REGINA -One at a time they filed in and were introduced individually to the crowd, like hockey stars taking the ice. These were stars of North America’s cattle industry.
Canadian Western Agribition hosted the first-ever event of its kind. The Royal Bank Beef Supreme Challenge brought together the top cattle from the largest shows across the continent for a three-hour competition.
First came the bulls, one at a time until the 46 animals seemed to fill the 90-year-old stadium at Regina’s Exhibition Park. To be eligible, each animal in the all-breed competition must have been awarded a breed grand champion status this year at one of 10 predetermined shows in Canada or the United States.
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Five judges decided which male and female would claim the honor of supreme champion.
“When you are judging from all breeds, and you are facing the best animals from each, all you can do is go with your experience,” said Dave Delahey, a judge and Moose Jaw, Sask., cattle breeder. “You need to have the eye, and have been looking at cattle since you were five.”
Don Curry of Nottawa, Ont., said as a judge he knew the job would be tough.
“No one has ever seen anything like it. No one has ever tried to do this before. What an incredible sight, the best cattle in North America all in one room at one time. As a judge you have to go with what you are feeling in your stomach about the animal in front of you,” said Curry.
Once the judges had seen the bulls, 65 females took over the arena. Cows with calves at side, heifers and mature cows.
Then the arena hummed with the voices of a growing crowd of about 1,500 as the bulls returned. An estimated $16 million in livestock was in the ring, on the hoof.
Bill Aulie, Agribition president, said the event has caught the imagination of the industry and he expects next year the show area will have to expand because there may not be enough seating.
Don Hunt drove 2,400 kilometres straight north from Texas, along with a fellow breeder of Santa Gertrudis cattle. He said the $80,000 in prizes shared between the two winners was only part of the incentive to attend.
“We came for this show and just this show. We didn’t need to enter here or be here for all of Agribition. Just for the last couple of days and we could display our animals here and get some attention to our breed,” said Hunt about his entry that qualified at the North American Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky.
As judges walked up and down the lines of cattle, the theme from 2001, A Space Odyssey played in the background. Kettle drums rose to a feverish tempo and the judges broke into a run toward their chosen animals, two for the bulls and two for the females.
The judges leapt into the air as they slapped their selections. Cowboy hats flew to the roof and the crowd erupted with applause.
The bull winner was Green’s Premium, a two-year-old Black Angus grand champion of Agribition, owned by three ranches – Green Angus Ranch of Volborg, Montana and Hamilton Farms and Hi Diamond Farms of Calgary.
The female winner, Red Stem Essence 42G, was also a two year old and grand champion female from the Calgary Stampede. The Red Angus was the pride of Miller Wilson Angus of Bashaw, Alta.
