EDMONTON — Americans Katherine Wise and Diana Lillefloren jokingly say they’re not sure they will be invited back to Canada after winning grand champion Lowline bull and female at Farmfair International.
The Americans left their husbands at home and drove to Canada for their first Canadian Lowline show and won the top prize.
“We kept hearing it was an awesome show from our Lowline friends. They kept saying we should come up,” said Wise, of Omak, Washington.
“It’s quite an adventure for us,” said Lillefloren, of Hayden, Idaho.
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Wise won grand champion bull and Lillefloren won grand champion heifer. Their animals represented the Lowline breed at the Supreme Show of Champions Nov. 9.
The two women wondered about their decision to come north when they were stuck at the U.S. border for two hours while the inspector looked at their cattle and paperwork.
“It was the first time for us coming across the border. It was very daunting and intimidating,” said Wise, who spent weeks getting the proper paperwork, vaccinations and vet inspections required to bring their cattle to Farmfair held Nov. 3 – 10 in Edmonton and Canada Western Agribition in Regina Nov. 11 – 16.
The win for both women has erased their previous doubts about the expense and time required to show their cattle in Canada.
“It’s been fun. I would come back in a heartbeat,” she said.
Wise discovered Lowlines when her family moved from Seattle to a 120 acre farm three years ago.
“We really wanted to get into something. We really enjoy them and they’re so docile,” said Wise who grew up on a ranch, but never had cattle. They now have 17 head and hope to keep a selection of show cattle and begin selling the others to neighbours and at their local farmers’ markets.
Lillefloren added Lowline cattle to their Idaho farm menagerie in 2008 as a way to diversify and promote the industry. With 50 head of Lowlines, Lillifloren spends a lot of time promoting the breed to small acreage owners looking for a manageable animal for small farms.
