Canadian owned bull wins at Denver show

The bull, which was bought from Oklahoma producers and now lives in Saskatchewan, also won at Agribition

DENVER, Colo. — It was a gold star day for Canadians when a trio of partners won grand champion Angus bull at the National Western Stock Show in Denver.

Named Conley South Point 8362, the bull is owned by Bryan and Tracey Willms of Wilbar Cattle Co. at Dundurn, Sask., Tanya Belsham of Poplar Meadows Angus at Houston, British Columbia, and Kyle and Amanda Conley of Sulphur, Oklahoma.

Sired by Stevenson Turning Point, the bull was purchased from the Conleys last spring. The Willms have full possession and a one-third semen interest while Belsham and Conley each have a one-third semen interest.

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The bull was also grand champion Black Angus at Canadian Western Agribition in Regina and stood in the top 10 during Agribition’s Supreme show finale in 2019. It is rare for a Canadian-owned bull to win Agribition and the Denver stock show in the same show season.

“This is the Super Bowl of cattle shows in the U.S. and for him to win our Canadian Super Bowl is pretty awesome,” said Belsham.

The bull was born in March 2018. The owners consider it an outstanding individual with solid expected progeny differences and eye appeal.

Belsham toured the Denver show in 2019 and examined all the bulls in the stalls and outdoor pens.

“He was my pick of all the bull calves here last year,” she said.

“What is unique about this bull is he is very phenotypically correct and he also has tremendous EPDs (expected progeny differences) data, which is a rare combination to get both in one package,” she said.

His first 30 calves should be on the ground soon at Dundurn, said Bryan Willms.

“This bull is the absolute definition of being balanced, not only his numbers but his phenotype,” he said.

His biggest strength is being a calving ease bull with top performance as well.

“It is a tough combination to get. Usually when you have a calving ease bull you give up performance,” he said.

The Willms family has been in the Angus business since 1963. This bull is a special find.

Willms had won red champions at past Agribitions but this bull got him excited about future possibilities.

“Denver is a whole different ball game with totally different cattle,” he said.

“I was so grateful to win it (Agribition) and then when we had the opportunity to bring him down here with the guy who bred the bull showing, I thought if anybody can win this, we have the best chance in the world,” he said.

The compliments have been pouring in since Agribition.

“I have never experienced a buzz about an animal, regardless of whether it is mine or anyone else’s, and to have people coming by and telling you how much they like this bull, not only from your own breed but other breeds, and it was same here,” he said.

Two in one

Winning a grand champion is not an easy feat, but to win at Canadian Western Agribition and the National Western Stock Show in the same show year is praiseworthy. In recent years, other Canadians have achieved this recognition:

In 2013, Jordan Buba of Cochrane, Alta., led out a champion Shorthorn bull at Agribition and the national stock show in 2014. The bull was named BISS Element 79 370Z.
In 2016, Gelbvieh breeders Rodney and Tanya Hollman of Royal Western Gelbvieh of Innisfail, Alta. won both shows with a red bull named RWG Right Combination 5506. The bull was national champion at Agribition and in January 2017 was national champion at the stock show.

In addition, Remitall Cattle Co. had a polled Hereford bull called Remitall Online 122L he was: