Winning Calgary Stampede grand champion female and bull in a strong class against a variety of other breeds was a confidence builder for Shawn Wilson.
The Maine Anjou breeder from Strathmore, Alta., also had the champion at the steer classic competition on the first day of the Stampede.
Shrinking entries among some of the smaller breed groups encouraged the Calgary Stampede to take a new approach and offer a mixed show so all could still participate in a larger event.
“You still get a chance to show this way,” said Wilson, who has won grand champion honours with his cattle at the Stampede, Edmonton Northlands and Denver Stock Show.
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“I’ve sold a lot of cattle through the contacts I’ve made at the Calgary Stampede,” he said.
Entries for this year’s Stampede show are down across the board by about 20 percent.
For some breeds, only a handful of producers were willing to bring their animals to town but at least 20 animals are needed to qualify for a show.
“Individual breeders didn’t have enough to keep going,” said Pete Van Tighem, a Blonde d’Aquitaine breeder and beef committee member.
After last year’s Stampede, the committee decided a multi-breed show might be a better approach so people with worthy cattle could still vie for a championship and not have to worry about finding enough competitors.
Lower numbers this year are attributed to the widening crisis caused by a single case of bovine spongiform enceph-alopathy.
Fed cattle markets crashed the week before Stampede, leaving many livestock producers worried about their future.
Some people decided to forgo the $700 entry fee plus additional expenses and not bring animals to Calgary for the large summer show.
“They might need that $700 to pay a bill later on,” said Van Tighem.
The show featured five breeds including Red Poll, Gelbvieh, Maine Anjou, Dexter and Galloway.
Winners of the show were to compete in the Supreme Champion show against all other breeds on July 13.
