REGINA – Katie Songer is combining a career in art with her love of agriculture.
The title of the Canadian Western Agribition grand champion Shorthorn bull went to the young breeder from Rocky Mountain House, Alta., who is also a full-time student at the Alberta College of Art in Calgary.
The creamy white bull from the national Shorthorn show took her into the supreme champion showcase, which she saw as a fun experience competing against some of Canada’s elite breeders.
“Agribition is a big show for this breed,” she said.
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Prestige events like the Regina show have helped create renewed interest in an old breed.
“People didn’t recognize what they are in the beginning. They asked if they were Speckle Park,” she said. Ironically Speckle Park cattle, developed in Saskatchewan, trace back to Shorthorns.
Katie’s family raises polled Herefords. She got into the Shorthorn business when she worked for Bud Boake of Acme, Alta., five summers ago. Part of her payment was a Shorthorn. She joined the junior Shorthorn association and started showing and winning.
Her cattle have appeared at the Calgary Stampede, in local shows and three times at Agribition.
Her champion bull, KMS Canasta 8114 39P, earned her $8,000 when a half interest was sold to Graham Sharp of Lacombe, Alta., at the Shorthorn elite sale the day before the show.
Songer has been around cattle all her life and she was a 4-H member for eight years.
“I used to sit in the barn and watch Dad when he clipped for shows and it takes practice,” she said, admitting to making a few gouges in the animals’ coats as she prepared them for the ring.
Besides her 10 Shorthorns, she has 10 Polled Herefords.
In addition, she crossbreeds 4-H steers with a mating of Shorthorn, Polled Hereford and Maine Anjou.
“My brother had one of these in 4-H and had champion,” she said. He participated in the local Rocky Mountain House 4-H achievement show and sale where he earned $6,000 for his entry.
Songer’s Agribition trip was a short break from school where she is in her second year majoring in visual communications and design.
“This is our holiday. We get up at three in the morning and go to a cattle show,” she said.
She hopes to work in advertising and has already done agricultural campaigns and designed purebred cattle sales catalogues.
