LLOYDMINSTER – After more than 20 years on the job checking the legs and feet of bulls at the Pride of the Prairies Lloydminster Bull Show and Sale, George Larre and Doug Eaton found themselves laid up together, unable to lend a hand at his year’s event.
Foot and leg injuries kept the two men on the sidelines during the March 7-8 event. In spite of aches and pains, the irony of the situation could not escape them.
“If we’d been bulls, we would have both been culled,” said Larre.
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In September a cow ran over Eaton and broke his pelvis.
In early October, Larre and his son were in a serious vehicle accident.
“Guys my age don’t survive those things,” said Larre.
Even though he still has a sore neck and a limp from a broken foot, he takes it all in stride.
“I’m just thankful that I can complain because I shouldn’t have been here. I’m even more thankful that my son was spared.”
Due to their recent injuries, the two men retired from their service at this year’s show and each received a framed picture of cattle.
Since the 1980s, the two ranchers have volunteered and been asked to select the bulls entered for feet and legs.
“If we saw problems, we’d tell them they couldn’t sell the bull in the sale,” said Eaton.
Larre said he and Eaton always made it a point to deal face to face with people in difficult situations.
“Nobody likes to get their bulls culled because it’s insulting and embarrassing. But we would always visit with the breeders afterwards, especially if we felt they weren’t too pleased with us.”
Eaton said some breeders later admitted the problems, and thanked the two men for pointing them out.
This year is the first that the feet and legs component of the selection process was not held because producers are doing a better job, said Mike Sidoryk, general manager of the Lloydminster Agricultural Exhibition Association.
Larre said the bull sale committee was an excellent group to work with.
“That’s what kept us coming back is that we enjoyed the community. It’s not that we got a big kick out of culling somebody’s bull. It’s more so the work atmosphere. Everybody does this here on a volunteer basis and it just gets spontaneous, I guess. They’ve always treated us super.”
Eaton agrees and will miss the social aspect of it.
“Every year it’s been kind of an outing for us to talk briefly with the breeders and with the exhibition people.”
