Canadian Western Agribition has been a staple event in Regina for the last 53 years. It’s become the place where the world of agriculture meets to show, share, sell and swap stories.
Since 1971, the last week of November has been a busy time in the Queen City as it plays host to many domestic and international livestock producers, sellers and buyers who attend the six-day event.
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Did you know? In 2023, Agribition had its highest attendance ever: 142,807 people. And 1,300 of the registered guests were international visitors from 69 countries.
Agribition began when a few Saskatchewan ranchers wanted a place closer to home to exhibit their cattle. Travelling to Toronto or into the United States wasn’t always a convenient or affordable option, but it was the only option before Agribition came to be.
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The five ranchers started Canadian Western Agribition with Chris Sutter as president and Bill Small as vice-president.
As recounted by CTV News in 2021, at the 25th anniversary of the show, Chris Sutter told BBS news that one of the reasons for starting Agribition was the evolution of Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
“Nobody was interested. There were city people, and it was basically a horse show. And it didn’t just appeal to me, and I thought we could do much better out here,” Sutter told the reporter.
Fun fact: The five founders of Agribition — Chris Sutter, Bill Small, Barry Andrew, Ken Halvorson and Gordon Hollinger — were the first CWA Hall of Fame inductees when the hall was unveiled in 2010.
During its half century of history, the event has advanced and grown. There are many shows and sales, but also new events and vendors and chances to learn about agriculture. What started as an opportunity for greater convenience quickly turned into a popular hub for agriculture while maintaining the focus on livestock.
Today, Agribition has shows and sales for nearly every cattle breed, plus bison, sheep, alpacas and other livestock. It boasts a major rodeo for a lively four-day event, plus a two-night cabaret known as the “Party on the Dirt”. It also has a major focus on agriculture’s next generation with youth events, a mentorship program and an education program that features different opportunities and situations for rural and urban kids to learn more about farm life.
In 1999, the Beef Supreme was introduced. As shared by Shawna Fuchs on the LifeStock Podcast, the Supreme began as a way to put beef cattle in the spotlight and create a new event.
The Supreme is known for its fanfare. The five judges maintain secrecy until the final moment, then enter the arena in a unique way to add flair.
Kylie Beck said on the podcast that there were nine qualifying shows when the Supreme started: Edmonton, Lloydminster, Saskatoon, Brandon, Toronto, Calgary, Kansas City, Louisville and Billings. Today, there are 18 qualifying shows.
Did you know? There is an average of 110 entries for the Supreme each year.
For continued growth of the agriculture tradition, two new events were added to the roster in 2023: freestyle bullfighting, which showcases traditional bullfighting and Spanish freestyle bullfighting; and the Canadian Animal AgTech Awards. Both are returning for 2024.
Regina’s Agribition is huge, not just for the ag community, but for the city and province. An Oct. 3 press release stated that CWA increased Saskatchewan’s economy by $116.5 million in 2023, an increase of 20.7 per cent from the previous year.
Agribition quick facts:
· Agribition was founded by Chris Sutter, Bill Small, Barry Andrew, Ken Halvorson and Gordon Hollinger. These five men were the first acting board for Agribition.
· Agribition has never had to turn anybody away for show or sale entries, even those who show up on the day.
· 2023 saw the highest attendance ever: 142,807 people.
· Maple Leaf Finals Rodeo’s highest attendance ever was in 2023 with 24,000 people.
· The rodeo joined as an event in 1972.
· It takes more than 300 volunteers plus staff to run the six-day event.
· Some volunteers come back every year and some have been volunteering for nearly the entire Agribition history.
· 2024 is the 25th anniversary of the Beef Supreme. Over the years, qualifying shows have increased from the original eight to 18, not counting Agribition shows.
· The first champions of Beef Supreme were Hamilton Farms with Green’s Premium as the bull champion and Miller Wilson Angus with Red Stem Essence 42G as the first female champion.
