RED DEER – Kevin and Jeff Beyak scrutinized the primped and preened red Charolais cattle in the show ring, looking for their view of perfection.
The two were not interested in the best hairdo of the day. They were looking for the kind of hard-working cattle that could earn a living on their ranch at Winnipegosis in northern Manitoba.
The Beyak brothers raise purebred and commercial Charolais cattle. Red Bonanza was their first time evaluating tan, red and black Charolais. They liked what they saw.
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“We’re really im-pressed by the quality of the reds,” Jeff said.
“You could have painted them any colour you want and they would have stood well against anyone.”
The Beyaks run 120 purebred white Charolais and 330 commercial cows, with some bred to Herefords.
This year their annual March bull sale offers a guest consignment of horned Herefords.
A multibreed private sale is unusual, but they want to offer their customers variety and felt their partnership with Saskatchewan Hereford breeder Murray Andrews was a good choice.
He led out the supreme champion bull at this year’s Canadian Western Agribition.
“We want to see the younger crowd forming alliances to keep the business exciting,” Jeff said.
While their family has been in the cattle business for about 50 years, the Beyaks did not own purebred Charolais until 1988.
“We wanted to raise a few bulls for ourselves,” Kevin said.
That side of their farm grew to the point where the two brothers are heavily involved in purebreds and team judge a variety of shows. Next year they are booked to judge the national Charolais show at Farmfair in Edmonton.
At this year’s bonanza, they selected the grand champion bull from New Country Livestock. The bull is a partnership arrangement among Darren and Loretta Paget of Donalda, Alta., Sandan Charolais of Erskine, Alta., Kay R Charolais of Waskatenau, Alta., and LA Land and Cattle Co. of Leduc, Alta.
The Pagets have owned red cattle for only three years but in that short time have already gone to the top with grand champion.
Darren Paget has owned white cattle for much longer and started showing when he was barely in his teens. So far, the experience is paying off because his outfit also won the breeder’s cup where a female and bull are judged. Their female entry was a full sister to their champion.
Always looking for added quality, they are part of a consortium that bought the high-selling Charolais at Canadian Western Agribition in November.
Earlier in the show, Belmont Polled Charolais, owned by Merv and Barb Schmidt of Lipton, Sask., won the reserve grand champion bull.
Grand champion female was from Sandan Charolais and the reserve female was from Ian and Marlene Harvie of Olds, Alta.
