild Rose Club in the early 1940s, his group didn’t have any calves either.
“There weren’t many beef cattle up in the Choiceland area in those days. We were sent a (rail) car load of Hereford-Shorthorn cross calves and we kids drew lots to see which one we got,” said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency veterinarian.
By 1947, the club had enough members and cattle for a competitive achievement day and were off to join the other clubs at the show in Prince Albert.
Neil Muirhead was also learning to do by doing at that time, as a member of the Shellbrook, Sask., beef club.
“We showed cattle in the old stockyards in those days. At the sale they were sold by the pen, not like today where they are all sold individually,” he said.
Today the show and sale takes place at the modern Price Albert Exhibition grounds, complete with an outdoor show ring and steel barns.
Until the 1980s the club members would bunk in the military barracks in the old armory buildings on the exhibition grounds. This year most parents brought campers and parked them at the show for the three day event.
“This is far better, but we don’t have the square dance downtown anymore,” Muirhead said.
Before the 1970s, downtown Prince Albert was closed to traffic and opened to the 4-H clubs, each with its own competitive square dance troupe.
“It was a big community dance. It brought a lot of people out from Prince Albert,” said Muirhead.
It was one of those events that brought his son Ward together with his future daughter-in-law Laurie.
“There were a lot of couples that met through 4-H. Some head first,” said Muirhead.
Rothwell also married within the 4-H Fat Stock Show fold when he wed the sister of his 1955 Toronto Royal Winter Fair cattle show partner.
Competing against one another at Prince Albert this year are the senior Muirhead’s and Rothwell’s grandchildren.
Both Jeff Rothwell, Byrnne’s son, and Ward Muirhead are now 4-H beef club leaders.
Their children are showing and judging cattle at the event.
Commemorating the 75-year history of the Prince Albert show was a cattle trailer filled with memorabilia.
Testament to the success of the event were sale dockets from the 1980s and show ribbons from Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair and Regina’s Agribition.
Local buyers spend up to $5 per pound for the winning steers, with overall sale averages exceeding $1.20.
In 2003, the sale was the first cattle auction to take place in Canada after the announcement of BSE in a Canadian cow. Despite that news, prices remained steady.
Tim Oleksyn is a leader and one of the organizers.
“We raise money for charities. The kids make money for school. And they learn a lot about the business and the lifestyle of agriculture,” he said.
“This event also is a chance for cattle producers from across the region to get together. There are already too many excuses for farming families not to take time to act like a community. This event is a tradition. It’s good for all of us, parents, grandparents and of course the kids,” he said.
