REGINA – One of the best sounds in the world for a purebred cattle producer is the slap of a judge’s hand on your animal’s rump at the Canadian Western Agribition Supreme beef challenge.
As the grand finale to the 36-year-old winter agricultural fair, the stadium stands were full to watch the best of Canada’s purebred cattle compete in a multi-breed show against Agribition winners, as well as challengers from other regional exhibitions.
For the winners, the final decision from the panel of five judges induced tears, racing hearts and plenty of hugs.
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It was the third time lucky for Rob and Gail Hamilton of Cochrane, Alta., with their top Angus female, and first time in the spotlight for Vern and Denise LaFrentz of Bienfait, Sask., with their champion Simmental bull.
The Hamiltons won last year and in 2000 with outstanding black females.
As the first to enter the stadium arena, Rob and Gail watched other cows and calves parade past them and wondered how their animal stacked up.
“We were grateful to be participating and not watching. You never underestimate the competition,” said Rob.
This year’s winner, HF Blackbird 145P, was sired by a maternal brother to last year’s winner.
The two-year-old had a large-framed, muscular bull calf at side that will be offered at their Dec. 11 production sale at the farm. They own the cow with their son, Wyatt.
The supreme bull entered by Vern and Denise LaFrentz of Bienfait and Lobster Point Properties of Nova Scotia, also won the World Simmental Congress held last summer in Calgary. Named Wheatland Bull 468P, the LaFrentzes plan to retire it back to their breeding herd.
“What a way to end a show career,” said Denise.
“To us, if we got in the top 10 it was awesome and then when he won it, it was a dream come true,” she said.
The supreme award comes with an assortment of agriculture product prizes including a bale processor, and a cheque for $10,000 each for the best bull and female.
Denise does not see it as a life changing experience.
“We’re just Vern and Denise from Bienfait, Saskatchewan,” she said.
In addition to the showcase events, breeding stock sales often approached record levels.
The high selling beef animal, at $37,000, came from Gold-Bar Livestock with a Red Angus bull calf that sold to Gary and Glenda Mosher’s Glengarry Ranch at Barrhead, Alta., in conjunction with a syndicate that bought semen interests. The new owners get full possession and half semen rights.
In recent years, select horse events and a sale have also started.
This year, two sorrel geldings earned $10,000 in the sales ring. An entry from Justabout Ranch at Hanley, Sask., went for $10,000 to Lee Poncelet of Lavington, B.C.
Donna Weekes of Biggar, Sask., paid the same amount to own a sorrel gelding consigned by Jeff Schwitzer of Yorkton, Sask.
Attendance at the 2006 show was expected to be slightly down, although final numbers were not available before Western Producer deadlines. The five-year average is about 140,000.
The weather can be a factor. This year, warm, dry weather early in the week gave way to bone-chilling temperatures later, but few complained.
Agribition president Herb McLane said prices trended well. Among the highlight sales was the purchase of embryos and two Speckle Park bull calves by an Australian partnership. As well, a delegation from Kazakhstan agreed to buy Canadian dairy and beef genetics.
