The 2,400 kilometre return trip to Denver was well worth it this year for Eileen and Vern Davidson of Ponteix, Sask.
DVE Davidson Romance 116W, a black March yearling bull from Davidson Gelbvieh, was named national reserve grand champion at the National Western Stock Show Jan. 10.
The Davidsons have attended the show since 1988, taking cattle most years. Eileen Davidson said this is their best showing ever.
“It’s a huge honour,” she said. “He looked really good, but the competition was tough.”
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There were 210 head entered in the Gelbvieh show, up 30 percent from last year. The increased numbers could partly be because the breed celebrated its 40th anniversary at the show.
The Canadian Gelbvieh Association will celebrate the same milestone in 2012.
Judge Chris Mullinix of El Dorado, Kansas, said all the bulls in the championship class demonstrated depth and quality, but two of them “jump out and grab you.”
“This is a good practical bull out of our junior yearling division, I think a bull that really offers some body quality,” he said of the Davidsons’ bull.
His comments were posted in a video on Facebook.
The bull had earlier been named reserve national champion at Canadian Western Agribition in November and reserve grand champion at Farmfair in 2009 and 2010.
Davidson said recognition in another country indicates they are on the right track.
The bull was sired by DRT Mambo 32T, a herd sire co-owned with Ross and Tara Davidson of Lonesome Dove Ranch. Its dam was bought from Big Sky Gelbvieh at Zortman, Montana. Its first calves will be born next month.
Davidson said the recognition is also good for Canadian breeders.
The Davidsons and Lonesome Dove are holding their annual bull sale March 5 in Swift Current, Sask., where they typically sell about a dozen bulls to the United States.
