EDMONTON – Angus cattle were the big winners at Farmfair.
A Red Angus bull owned by Bryan and Sherry Mackenzie of Pincher Creek, Alta., won the supreme champion male at the show.
“It’s unbelievable. He represents everything the Red Angus is about. He’s pretty hard to match for a bull his
character and type,” said Bryan Mackenzie.
The bull won champion of his breed last year at Farmfair. He will be shown at the upcoming Western Canadian Agribition in Regina and then retire, said Sherry.
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Rob Young of Kerrivale, Sask., was holding the lead rope when his family’s Black Angus cow was chosen supreme champion female of the show.
“This is the first major supreme show we’ve every won,” said Young. “We’ve been breeding for well over 30 years. We felt we had a good pair.”
It’s the first time the family has shown at Farmfair in five years and the truck prizes for the champions were a big enticement to come back to the show.
“(With) the sponsorship and prizes up this year, we had to come and take a chance,” said Young, who will also show at Agribition.
An Angus heifer calf owned by Dennis and Lisa Serhienko of Maymont, Sask., and Shane and Alaina Michelson of Lipton, Sask., was chosen champion heifer at the show.
“It’s very exciting. Your heart is beating,” said Shane.
During the final show, finalists from all the breeds are led into a darkened arena. Spotlights follow the dignitaries who walk past the row of animals and slap the back of the winning animal.
Dennis said they knew they had an exceptional heifer calf and believed it might have a good chance of winning the $9,000 prize money for the final event.
“It sure helps pay the expenses,” he said.
A Simmental bull calf owned by Ron Daley of Carstairs, Alta., was judged best bull calf. It’s the first major win Daley has had with his animals in 10 years of showing cattle at Farmfair. The bull calf was from his daughter’s 4-H cow.
“We really liked him from the start. He had the perfect pedigree and muscle shape to make him a champion,” said Daley, who has travelled to 14 cattle shows this year.
Daley will show the calf at Agribition and then it will be sold at a bull sale next spring.
“We raise them to let them go. We try to raise them and build a better one next time.”
A group of four animals from Miller Wilson Angus of Bashaw, Alta., won supreme breeders herd, where owners from each breed compete for the championship among all cattle at the show.
There was $500,000 in prize money awarded throughout the 10-day livestock event. About 90,000 people came to the barns to take in the show.
