REGINA — What started as a video service for beef producers who wanted action shots of their cattle has turned into a full-fledged operation that not only puts cattle on film but produces internet transmissions of shows and sales across North America.
“We started it out of a need,” said Tim Lockhart, who runs Cattle in Motion with his brother, Davy, from Texas.
Eleven years ago they offered only a video service for ranch promotions, which Lockhart admitted wasn’t as polished as what they now offer.
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“We didn’t know what we were doing. We learned as we went,” he said.
They now handle 200 sales per year, which are broadcast live over the internet. Viewers and buyers come from the United States, Canada, Scotland, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Denmark, Ireland and England.
Sarah Buchanan of Ontario joined in 2010 to develop the Canadian operation, bringing her experience from life at Gold-Bar Livestock.
“For 10 years I was a certified financial planner. Cows were a hobby,” she said.
These days she can be seen sitting at the auction block with the rest of the sales team monitoring the online activity and chat boxes. Cameras are placed strategically around the sale ring so visitors can see and hear the same action as those who are at the auction.
“We try to make the experience as much like being in the stands as you can,” said Lockhart.
The company videos 5,000 to 7,000 head per year in Canada and 20,000 in the U.S.
He said their production values and sales broadcasts have improved along with the internet technology.
“The internet changes daily. Our speed got faster and it is more accessible,” he said.
However, they often work on farms and ranches where finding reliable connections is a challenge. He said the company has always made it work but admits that the most difficult were events held at Fir Mountain and Aneroid in Saskatchewan, Emu, Ont., Minnesota and Linn, Texas, near the Mexican border.
“Every day is an adventure,” Buchanan said.
Besides live events, they offer an internet sale that runs over several days similar to an eBay auction. It saves producers money and labour because running a large production sale on the farm takes plenty of help and time.
Business started to escalate around 2008-09, and the company started to offer more services.
Besides promotional videos and sales, it can also offer a professional service that shows cattle at their best. A website and a Facebook presence are designed to build interest for a wider audience.
“Anybody can make a video and they can put it on YouTube and nobody sees it,” said Lockhart.
At Canadian Western Agribition, they offered a 30 minute daily recap of events with interviews and highlights. It appeared live in the morning and could then be viewed whenever people signed in.
They also video national junior shows as well as shows in Denver and Houston. DVDs are offered for sale.
Lockhart said services like this are the wave of the future and open up sales to a wider buying public.
“There won’t be a sale where there won’t be a live video,” Lockhart said.
For more information, visit www.cattleinmotion.com.
