The superlatives flow out of Smoothy Stefaniuk’s mouth when he talks about Crystal D Pierce 40P.
He uses phrases like natural fleshing ability, full of meat and humongously round to describe the red Charolais bull he walked through the Regina Bull Sale ring for Dennis and Donna McMorris of Crystal D Charolais at Balcarres, Sask.
“The volume, the rib, the depth, the height,” he said of the 14-month-old animal.
“Look at all that meat. He’s perfect.”
Close enough to perfect to be slapped supreme champion at the 100th annual show and sale.
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Also enough to earn the highest price at the March 21 sale. John Wilgenbusch of Wilgenbusch Charolais at Halbrite, Sask., and Ken Hinsburg from KCH Charolais at Rapid City, Man. paid $11,750 for the bull.
“He’s perfect in every way,” Hinsburg said. “I have a half brother of his and he’s the best bull I bought in years.”
He said the bull was a desirable addition to his program because the quality of red Charolais genetics has improved so much.
“Probably his first calf will pay for him,” Hinsburg predicted.
Wilgenbusch also wanted the improved herd genetics the bull offers. Reds have been selling well and he wanted to move into that market.
“I came for this one,” he said of his purchase, but noted the quality of the bulls at this year’s sale is better than in past years.
Dennis McMorris said the bull was recognized early as a winner.
“He was just good from a calf and everybody in the barn agreed,” he said. “The other breeds have been very supportive of that bull.”
The McMorrises have been in the purebred business for about nine years and this marks their biggest success so far.
Wilgenbusch and Hinsburg were bidding against a telephone bidder from Nova Scotia.
“This is amazing to me,” McMorris said.
Poor weather kept some buyers and sellers away. Many, like Wilgenbusch, have their own sales coming up this spring.
A disappointed Curtis Sambrook, of S-Red Angus at Milestone, Sask., was taking two of his three bulls home.
He thinks entering the sale ring right after the grand champion didn’t help his cause.
“I’ll sell them off the farm,” he said.
“It’s my own fault. I should have rounded up more buyers.”
At 24 years old, Sambrook is among the youngest exhibitors. He bought his first animals at Canadian Western Agribition when he was 14.
This year was his first trip to the Regina sale in about four years.
“I’ll come back, unless I sell every single one of them before the sale date,” he said.
The top selling bulls in the other breeds were: Angus, $8,250; Red Angus, $5,100; Hereford, $5,000; Simmental, $3,350; and Limousin, $2,500.
There were 146 bulls sold, with a sale average of $2,810.
