DENVER, Colo. — There was a red surge of pride after Canadian Red Angus breeders took the majority of big awards at the National Western Stock Show.
The national Red Angus show held Jan. 14 in Denver, Colo., saw Canadians making a strong showing in every class culminating with Six Mile Red Angus of Fir Mountain, Sask., winning grand and reserve champion bulls.
Owned by Clayton and Corrine Gibson, the family entered 17 head and most placed high in their classes and continued on to win divisions in the female and bull shows. At the end of the show they were awarded the premier breeder and exhibitors banners.
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The grand champion bull was a two-year-old named Benchmark Better Beef, originally purchased from Benchmark Angus at Lethbridge. It was also reserve champion at the 2012 Canadian Western Agribition. The reserve grand champion female, owned by Christy Collins of Oklahoma, was purchased from Six Mile.
The reserve bull was named MRLA New Era 87Y.
Both bulls have returned to the ranch where they will be used in the family’s breeding program, said Corrine Gibson, who watched online from the farm as her daughter Callie accepted the grand champion banner.
“A big honour was being premier breeder and exhibitor and then owning breeding or owning three of the four champions, I don’t think we can top it,” Corrine said.
Canadians entered in this national event dominated a number of classes. Gibson thinks they earned the two judges’ respect because the cattle were bred to be practical and useful on the range rather than relying more heavily on statistics.
“For years and years, Canadians have just gone about their business breeding cattle. They paid attention to conformation and structure and paid attention to traits that are economically important, like feet and legs and fertility,” she said.
“Here in Canada, we have started to pay more attention to the numbers but it is all secondary to the number one goal, which is breeding good cattle.”
This was the first show for many of the entries and provided an example of the breeding program at this farm, which was among Canada’s pioneer Red Angus families. They are not regulars in the show ring but when they decide to enter, Clayton makes the final decision while 20-year-old Callie does most of the showing.
“We pick cattle that we think represent the different bloodlines, and we try to send varied ones that represent our whole program,” Corrine said.
“We don’t take our success for granted and we believe as long as you love what you are doing and work hard, you will find success,” she said.
“The cattle that we show go right out with all the other cattle. They have to work in a show ring and they have to work in real life or else they don’t make it in our program,” she said.
Calving is next on their agenda at the beginning of February and a bull sale will be held in March.
Many of their champion bull calves will be offered for sale at that time.
