Canadian Western Agribition earned a strong net profit of $591,750 last year, but last week’s announcement was eclipsed by a story about the show’s generational impact.
The estate of Barry Andrew, one of the five show founders and president in 1980-81, included a surprise bequest of $25,000 for the show’s scholarship fund.
His son, Reed, presented the cheque just ahead of the annual general meeting, at which he was elected president, marking the first time a second generation president has been elected.
“To our knowledge, this is the very first ever donation of this kind to this organization,” Andrew said.
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Barry Andrew died at age 84 last December. He farmed and raised purebred and then commercial cattle in the Foxleigh district north of Regina and spent his life serving agricultural organizations, including the provincial and national Shorthorn associations, the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association and the Regina Exhibition Association. He also worked part-time for the Farm Debt Review Board.
Agribition was his pride and joy.
“He actually swung gates until he was 82 years old,” said Andrew.
“He was still volunteering in the commercial cattle barn.”
In 2007, unbeknownst to his children, Barry Andrew approached Agribition about setting up his bequest. His daughter, Joan Thomas, said she wasn’t surprised.
“It’s very much who he was to promote young people and Agribition at the same time,” she said.
The scholarship will offer $1,500 annually to a student enrolled in agriculture-related programs at a post-secondary institution. It will be known as the Barry Andrew and Family Scholarship.
Outgoing president Bryan Hadland said the show’s success last year was built on a 10 percent increase in beef entries and a strong overall economy.
Attendance for the six-day show was 122,300. More than 700 international guests from 60 countries attended.
Other highlights included the highest attendance ever for the Canadian Cowboys’ Association finals rodeo, a sold-out trade show and livestock sales that included a $73,000 bull calf, a record $21,000 pen of 10 bred heifers, a $20,000 bison bull and a $14,500 ranch horse.
Chief executive officer Marty Seymour said a considerable amount of business took place.
“We estimate close to $5 million in cattle traded as a result of Agribition,” he said.
That includes $2 million at the sales held during the show, a $2 million purchase commitment for Canadian livestock from Kazakhstan and an estimated $1 million in trade among exhibitors or sales completed after the show, according to survey analysis.
“That’s the second year in a row where (Kazakhstan has) been really aggressive,” he said.
A new economic impact study of Agribition has also found the show generated $37 million in activity last year, up from $27 million in the previous study.
