EDMONTON – Being in the black is a sign of success in business and that also proved to be the case at Farmfair International.
The supreme champion female was a black Simmental heifer and calf co-owned by Robert Lundago of Lundago Livestock and Tim Matthews of Highland Stock Farms, both of Olds, Alta.
The supreme champion male was a Black Angus bull co-owned by Justamere Farms in Lloydminster and Remitall Cattle Co. of Olds, Alta.
The Legends of the Fall heifer calf champion was a Black Angus owned by Miller Wilson Angus of Bashaw, Alta.
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The Legends of the Fall bull calf champion was a Black Angus owned by Hamilton Farms of Cochrane, Alta.
The supreme breeders herd of four animals was a group of Black Angus owned by Hamilton Farms.
Lundago said the winning Simmental female has a reputation for finishing first.
“She’s done well her whole life,” said Lundago, who won a 2005 Dodge Ram truck as part of the prize.
“We kind of knew we were in the hunt when we got out here,” said Lundago, who will take the Simmental cow and calf to Canadian Western Agribition in Regina Nov. 21-26. After Agribition, they will begin a flushing program.
Co-owner Matthews said he was nervous while he waited for the judges to slap the winning animal.
“There was a lot of talk. They were saying it was one of the favourites and it sometimes doesn’t work out that way. You never know if the stars are going to be lined up for you.”
Bryan Latimer said he bought a half interest in the winning bull as a calf. It has collected a string of awards the past two years.
“He’s been in the winner’s circle several times,” he said of the calf born in 2004.
Even though Latimer has been raising purebred cattle for years, the bull is an exceptional animal, he said.
“He has a lot of muscle and he’s structured very correct. He’s already beat most of the bulls he’s come up against that he’s competed with here. We knew he was a contender,” said Latimer, who is taking the 2,100 pound bull to Agribition.
After Agribition, more semen will be collected.
“It’s exciting. It’s the pinnacle of the show world and winning over all other breeds. There are a lot of good cattle coming out here today,” he said.
Gail Hamilton of Cochrane said they knew they had a good group of animals when they won the supreme breeders herd. In the competition they had a two-year-old bull, a two-year-old female with calf, a bull calf and a heifer calf, all bred by the Hamilton family.
“You can’t go out and buy a good bull or a good female. You have to breed the group of animals and it’s a challenge,” said Hamilton. She will also be taking the string of animals to Agribition in Regina.
