REGINA — A Black Angus bull calf was the high seller among the many sales at Canadian Western Agribition last week.
The bull, Haroldson’s AH Alpine 271L, was consigned by Haroldson’s from Wawota, Sask., who are long-time Polled Hereford breeders. Elk Ridge Farms from Rossburn, Man., bought a two-thirds interest and full possession in the February 2023 bull for $118,000 in the Angus All Star sale.
Chad Wilson said he recently started into the Angus breed when he bought a flush from a well-known cow.
“I think his mother, Blairs (Bar-E-L) Erica 74A cow is kind of a household name throughout North America and probably the world really,” Wilson said after the sale. “She’s been an excellent producer. And then the sire of the calves, he’s a bit of an outcross pedigree, so I think it’s a combination of the sire, the mom and the quality of the calf himself made him intriguing I guess to some breeders.”
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The sire is Hummel Palermo SA, described in the sale catalogue as “the most massively constructed Angus bull within the Hummel program.”
“You got to sell him to make money,” Wilson shrugged when asked why he sold the calf. “That’s a tough question to answer.”
Overall, sales in the Agribition rings were fairly strong.
The high selling lot in the Charolais sale was a heifer calf, KAYR Lainey 366L, from Kay-R Charolais in Waskatenau, Alta., selling to Mexico for $20,500. The top Hereford was a $22,000 polled heifer calf, Glenlees 240J Beth 20L, from Glenlees Farm of Arcola, Sask.
The Limousin sale saw a bred heifer, Greenwood Zoom Bloom 704K ET go to Pennsylvania for $20,000, and the top selling Shorthorn was the pick of the SaskValley Stock Farm herd at Rosthern, Sask., which went for $19,000 to Herbourne Shorthorns from Somerset, Man.
In the Maines on the Plains sale, a 50-percent embryo interest in Gustafson Dream 3022L sold for $15,000. The heifer from G2 Cattle Co. at Macoun, Sask., shares a dam, Erica 74A, with the Angus bull calf.
The top selling Speckle Park heifer, INC Centerfold 80L, from INC at Saskatoon, went to a Mexican buyer for $17,000.
In the bison sale, a bull from Silver Creek Bison sold for $11,000.
In the sheep sale, a purebred ewe, Sandy Hill Jamie 32J from Sandy Hill Charollais in Red Deer County, Alta., topped the sale, going for $2,800 to Hcrest Farming Co. Ltd at Dundurn, Sask.
Commercial cattle prices were also strong. Two pens of five bred heifers sold for $5,000 each, while a pen of five open heifers sold for $4,000 each.
Agribition president Kim Hextall said international guests from 19 countries were buying live animals and genetics in the sales and privately in the barns. There was a large delegation from Mexico this year, as well as representation from South America, Europe, the United Kingdom and Asia.
“We’re spreading Canada around the world, basically,” she said of the impact the show has on the livestock industry.
Hextall said there was a positive attitude throughout the barns and the good weather likely helped. She said when people were moving in all the doors were open, people were smiling, and that set the tone for the week.
Agribition chief executive officer Shaun Kindopp said attendance was trending ahead of 2022. Final numbers aren’t yet available.
He and Hextall noted new popular events at the show, including the crowning of Ari Dyck from White City, Sask., as Miss Rodeo Agribition and the Spanish bullfighters who stuck around for the week to keep performing even after their one-night-only event.
Kindopp said the 2023 show was one of the smoothest events he’s been a part of.
More than half of the trade show booths were first-time exhibitors. The trade show included, possibly for the first time, a tattoo artist and a matchmaker.
The show began with the traditional Burning of the Brand, done this year by Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe and former long-time agriculture radio broadcaster Jim Smalley.
Next year’s show is scheduled for Nov. 25 to 30.
