REGINA (Staff) – Despite record-low temperatures early in the week, Canadian Western Agribition attendance was on par with last year’s total of 143,000.
International attendance was down to 300 guests from 23 countries and 21 American states. Last year there were 463 international visitors from 23 countries and 27 states.
- The Sale of Champions, which was reduced by 14 lots to 30, brought in $81,250, compared with $83,825 last year. The Grand Aggregate Cereal exhibit topped the sale at $9,500 and set an Agribition record. AgrEvo purchased the sample of AC Barrie red spring wheat exhibited by William H. Wolf of Craven, Sask. Of the total proceeds, $5,450 goes to the Agribition scholarship fund.
- Purebred cattle entries were down slightly from 1,959 to 1,812. There were, however, more black Angus, horned Herefords, Shorthorns and 4-H heifers. The number of Holsteins dropped from 136 to 101, while draft horse entries dropped from 230 to 187. Swine entries were up from 66 to 84.
- Sales figures were up for Angus, Belgian Blue, Charolais, Galloway, Hereford and Tarentaise cattle, with the Angus sales total showing the biggest jump from $18,100 to $76,475. Prospect steer sales were also up.
- The high seller was a Simmental bull consigned by McMillen Ranching of Carievale, Sask. It sold to G7 Acres of Martensville, Sask. for $15,000.
- The Limousin breed won three of four beef carcass classes. The other class was won by a Belgian Blue heifer.
- The number of sheep entries jumped dramatically from 68 to 175, thanks largely to a breed display of 12 Suffolk, 19 Hampshire, 16 Dorset and 33 Katahdin sheep. That also boosted sale numbers from $6,405 to $23,440.
- Elk show entries were up from 13 to 42. Sales figures jumped from $196,800 to $712,000.
- Sales of 92 bison lots totaled $632,700, compared to $377,100 last year. The high seller was a yearling heifer consigned by Buffalo Hill Ranch of Round Hill, Alta. and purchased by Tatonka Ranch at Melville, Sask. for $21,000.
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- Commercial cattle show entries were down from 1,292 to 1,244. In the sale, 988 lots sold for $695,407.74, down from $779,208 last year.
- The 20th anniversary of the International 4-H Judging Seminar at Agribition was celebrated with special recognition for the founders of the program: Glen Hass, Jonathon Fox, Gordon Stephenson, Bill Small and Brian Duck. Garth Cutler, the first seminar grand aggregate winner 20 years ago, was also recognized. The 1996 grand aggregate winner was Lee Norheim of Saskatoon.
