The 2016 National Charolais Show was a resounding success at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Ont. The Ontario Charolais Association (OCA) hosted 46 breeders that exhibited 105+ animals. Cattle were sorted November 4 by Kasey Phillips, Waskatenau, Alta., and sparks flew at the National Charolais Sale that averaged $9,400. Compliments to the OCA for filling the house and organizing a first-class video sale.
Dudgeon-Snobelen Land & Cattle, Ripley, Ont., was named Premier Breeder. Premier Exhibitor honours went to Rollin’ Acres, Mulmur, Ont.
The Don Turnbull Achievement Trophy recipient as chosen by their peers was presented to Sunrise Charolais, Stayner, Ont., for best exemplifying Don Turnbull’s integrity, animal husbandry and dedication to the Charolais breed.
Daily Hersdman honours went to Bridor Charolais, Mount Forest, Ont.
Save the date October 25-28, 2017, for the next National Charolais Show hosted by the Manitoba Charolais Association at Ag Ex in Brandon, Man.
A smokey Charolais cross steer, Ozzie, was slapped Grand Champion Steer at the Queen’s Guineas youth steer show at the Royal Winter Fair. Ozzie was exhibited by Scott Barfett, Wallacetown, Ont..
Katie Elmhurst of Indian River, Ont., took the Charles John Watson V Memorial Award at the 2016 Masterfeeds National Junior Beef Heifer Show at the Royal Winter Fair with a Simmental heifer. Madison Saunders of Grey County exhibited a Charolais heifer calf and received Reserve Champion honours. This award is presented to the top female that is bred and owned by a 4-H member, in memory of Charles John Watson, Wat-Cha Farms, Mount Forest, Ont. Watson was a major supporter of many junior shows, and the one that he held closest to him was the junior show at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Both of his children exhibited at this show for many years, which he felt was the highest accomplishment they could achieve during their years in 4-H.
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Angus cattle swept the Masterfeeds Supreme Beef Championship winning both the female and bull banners. Peter Frijters of Premier Livestock, Milverton, Ont., experienced a “three-peat” when his bull, OHL Check Book 0187C, took home the banner in 2016. His females took home Masterfeeds Supreme Beef Championship banners in 2015 and 2014. The bull is jointly owned by Premier Livestock, Hasson Livestock and Clearview Farms. Silver Springs Princess 138C, owned by Reidholm Angus and the RK Cattle Company of Moorefield, Ont., took the Supreme Beef Female banner. Both Check Book and Silver Springs Princess were named champions in the Aberdeen Angus Cattle Society Challenge Cup.
In Limousin news, four-year-old purebred Limousin female, Greenwood Pld Zoom Bloom, with heifer calf Greenwood Daisy PYN 42D at side, swept the overall Supreme Female titles at both the Brandon Ag Ex in Brandon, Man., and the JTL Industries Stockade Roundup in Lloydminster, Sask. The Limousin breed has had a fantastic fall show season with its National Show being held at the Brandon Ag Ex and a record number of entries at the 2016 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, making it the largest Limousin show in Canada and, likely, North America this year!
During the Royal Agricultural Fair the Canadian Angus Association presented its Partner of the Year Award to Longo Brothers Fruit Markets, a family-owned Canadian food retailer that started as a small fruit market store on Yonge Street in Toronto in 1956. They were selected to receive the award based on their efforts to promote authentic Angus beef and their founders’ values of honesty, trustworthiness and mutual respect. Through the years the family has maintained a commitment to providing customers with the best fresh food experience possible.
Cattlemen Bob Switzer of Sandy Bar Angus and John Wilmott were inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame at a ceremony during the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto last month.
Bob Switzer along with his wife Gail run Sandy Bar Angus in Aneroid, Sask. Switzer and the Sandy Bar name have become synonymous with promoting world class Canadian genetics around the world. He has judged many cattle shows in Canada and marketed cattle internationally to Ireland, England, Brazil, Chile, Denmark, Japan, China, Russia, New Zealand and Kazakhstan. Bob and Gail are also well known for their annual Short Grass Bull & Female sale, which has been running for 38 years. He has been an unabashed advocate of agriculture for Saskatchewan and Canada along with being a mentor and industry leader, in part as a founding director with Red Coat Cattle Feeders, a 20,000-head feedlot that is keeping local cattle, grain and people in the region. As well, being part of Prairie Heritage Beef, Sandy Bar, along with 13 other family ranches, is able to promote a uniquely branded beef program in to select retail chains in British Columbia and Ontario.
John Willmott is a past president of the Canadian Angus Association and Canada’s Farm Progress Show, but he is probably best known for his involvement in building Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) into a world-class cattle show and an international marketplace for Canadian livestock genetics. Willmott was a respected cattle judge in Canada and internationally, and a strong proponent of using the show ring as a marketing tool for beef cattle. This naturally led him to become involved in helping to build a fledgling cattle show in Regina into the best beef show possible. His involvement included taking trips to Ottawa to solicit federal support for Agribition. Willmott has been on the board for 29 years in many different roles and promoted the venue at livestock shows in Scotland, New Zealand, Mexico, Australia, the United States and across Canada.
They follow a long line of livestock inductees into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame. Other inductees you will remember are: Jonathan Fox – 1973; Bob Gordon – 1995; Dr. Robert Church – 1991; Charles Gracey – 2001; Doug Blair – 2003; Dr. David Chalack – 2011; Walt Browarny – 2014.
Cattlemen Young Leaders
Kylie McRae
Mentor: Darren Bevans, general manager, Deseret Ranches of Alberta Ltd., Raymond, Alta.
McRae’s roots began on a mixed farm near Hanley, Sask., which recently received a Centennial Farm Family Award. She developed a keen interest in the environment around her, which led her to pursue an environmental studies degree from the University of Saskatchewan. In her career with Ducks Unlimited Canada in southeast Saskatchewan, she enjoys working to create and enhance waterfowl habitat in co-operation with producers.
McRae is immersed in primary production agriculture alongside Darren Ippolito and his family, at Moose Creek Red Angus, Kisbey, Sask., where they raise purebred and commercial cattle. Moose Creek was recognized in the McDonald’s Verified Sustainable Beef Program. McRae believes in promoting the sustainability of the beef industry, as it is a natural fit and a story that needs to be told. Her interest in the CYL program is to further her involvement in these initiatives both at the Canadian and global scales.
Mel Hermanson
Mentor: Graeme Finn, cow-calf producer, Madden, Alta.
Hermanson was raised on a third-generation beef and sheep operation in the Avon Valley, Western Australia. She completed her bachelor of agribusiness specializing in farm management in 2007 from the Muresk campus at Curtin University in Western Australia. While completing her degree she worked for a 5,000-head capacity feedlot that operates a cow-calf herd, backgrounding operation and crops 5,000 acres in the Wheat Belt of WA. During her five years with Kylagh Cattle Company she progressed from summer student to cattle manager, feed manager and grazing/background manager. In 2010, Hermanson came to Canada through Agriventure exchange to work at Yester Years Ranch near Empress, Alta. During this time she met her husband and they decided to make Alberta their home.
Currently she works as a commercial and agricultural account manager for Chinook Financial in Hussar, Alta., and at home on her husband’s family farm where they run a small beef herd and cropping operation.
Mona Howe
Howe is a cattle producer and fourth-generation rancher who grew up on a large cattle ranch in the Cypress Hills of southwest Saskatchewan. She and her husband Brad, along with their children Georgia and Hayes, own and operate a 400-head Black Angus cow-calf ranch near Leader, Sask., between the Red Deer and South Saskatchewan rivers. They have a small purebred herd to supply their own commercial herd bulls and sell a few bulls to neighbouring ranches. They raise and market their purebred cattle in conjunction with Howe’s family, as part of Battle Creek Angus. Howe has had a keen interest in the cattle industry for as long as she can remember, beginning with her daily involvement in the family’s ranch work and 4-H.
