A Manitoba beef producer walked away with nearly $20,000 for his champion steer at the Calgary Stampede.
Showing a straight red Simmental-Angus cross, Brent Stewart received $9,000 for grand champion and another cheque of $10,000 at a special charity auction at the Stampede July 11. The buyer was Calgary restaurateur Paul Vickers.
The reserve grand champion, and a $4,000 prize, were awarded to Darrell Comazzetto of Kamloops, B.C., for a black and white Hereford-influenced steer. It sold for $2,200 to Leonard and Sandra Kesteven of Calgary.
First place in the halter-to-hook market heifer show was a purebred Speckle Park from Wayne Gould of Islay, Alta. Second went to Jason and Bev Kelly of Innisfail, Alta., for a home-raised Angus heifer.
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The cattle are shown by breed influence. This year there were 11 classes for judge Scott Severtson of Innisfail, Alta., to sort before naming his overall champions.
In addition, entrants to the steer show and the halter-to-hook heifer event may send their cattle on for a carcass competition. Some opt out of the carcass competition to take their prize beef on the hoof to other summer shows.
The cattle are processed at Cargill Foods in High River, Alta., and must carry vitamin E and feed certification documents. Carcass winners will be announced July 17.
The show has grown in stature and prize money as more sponsors come on board. This year three energy companies joined to support the ranchers they work with in the oil fields and rural communities.
Risk worth taking
With finished cattle prices far below the break-even mark, a trip to the Calgary Stampede Steer Classic and market heifer show is worth the entry fee.
“There is enough money to take the risk and enter,” said steer committee chair Brett Wildman.
The cattle have changed since Wildman started with the committee 15 years ago.
“They were fancy, tall and lean,” he said. “In the early ’80s they were taller, but the same weight.”
Today’s cattle are thicker with more emphasis on carcass merit. Beefiness is the most important trait, said Wildman, a purebred Red Angus breeder from Sangudo, Alta.
“The actual dollars are made from the end product,” he said.
Entries were down by 10 head compared to last year when 118 competed.
“The atmosphere is very positive. There are a lot of families here,” he said.
With a shortage of cash on the farm, the Stampede may be the only family vacation some take this year, he said.
