Top Stock Magazine September 2015

+ The Voice of Experience Montana judge brings expertise to his first Canadian show

+ The Stars of Summer Two Summer Synergy competitors aim higher ISSUE 2 SEPT 2015

SUCCESS

M U LT I P LY I N G

A powerful genetic tool offers new possibilities for beef cattle reproduction

WORDS FROM THE

Welcome to the second issue of Top Stock. First of all, let me say Wow! Since launching the first-edition in mid-July, your response has been overwhelming. By email, phone, text, and in-person, you have made it known that there is a welcome place for this kind of publication within our industry. Described as ‘brilliant’, and ‘spectacular’ by our readers, we are honoured and humbled to help put the Canadian show industry ‘on the map with class and distinction.’ We know the success of this magazine is going to come from you who support it, and we appreciate all of your feedback.

The issue in your hands (or on your screen) has become our unofficial junior edition. Inside these pages, we feature show coverage from almost all of the summer junior nationals and are introduced to two outstanding individuals we are proud to call products of our junior programs. They, and youth like them, are the reason so much value can be found inside our show rings. (Plus, I can’t recall a better place to spend the summer than in the wash-rack). We are also excited to include an interview from esteemed Montana breeder Brian Barragree as our judge’s profile – It will be a pleasure to watch him sort the cattle at one of the fastest-growing Junior shows in the country, the Young Ranchman’s in September. Lastly, we take a tour through new reproductive technologies as Dr. Stables introduces us to a practice that will change the shape of genetic progress. As with the last edition, we are most grateful to those who agreed to be interviewed, as this issue could not be accomplished without you!

As we continue in our growth, we are constantly looking for ways we can expand our reach and give our advertisers more value for their investment. Our next edition, to be published on November 1, will be available for complimentary pick-up at Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair, Edmonton’s Farmfair and Regina’s Canadian Western Agribition, and like this one, will also be mailed to subscribers across the country. Those of you on our email newsletter list will have received our launch e-newsletter this past August and we encourage you to sign up for this on our website www.topstockmagazine.com or Facebook page for instant Top Stock news. Finally, we continue to extend our offer to advertisers – If you would like a complimentary issue sent to one of your Canadian customers, simply send us their address and we would be happy to get them a copy.

We would like to thank you again for your support and hope you enjoy what we have in store for you in our fall issue.

– Katie Songer

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FEATURES SEPTEMBER 2015 16

16

IN THIS

ISSUE

16 62

62

Junior Double Header Youth duo shows the value in Summer Synergy

The Voice of Experience Barragree heads north to judge Young Ranchman’s

Multiplying Success

A powerful genetic tool offers new possibilities for bovine reproduction.

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Top Stock Magazine is published four times per year. One year subscription cost $10.00 per year ($10.50 with GST) in Canada, $40.00 per year in the USA. Top Stock magazine, hereby expressly limits its liability resulting from any and all misprints, errors and/ or inaccuracies whatsoever in the advertisement and editorial content published by Top Stock and its said liability is here by limited to the refund of the customer for its payment for said advertisement, or the running of the corrected advertisement, or editorial notice. Notification by the customer of any error must be made within 30 days of the distribution of the magazine. Advertising copy received after the deadline may not be returned for proofing. Changes to advertising copy made after the deadline date will be allowed only if time permits, and will incur the appropriate charges according to time and materials involved in the changes. The opinions or views expressed in the editorials are those of the writer or persons interviewed and not Top Stock magazine. Top Stock does however reserve the right to edit or refuse all material which might be objectionable in content. No material or part thereof may be reproduced or used out of context, without prior specific approval of a proper credit to Top Stock.

T o p S t o c k M a g a z i n e / Fa l l 2 0 1 5

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SEPTEMBER 2015

CROSS-CANADA COVERAGE

Cover photo taken

by ShowChampions

Left Ryley Noble shows a Man Among Boys steer bred by Larrison Farms, IN, and owned by Ty Draves at the Vermillion Fair. © B.C. Photo

Below Scholarship qualifiers in the ring at the International Youth Livestock show at the Calgary Stampede. © ShowChampions

SHOW INDEX 36 37 38 42 44 45 46 48

DEPARTMENTS

Quebec Junior Beef Show ON Western Beef Invitational Summer Synergy UFA Junior Steer Classic Colonial Days Westerner Days Canadian JR Angus Showdown Canadian Charolais Youth Show

UPCOMING ISSUES Issue Late Fall Spring A.I.

Wildrose Classic MRPM Countryfest Prince Albert Exhibition Canadian JR Hereford Bonanza Manitoba Youth Round-up Canadian JR Shorthorn Show Canadian JR Limousin Show

06 WORDS FROM THE EDITOR 10 CONTRIBUTORS 12 JUNIOR NEWSMAKERS 12 FROM OUR READERS 36 SHOW RESULTS 70 UPCOMING EVENTS 72 ADVERTISERS INDEX

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T o p S t o c k M a g a z i n e / Fa l l 2 0 1 5

Shhh...

MOnday, SEpT 21 The secret is getting out where all pasture Bid Sale the winners are coming from!

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Offering more full sibs just as good as these Champions! Embryos also available!

champion Steer - 2014 tulsa State Fair Bought by Bryan McKay

51 Monopoly - Full Sib to the louisville Heifer

champion Maine Steer - 2015 iowa Beef expo, 5th overall Bought by Brad ewing

congratulations to pashulka’s from alberta, 53 Monopoly - Full Sib to tulsa State Fair canada on their many time 2015 winning heifer! champion Steer

VieW pHotoS/ViDeoS at: www.larsonclubcalves.com

Larson

Special inVitation: While you are in the area stop in at Sweet Grass - Heathers eatery/coffee shop in Wessington Springs on Main Street. lodging is now available on the second floor!

congratulations to Branscomb & page’s!

2014 Utah State Fair overall champion Heifer

club calves

38094 221st Street. • Wessington Springs, SD Brad: 605-680-0822 • Home: 605-539-0067 Heather: 605-730-0051 7 miles north from Wessington Springs

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M A G A Z I N E SEPTEMBER 2015

ISSUE 2 Editor-in-Chief

Letters to the Editor

Katie Songer

Top Stock Magazine welcomes your

Creative/Art Director

comments, questions and opinions.

Send your letters via email to

Katie Songer

Contributing Photographers Angela Morasch

info@topstockmagazine.com

Back Issues Back issues can be found online at

Barn Girls Photography

topstockmagazine.com or can be

BC Photo (Bree Patterson)

ordered, subject to availability, from

Claude & Adele Wasden Christine Boake Photography

the publishers.

Grant Rolston Photography Ltd.

Subscription Services

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2015 Publication Schedule

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Melissa McRae

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Piper Whelan

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MEET THE TOP STOCK TEAM

CONTRIBUTING WRITER Piper Whelan is a writer and editor from Irricana, Alberta. Raised on her family’s MaineAnjou ranch, she competed in junior shows and 4-H. After graduating from the University of Alberta, she studied at the University of King’s College School of Journalism. Her work has

Katie Songer

Editor-in-chief Creative Direction

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Sarah Buchanan

Eastern Canada Ad Representative

Tracy Kimmel

Western Canada Ad Representative

Piper Whelan

Contributing Writer

T o p S t o c k M a g a z i n e / Fa l l 2 0 1 5

appeared in Atlantic Beef & Sheep and various breed publications.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

SSS RED ANGUS

|

2:00pm

|

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Send your junior news or letters to the editor to info@topstockmagazine.com.

M A G A Z I N E JUNIOR NEWS + NEWSMAKERS

FROM OUR READERS

Just Announced: The CJLA Limousin Youth Australia Exchange

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The Canadian Junior Limousin Association (CJLA) will be offering an annual trip to one CJLA member between 16-21 years of age to spend four weeks with a Limousin host family in Australia! The trip recipient will also receive $2,000 from the CJLA for travel expenses. The trip will include opportunities to work on cattle operations as well as attending and helping at one of Australia’s largest cattle shows!

More details and application forms will be available soon on the Canadian Limousin Association website www.limousin.com

Manitoba Youth Roundup Raises Funds for STARS Manitoba Fifty five enthusiastic Manitoba and Saskatchewan Junior cattle producers attended the 8th annual Manitoba Youth Beef Roundup in Neepawa, Manitoba. Selling Junior art, rope halters and baking, the Juniors raised $1635 for Stars Manitoba, giving back to an organization that has been integral in helping agriculture families across the nation.

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t is with welcome eyes and a shared passion for the Canadian show industry, I must say thank you for putting such a great magazine together. This is not a simple endeavor but countless hours of planning, budgeting, editing and reviewing to put out a magazine of this quality. My family has always shown livestock and over the years I have witnessed the transformation of the industry.

We are no longer restricted to marketing within our breed or province – I feel if this is still your main goal, your opportunities will be limited.

There is no other aspect of the livestock showing industry that has youth more excited than raising their own show calves. Ask a young member about the cattle they are breeding or showing – and watch their whole face light up! This not only applies to the show calf influenced genetics but also raising the best purebred cattle you can, too. Personally, I feel the industry is at a point where breeding show calves is no longer a niche market and utilizing semen from show calf-bred bulls is a common practice – whether that is five units or a hundred. I encourage parents to research the genetics available with your kids and ask a thousand questions: There are lots of different options out there for different types of cows, and throwing semen in a cow does not mean you will make a champion on your first try. Evaluate your animals, compare to others, ask yourself the hard breeding questions about your bull choices and don’t be afraid to ask your semen-seller those tough questions as well. The bloodlines, lineage, and history of these animals can and should be used to your advantage.

I always hear the comment that the great ones are freaks. I tend to lean towards finding genetics that will throw me a consistently good-quality group of calves that will feed and show successfully for all experience levels. With a little extra work, you can make a good one into a great one. With minimal effort, you can turn a great one into an average one. I look forward to working with you more down the road as we market and grow opportunities across North America. – Kurtis Reid

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Congratulations Levi Martin and “Willy” Sire: Eye Candy 2nd in class, Lloydminster Open Show ♦ 2nd in class, Edmonton Open Show ♦ 3rd in class, Stettler 4-H ♦ 2nd in class, Division 2 Calgary Junior show

Congratulations Abbegayle Brady & “Skunk” Sire: Ruffneck (Eye Candy x Speckle Park) 1st in class, Chinook Junior Show ♦ 1st in Class, Bashaw Junior Show ♦ Grand Champion Steer, Hanna 4-H ♦ Class winner, Division 8 Calgary Junior Steer show

Congratulations Trinity Martin & “Panda” Sire: Salty Dog Grand Champion, Bashaw Junior Steer Show ♦ 2nd in class, Stettler 4-H Steer Show

Congratulations Chance Jackson & “Tara” Walks Alone x Star Bank Skyglow 795 (Purebred Speckle Park) Reserve Champion Heifer, Regina Prospect Show ♦ Reserve Champion, Heifer Oyen Jackpot ♦ Reserve Champion Heifer, Olds Open Jackpot show ♦ Reserve Champion Heifer, Regina Spring Steer & Heifer Show ♦ Grand Champion Female, Lord of the Rings

You taught us to hope. You taught us to believe.

Now that you are gone, what does it mean?

Does hope simply postpone pain? Is belief for the naive?

What was the point of your last dramatic act?

As you teetered on death, we prayed. You made prayer something we did every day, all day. At the sight of every magic number on the clock we prayed for you, for life.We saw every positive turn in your condition as a miracle. Indeed a miracle was present in each breath you took.

You taught us to live all in, never give up and live each moment as possibly the last.

Dear young friend, that was the point.

We will deem your life too short. But what is time but something we aren’t promised?

In just two weeks, you taught us to hope, to believe, to pray, to see the miracle in each moment and to live life all in. That is how we will remember you: The angel who came to earth to open our eyes, minds and hearts and remind us to live.

-Written for Cody by Janelle Wohlberg

Donations can be made in Cody’s memory to: Stars Air Ambulance https://foundation.stars.ca/sktributegift#forcody by phone 1.855.516.4848 or by email at donations@stars.ca. or The Cody Sibbald Memorial Fund Contact lazyrcranch@gmail.com

Forever in our hearts

Remembering the life of

Cody Sibbald 2004 - 2015

Editor’s Note: Heartfelt condolences to the Sibbald family for your loss. Cody was an immeasurable part of our community and we are grateful to have known him. He will be missed.

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stars OF the

SUMMER WORDS BY PIPER WHELAN

Every year, Summer Synergy showcases the cream of the youth crop in Western Canada – and these two outstanding young cattle enthusiasts have stood out.

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ince 2010, junior exhibitors from across western Canada have descended on Olds, Alberta, in July for a week to remember. Summer Synergy attracts the brightest and most eager young livestock enthusiasts, ready to compete and show off their best, all while building industry and career-related skills and creating lasting friendships.

In addition to the four species components, Synergy also encompasses the Alberta Provincial 4-H shows for beef females, dairy, sheep and equine. The Synergy beef female show is comprised of Black and Red Angus, Maine-Anjou, Charolais, Simmental, Hereford and All Other Breeds divisions. In its six years, 1,986 exhibitors between the ages of nine and 20 have exhibited 3,410 head of beef, dairy, sheep and equine projects, and the show has awarded 112 champion and 24 supreme champion honours.

Arguably the most enticing feature of this event is the coveted scholarship program, awarded to a certain number in each age division and presented on the Grandstand at the Calgary Stampede. To date, 335 youth have received $376,000 in scholarships. It’s opportunities like this that have participants saying the program has “opened many doors” for youth, where they have “gained friendships, confidence and developed life skills all while doing what they love and having fun.”

Here, we meet two of Synergy’s success stories, one an up-and-coming junior at the beginning of her show cattle career, the other an accomplished exhibitor taking her skills into the professional world. These young ladies represent just some of what is possible by daring to aim high at top-level junior shows such as Synergy.

Summer Synergy scholarship qualifiers step on-stage in front of the grandstand at the Calgary Stampede. ©© ShowChampions

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Kyla Kelly — The Start of Something Amazing

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yla Kelly is already making a name for herself in both the show ring and the rodeo arena. Kelly, 12, lives at her parent’s feedlot outside of Innisfail, Alberta. Going into only her third year of 4-H, Kelly has been around the show cattle world since her parents got started, which is, in her words, “pretty much forever.”

Kelly excels in and out of the ring, and has a number of reasons why showing cattle is important to her. “I like the relationship I can have with my animals, and it’s just fun to hang out with some of the friends that you don’t get to see unless you’re at the shows.” Her favourite show animal thus far is the heifer she showed last summer. “She’s a little roan. We’re kind of the same, both stubborn and sassy,” she says. “She won the commercial heifer at Summer Synergy (in 2014), and she did the best for me and we just got along.”

In the two years Kelly has competed at Synergy, she’s done extremely well. She counts 2014 as her best year, winning with the aforementioned roan heifer. At the 2015 edition of Synergy, Kelly was the Junior Aggregate Champion in the Maine-Anjou show. She was the top beef competitor in the Junior division, coming in first in judging, third in marketing and on the first-place grooming team in her age category. Not only that, Kelly has been successful in taking

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“I like the relationship I can have with my animals, and its fun to hang out with some of the friends that you don’t get to see unless you’re at the shows.”

home some of the show’s most soughtafter awards. “I’ve been a scholarship winner the last couple times while I’ve been in Synergy,” she says proudly.

Far left and middle Kelly exhibits Prime Time’s Libby 515’13, a many times champion in 2013 and 2014.

For Kelly, the friendships and the opportunity to compete are what make showing at Synergy a memorable experience each year. When asked what advice she’d give a new exhibitor planning to compete at Synergy for the first time, her sound, simple advice echoes the effort she puts into all her competitions: “I would tell them that it’s an amazing show, and you should try your hardest.”

©© ShowChampions

When she’s not competing in cattle shows, Kelly is bringing home accolades in high school rodeo. She got her start in rodeo at an early age, and currently competes

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in barrel racing, breakaway roping, goat tying, pole bending and ribbon roping. “I was Rookie of the Year for this season and the overall year for high school rodeo,” she explains. “Then I went to Iowa for the National Finals in breakaway roping.”

Being that she is the only one in her family actively on the rodeo trail, this activity is important to her because of the work she put in to learn and master her five events.

“My mom and dad didn’t really rodeo, so I had to be with people and they would teach me how. We rope with people all the time who help me, and it’s just a fun experience.”

Her two successful pursuits factor into Kelly’s future plans at the moment. “I’d like to show cattle more and go to the NFR,” she says of her dreams for after school. “I kind of want to be a veterinarian or work at our farm.” No matter where this rising

star chooses to set her sights in the future, she’s thankful for her parents’ help and encouragement. “They’ve taught me most of the stuff I know, and they’ve helped me through my whole career in showing cattle and doing rodeo. They’ve just helped me out so much — it’s awesome.”

Top Kelly also been very successful in the Rodeo arena – with her talents taking her to the national finals in Iowa. Here, she competes in Carstairs, AB. ©© Hartt Photos

Bottom Kelly exhibits Prime Time’s Libby 515’13 to another championship at the Olds Fall Classic in 2013 . ©© Grant Rolston Photography Ltd.

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Carling Matejka — On the Road to a Bright Career

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arling Matejka grew up on her family’s cattle operation, Matejka Farms, outside of Ponoka, AB. “We live on a 200-head seed stock operation, and raise purebred Angus and Hereford breeding stock,” the 21-year-old student explains.

“We calve out about 200 cows and usually have about 70 bulls to sell and between 50-60 yearling heifers.”

Matejka’s junior show career was long and fruitful, racking up many achievement over the years in both 4-H and junior competitions. Looking back, her favourite show animal was the cow she showed when she was 14 and 15. “Her name was Cherry, and she produced a great calf, who I also showed, who also went off to be a great mom and produce more calves,” she says. “She was probably my favourite one, and the one I had the most success with.”

Matejka competed at Synergy for four years, starting in the show’s inaugural year. “I got to watch Synergy grow, which was fantastic. It really started out as a little program that I think people were hesitant about, and it really bloomed into something amazing,” she says. Not only did she love the competition, she enjoyed the networking opportunities and opportunity to meet new people.

“The best part about it was being with people who have similar traits as you. I love being around people — I’m a social butterfly — so the social aspect of it was what made it worth it,” she explains.

“Being able to make those friends and connections and the networking that I did was truly amazing, and those are the things that I’m going to carry with me for the rest of my life, and those are the friendships that I’m going to continue to have.”

Above Matejka grew up on a 200 head seedstock operation, instilling a love of animals from an early age.

Right Matejka (second row, left) with her veterinary class at the University of Calgary.

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“Being able to make those friends and connections and the networking that I did was truly amazing and those are the things that I’m going to carry with me for the rest of my life.”

being in a rural environment, as well as still having cattle around, because that’s really where my passion is.”

Her best year at Synergy, she says, was her final year of competition. “I got a $2,000 scholarship, and I was also one of the four who got to go to Houston (on a trip to the Stock Show).” This was also the year her skills truly allowed her to rise to the top of the competition. “I found that being in my last year of showing cattle, I was really able to use everything that I’d learned in the past, and I knew that I learned so much,” she recalls. This was especially the case in the scholarship interview. “I looked back at my very first year when I interviewed, and I found I really struggled with it, but as I became more confident in myself and confident in my abilities, it was way easier to talk about and answer their questions in a proper manner.”

The skills developed through showing cattle will serve Matejka well in her next endeavours. After studying agriculture for three years at the University of Alberta, she was accepted into the University of Calgary’s veterinary school. She’s starting her second year of vet school this fall.

Matejka, who hopes to specialize in large animal medicine, has wanted to be a vet “for as long as I can remember,” she says, and is enjoying her studies. “It’s a lot harder than I expected it to be, but it’s

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She plans on raising cattle in the future, too. “Obviously it won’t be my primary occupation, but I really learned a lot from it, and I hope one day when I have a family, my kids can also learn a lot from it,” she says. “I think it really developed me as a person, and I have a lot of thanks from that, and I think it does good things and teaches kids a lot.”

definitely challenged me in different ways.

I’ve learned to take things and figure it out and not stress as much as I used to, which is good. I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but it’s definitely made me overcome some obstacles.”

Many of the things she learned from growing up around cattle and working towards her goals come from the influence of her biggest role model, her dad. “Moving off the farm, I never really realized how hard he does work, and I feel like there’s a lot of traits I used to struggle with when we lived in the same house because we are so similar, but now I find that those traits make me who I am and they help me,” she explains.

“If everything goes right, in 10 years I would like to work at either a strictly bovine practice or in a rural community doing mixed practice that is mostly beef cattle,” she explains. “I like being able to work on everything and I like the idea of

“He’s a very hard worker, and he knows how to explain things in a way that is easy for people to understand, as well as a way that makes people happy. He’s one of the people who have helped push me this far.

He’s always there to encourage me.”

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Photo Matejka at her parents farm near Ponoka. ŠŠ Top Stock

Opposite Page, Top Row Matejka excelled throughout her Synergy career, both with her cattle and in the skills competitions.

Opposite Page, Bottom Row Matejka as part of the demonstration crew at the Calgary Stampede.

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Tessa Nybo Cattle & Clinics Prospect Steer & Heifer Sale September 26th - 27th Morinville, AB Watch for full details online at

WWW.TESSANYBO.COM Calves out of Eye Candy Man Among Boys Comfort Zone monopoly money

Believe in Me manchild choppin wood Carpe diem

and the original monopoly

Plan to attend the free clinic & open house to kick off the sale on Saturday!

Lot 2 "Bandit" purchased by Heidi Tymko in the 2014 sale

Reserve Champion Open Steer Taber Junior Livestock Show Reserve Champion Open Steer UFA Country Classic, Josephburg

T o p S t o c k M a g a z i n e / Fa l l 2 0 1 5

Contact Tessa at 403.636.1066 to schedule a tour of the calves on pasture at Sundre, AB this summer

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The techniques and processes have been refined now to the point that, on average, there’s probably a five to 10-percent difference between conventional and IVF embryos for conception. It’s becoming very competitive.”

Photo Dr. Rob Stables’ Bow Valley Genetics will be one of the first clinics to offer IVF to clients in Western Canada. ©© Top Stock

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WORDS BY PIPER WHELAN

MULTIPLYING

SUCCESS A powerful genetic tool once used primarily in the dairy industry picks up steam, offering new possibilities for beef cattle reproduction.

T

he latest innovation in bovine reproductive technology is exciting, ground-breaking and increasingly becoming a more feasible option for beef producers wanting to use embryo transplant with added benefits in their herd. It’s also not entirely new. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) was first introduced in cattle more than 15 years ago, and was poised to transform the beef industry. However, IVF embryo transfer originally had a number of problems associated with the resulting pregnancies, such as large calves and placental abnormalities.

“In the intervening years, they refined the process and figured out what was causing a lot of the large calves and other issues,” says Dr. Rob Stables, veterinary at Bow Valley Genetics Ltd. in Bassano, Alberta. These issues, he explains, were most likely caused by the type of media used in the lab process.

Stables first became interested in IVF when it was introduced in his early days as a vet. Despite the initial issues, he saw that “it had the potential to change the industry,” he says. “The excitement of a new technique and the advancement of the science was the initial draw to it, and now that they’ve figured out a lot of it, it made it a lot more practical. That’s when we decided to get into it, and it’s becoming more user-friendly and more practical in the real world.”

Today, IVF is a more viable option for North American

beef producers, with companies specializing in dairy cattle IVF expanding their labs to bring in beef clients.

How IVF Works The major differences between IVF and conventional embryo transfer are how the eggs (oocytes) are fertilized and when they are removed from the donor cow. “We’re going in before the cow has a heat and aspirating (removing) those eggs off of the ovary before they have a chance to ovulate,” says Stables.

“Conventionally, the eggs are going to ovulate, get fertilized and be collected seven days later.”

The collected oocytes are put into a maturation media, simulating ovulation overnight. In the morning, they’re ready to be fertilized. “At the lab they’ll process the semen, mix it with the oocytes for fertilization and then the next five to six days are spent growing the embryos to the stage of embryo that we’d normally be collecting out of a conventional flush, which is a seven-day embryo,” Stables explains.

Bow Valley Genetics is a satellite collection facility for Boviteq, a bovine reproductive company with state-of-the-art labs in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, and Madison, Wisconsin, that focuses primarily on dairy cattle genetics. Central labs like Boviteq generally set the price for IVF embryo services, which will involve fixed costs for the collection, processing and lab

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fees. They’ll also coordinate the set-up of recipients with the satellite facilities. “(With) Holsteins, they’ll typically send them back fresh or implant them there,” says Stables. Beef embryos tend to be produced at the central lab, frozen and sent back to the satellite facility to be implanted. They can also be sent back fresh if recipients are available.

Transferring IVF embryos is quite similar to the process for conventional embryos.

“They’re frozen in essentially the same media,” he says. “You just have to be that much more careful with temperature, because IVF embryos and oocytes are very sensitive to temperature change, especially sudden changes.”

Like conventional flushing, the set-up of IVF requires injections of folliclestimulating hormone, but at a lower dose.

The set-up of donor and recipient cows also requires more planning and ongoing work. “It’s more intensive, procedurewise, because you’re doing something to the cows every week,” says Stables.

With conventional flushing, you collect every 30-60 days, whereas with IVF, you can aspirate the follicles every 14 days.

“Conventional flushing is much more periodic, whereas with IVF, once you start a cow, you want to keep going with it because you don’t want to start and stop.

It seems to give you better results if you continue on week to week.”

The Bow Valley Genetics Program Stables grew up on a purebred Black Angus operation in Saskatchewan, where he first became interested in beef cattle genetics and reproductive technologies.

“Once I got into university and vet school and became exposed to stuff, especially embryo transfer and advanced

Top Part of the Bow Valley Genetics Team. (Back L - R) Clint Morasch, Matt Kumlin, Taylor Isley, Laura Devlin, Rob Stables (Front L - R) Lauren Erickson, Kari Graham, Paige Swinston. Missing are Angela Morasch and Marianne Janzen. © Top Stock Bottom The facility at Bow Valley Genetics is stateof-art. © Angela Morasch 030

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$37.5 MILLION

2013 CANADA’S EMBRYO IMPORTS VS. EXPORTS TO THE USA

Exported to USA

$14.7 MILLION

Imported from USA

Image Dr. Matt Kumlin performs a conventional flush. ©Top Stock

reproductive techniques, it just tweaked my interest and I decided to follow it.”

After graduating from the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine in 1996, Stables began working at Davis-Rairdan Embryo Transplants at Crossfield, AB. “I’ve been doing embryo transfer for almost 20 years now,” he says. He worked at Davis-Rairdan for eight years, and then moved to Brooks, AB, with his wife, Candy. They purchased the Bow Valley Veterinary Clinic, a general practice, in 2004, and Stables ran his embryo transfer business on the side.

In 2010, Stables partnered with Clint and Angela Morasch of Lazy MC Angus at Bassano, AB, to form Bow Valley Genetics Ltd., building a donor facility and lab.

Stables takes care of the veterinary work, while the Morasch family provides the T o p S t o c k M a g a z i n e / Fa l l 2 0 1 5

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herdsman services. Bow Valley provides full embryo collection and transfer services, both on-farm or at their donor facility, and they are approved to produce embryos on and off-site for export.

Bow Valley also offers owners-use semen collection. “That’s just been growing every year, almost doubling every year.

This last year was our best year yet,” says Stables. In 2014, the company opened an export-qualified bull stud with a capacity for 40 bulls approved for export. With this bull stud, they are in a partnership with Semex to produce semen for many of their beef bulls.

“We wanted to start providing the IVF services to our clients, since no one else is really providing them in Alberta and Saskatchewan,” he explains. There are facilities in eastern Canada and British Columbia that specialize in dairy cattle IVF, while IVF in beef cattle is still relatively new throughout Canada. “I’ve just implanted my first embryos this year, IVF embryos that came out of the States.

It’s a much bigger market there, so it’s really taken off in the last couple of years.”

Making the Case for IVF One of the problems initially hindering IVF was the cost of setting up a lab.

“Every person who collects the oocytes had to be associated with the lab in the same facility,” Stables recalls. “For the sake of efficiency they’ve come up with this concept now where there’s a central lab, and then there’s a variety of satellite facilities that do the IVF aspirations.”

From there the oocytes are sent by courier overnight to the central lab. Bow Valley, a Canadian Embryo Transfer Associationcertified facility, is one of Boviteq’s satellites in the prairies.

“It think the biggest thing that has been a detriment in the past and probably holding it back is achieving comparable pregnancy results to conventional flushing,” he explains. “But the techniques and processes have been refined now to the point that, on average, there’s

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“We wanted to start providing the IVF services to our clients, since no one else is really providing them in Alberta and Saskatchewan.”

IN VIVO VS. IN VITRO EMBRYO COLLECTION 2014

Transferable In-Vivo Embryos Produced

Transferable In-Vitro Embryos Produced

In-Vivo Embryos Frozen

In-Vitro Embryos Frozen

*Data obtained from Canadian Embryo Transfer Association, www.ceta.ca

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Beef

TRANSFERABLE IVF EMBRYOS PRODUCED

probably a five to 10-percent difference between conventional and IVF embryos for conception. It’s becoming very competitive.”

(Article continued on page 34)

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The Semen Side of the Equation

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iven that IVF is an intriguing technology, is becoming more practical, and the advantages that this form of collection has, what innovations does this technology bring considering semen? Here are some considerations and benefits of IVF when deciding on the semen you’ll use in the process:

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Dairy

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Beef

Due to the more intensive process of IVF, it’s important to have your breeding plans ready to go a couple of collections in advance. “You want to use a different bull on each collection, likely, so you might want to plan out your next three or four collections and organize your semen all at once, because the semen has to get to the lab and be there on time,” says Stables.

IVF better facilitates the sharing of one expensive straw of semen between several cows, giving more options when breeders get together to buy a pricey straw from a coveted bull. “There was an example of an Angus bull — whose semen sells for upwards of $12,000 a straw now — and I know of situations where four people got together and shared the cost of the straw to produce the embryos,” he says.

While using sexed semen is often ineffective in conventional flushing due to the low dose, it’s much better suited to IVF. “If you’re doing your fertilization in a little petri dish that’s a couple of centimetres across, you can make that work much better,” Stables explains. The lab can also create and use what is called reversesort semen in the fertilization process. “You can take a straw of regular frozen semen that’s not sexed and they’ll thaw it, run it through the semen sexing machine, and then you can just use either the male or the female semen to fertilize your eggs, if you have a preference for one or the other.”

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“Canada and the U.S. have a strong bilateral trading relationship in bovine genetics, with the U.S. ranking as Canada’s top export destination for bovine genetics exports, and Canada being the U.S.’s most important trading partner for their products.”

While the optimum age and condition of a donor cow is similar to that required for conventional flushing, IVF can give you a jump-start in collecting embryos from your desired donor cow. A major advantage is that you can collect oocytes from heifers at 10 months of age, which Stables notes is particularly attractive for the dairy industry. Often, IVF is a good alternative for cows who haven’t successfully given good embryos through conventional flushing. As some cows don’t respond to either method, there’s no guarantee, but it is another option.

The benefits don’t stop there: if you’d like embryos from a specific cow and her own calf on the ground that same year, IVF can facilitate that. “The follicles containing the oocytes are always developing on the ovaries, and even though the cow is pregnant, we’re not interfering with the uterus. We’re only touching the ovaries, so as long as you don’t bother the corpus luteum – the structure on the ovary that maintains the pregnancy – you can aspirate follicles and get oocytes just as if she was an open cow,” Stables explains. He finds this is the main attraction from beef producers who find it hard to breed back donor cows after being open for a year. “As long as you can reach the ovaries, you can continue to do IVF, and that generally last to about 90-120 days — maybe even up to 150 days — of pregnancy, depending on the cow.”

Now that this technology is also becoming a more realistic option for Canada’s beef producers, it remains to be seen how exactly this innovation will impact the industry, and where reproductive technologies will go next.

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Photos: QC Junior Beef Show Committee

quebec junior beef ALL-BREEDS SHOW Location: Brome, QC Date: July 3 - 5, 2015 Judges: Kurtis Black, Haley Station, ON

Supreme Champion Female & Champion Angus ​Mark Sample

Reserve Supreme Female & Champion Simmental Female Dylan Mastine

Reserve Supreme Bull & Champion Simmental Bull Shelby Drew

Reserve Angus Female

Champion Commercial Female Krista Whalen

Champion Hereford Female Allison Mastine

Champion Angus Bull

Reserve Commercial Female Adrianna Whalen

Reserve Hereford Female

Mark Sample

Mark Sample 036

Supreme Champion Bull & Champion Hereford Colt Mastine

Jade Ouellet

​Memphis Mastine

Reserve Hereford Bull

Champion Shorthorn Female Samuel Dempsey

Reserve Simmental Female Shelby Drew

Reserve Shorthorn Female Olivia Dempsey

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Photos: Western Ontario Beef Invitational

western

ontario beef

invitational JUNIOR SHOW

Date: July 4 - 5, 2015 Listowel, ON

Grand Champion Breeding Female Jessica Lasby

Reserve Breeding Female Laura Scott

Reserve Market Animal, Champion Market Steer Jarrett Scott

Grand Champion Market Animal Kelly Verstrate

Champion Heifer Calf

Champion Junior Yearling

Champion Cow/Calf

Reserve Market Steer

Reserve Simmental Bull

Reserve Heifer Calf

Reserve Junior Yearling

Reserve Market Heifer

Candace Colvin

Kelsey Smith

Bailey McConnell

Flynn Reinhart

Maurice Verstrate

Lexi Colvin

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Ashely McConnell

Rodney Podolinsky

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summer synergy

Photos: Grant Rolston Photography Ltd.

Supreme Champion Purebred Female, Champion Purebred Simmental Female  Dakota Townsend

Champion Purebred Angus

Champion Purebred Red Angus, Reserve Purebred 4-H Halley Adams

Champion Purebred Charolais

Reserve Purebred Angus

Reserve Purebred Red Angus, Champion Purebred 4-H Keely Adams

Reserve Purebred Charolais

Maguire Blair

Davis Schmidt

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Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Candace Fankhanel

Megan McLeod

Scholarship Recipients JUNIOR

INTERMEDIATE

SENIOR

SENIOR

Alexis Couch

Keely Adams

Halley Adams

Luke Marshall

Tianna Frenzel

Baxter Blair

Brooke Bablitz

Ward Marshall

Elle Groeneveld

Justin Couch

Maguire Blair

Megan McLeod

Kenzie Hickman

Bronwynn Frenzel

Danae Chostner

Cassidy Matthews

Kyla Kelly

Emma Gringras

Jared Couch

Shannon Mclaughlin

Brynne Yoder

Morgan Macintyre

Bailey Dietrich

Cole McMahon

Jacey Massey

Tyler Dietrich

Jill Mclerie

Cache McLerie

Cole Dodgson

Brennan Munro

Cara McNaughton

Kyle Dodgson

Cayley Peltzer

Bryanne Peltzer

Travis Dow

Mackenzie Rowley

Jenna Schmidt

Candace Fankhanel

Davis Schmidt

Julie Sharp

Jonas Haeni

Tony Schmidt

Madison Sibbald

Aiden Jamieson

Riley Sharp

Thomas Wildman

Kayla Jones

Jaymie Thompson

Sierra Wise

Delanie Knull

Dakota Townsend

Kaylie Krys

Wacey Townsend

Jade Marshall

Bailey Wauters

SUMMER

synergy

MULTI-BREED JUNIOR SHOW Date: July 6 - 12, 2015 Location: Olds/Calgary, AB

Grand Aggregates JUNIOR

INTERMEDIATE

SENIOR

Champion

Kyla Kelly

Jacey Massey

Candace Fankhanel

Reserve

Brynne Yoder

Justin Couch

Brennan Munro

Champion Purebred Hereford Morgan McIntyre

Champion Purebred Maine

Champion Purebred Simmental

Champion Purebred AOB

Reserve Purebred Maine

Reserve Purebred Simmental

Reserve Purebred AOB

Ashlynn Duffy

Clay Duffy

Dakota Townsend

Dakota Townsend

Cole Dodgson

Riley Sharp

Reserve Purebred Hereford Prairie McNeely (no photo)

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

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summer synergy

Photos: Grant Rolston Photography Ltd.

Supreme Champion Commercial Female, Champion Commercial Simmental, Champion Commercial 4-H Cole McMahon

Champion Commercial Angus

Champion Commercial Red Angus

Champion Commercial Charolais

Champion Commercial Simmental

Reserve Commercial Red Angus

Reserve Commercial Charolais

Keely Adams

Cole McMahon

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Cache McLerie

Jed Curtis

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Luke Marshall

Aidan Jamieson

SUMMER

synergy

JUNIOR SHOW Date: July 6 - 12, 2015

Reserve Commercial Angus Cassidy Wise (no photo)

Reserve Commercial Simmental Female

Champion Jackpot Yearling Classic

Reserve Jackpot Yearling Classic

Champion Mainetainer

Champion Commercial Hereford

Champion Commercial AOB

Reserve Mainetainer

Reserve Commercial Hereford

Reserve Commercial AOB

Champion All-Breeds Bull

Champion Mainetainer Bull, Reserve All-Breeds Bull Laurie Morasch

Reserve Mainetainer Bull

Dakota Townsend

Tony Schmidt

Laurie Morasch

Cole McMahon

Wacey Townsend (no photo)

Morgan Macintyre

Brendan Fraser

Kailey Wirsta

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Jamie Thompson

Lauren Blair

Riley Pashulka

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UFA JUNIOR

steer classic

JUNIOR STEER SHOW Location: Calgary, AB Date: July 12, 2015 Judge: Justin Morrison, Radville, SK

Class Winners Class 1

Riley Chalack

Class 2

Aidan Jamieson

Class 3

Daniel Barfett

Class 4

Sydney Dalrymple

Class 5

Shilo Schaake

Class 6

Cassidy Serhienko

Class 7

Maguire Blair

Class 8

Abigail Brady

Class 9

Katie Serhienko

Class 10

Dakota Townsend

Top Six Qualifier

Top Six Qualifier

Top Six Qualifier

Top Six Qualifier

Daniel Barfett

Lee Jensen 042

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Maguire Blair

Cassidy Serhienko

Photos: ShowChampions

Grand Champion Steer Katie Serhienko

Reserve Grand Champion Steer Shilo Schaake T o p S t o c k M a g a z i n e / Fa l l 2 0 1 5

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colonial days

Photos: Grant Rolston Photography Ltd.

STEER & HEIFER SHOW Location: Lloydminster, SK Date: July 8 - 11, 2015

Reserve Champion Steer

Katie Serhienko & Brandon Hertz

Grand Champion Steer Katie Wright

Reserve Champion Heifer Elldem Cattle Investments

Grand Champion Heifer Ryley & Toby Noble

Grand Champion Female, Champion European Female (Junior Show) Quinn Hoegl

JUNIOR SHOW Reserve Champion Female, Champion British Female Jaxon Payne

Grand Champion Bull, Junior Show Quinn Hoegl 044

Reserve British Female

2015

Paige Lehmann

Reserve Champion Bull Jett Lehmann Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Reserve European Female Leah Beeching

westerner days

Photos: Grant Rolston Photography Ltd.

BEEF SHOW Location: Red Deer, AB Date: July 15 - 19, 2015

Champion Shorthorn Female

Reserve Shorthorn Female

Champion Shorthorn Bull

Reserve Shorthorn Female

Champion Maine Female

Reserve Maine Female

Champion Maine Bull

Reserve Maine Bull

Champion Mainetainer Female

Reserve Mainetainer Female

Champion Mainetainer Bull

Reserve Mainetainer Bull

Kathryn Dolliver

Kathryn Dolliver

Chase Dolliver

Kenadee Primm

Supreme Champion Female  Kathryn Dolliver

Cole Shuckburgh

Supreme Champion Bull  Jason Muhlbach

Michelle Duncan

Kelsey Zimmer

Ava Greiner

Open Show Champions Champ Maine Female

Reserve Maine Female

Champ Maine Bull

Reserve Maine Bull

Champ Mainetainer Female

Reserve Mainetainer Female

Champ Mainetainer Bull

Reserve Mainetainer Bull

Champ Shorthorn Female

Reserve Shorthorn Female

Champ Shorthorn Bull

Reserve Shorthorn Bull

AOB Champ Female

AOB Reserve Female

AOB Champ Bull

AOB Reserve Bull

Kelsey Zimmer

Michelle Duncan

Kevin Shuckburgh Kevin Shuckburgh Chase Dolliver Riley Sharp

Kathryn Dolliver Jason Muhlbach

Kevin Shuckburgh Christie Greiner Kelsey Zimmer

Faith Shuckburgh

Kathryn Dolliver

Corbyn Stoneman Whitney Boscvich Chase Dolliver

Kathryn Dolliver Kathryn Dolliver

Faith Shuckburgh

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Corybn Stoneman

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Photos: Grant Rolston Photography Ltd.

canadian junior angus showdown NATIONAL SHOW

Grand Champion Owned Female, Senior Champion Halley Adams

Reserve Champion Owned Female, Reserve Senior Champion Maguire Blair

Grand Champion Open Female, Senior Champion Garrett Liebreich

Reserve Champion Open Female, Reserve Senior Champion Nicole Booth

Reserve Champion Bred & Owned Female, Junior Champion Kodie Doetzel 046

Grand Champion Bred & Owned Female, Senior Champion Wacey Townsend

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

canadian junior angus showdown NATIONAL SHOW Date: July 16 - 18, 2015 Judge: Michael Wheeler, Saskatoon, SK Location: Olds, AB

Grand Champion Bull, Bull Calf Champion Katie Wright

Reserve Champion Bull, Junior Champion Kailey Brandl

Grand Champion Steer Katie Wright

Reserve Champion Steer

Maguire Blair

Grand Champion Commercial Female, Senior Champion Cade Rutten

Reserve Commercial Female Lilly Howell

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

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Photos: Helge By (Charolais Banner)

canadian charolais youth association NATIONAL CONFERENCE & SHOW Date: July 22 - 25, 2015 Location: Yorkton, SK Judge: Trent Leibreich

Grand Champion Female, Senior Champion Female Justin Cay

Bull Calf Champion Justin Cay

Reserve Bull Calf Champion Shae-lynn Evans

Champion Heifer Calf Calina Evans

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Reserve Champion Female, Champion Senior Yearling Shae-lynn Evans

Reserve Heifer Calf Jorja Beck

Champion Junior Yearling Wacey McCaw

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Reserve Junior Yearling Emma Sparrow

Reserve Senior Yearling Shelby Evans

Champion Mature Female Cassidi Elder

Champion Steer

Champion Commercial

Reserve Champion Steer

Reserve Commercial

Dylan Grieve

Pheonix Preston-Winder

DIVISION WINNERS 2015

Reserve Two–Year Old Female Mason Beck

Kaden Beck

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Rachael Verwey

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wild rose classic

Photos: Christine Boake Photography

ALBERTA JUNIOR SIMMENTAL SHOW Location: Lacombe, Alberta Date: July 23-26, 2015 Judge: Shannon Eaton

Grand Champion Purebred Female Sara Van Sickle

Grand Champion Purebred Bull Kyle Dodgson

Grand Champion Commercial Female Cole McMahon

Grand Champion Commercial Bull Cole McMahon

Reserve Purebred Female

Reserve Commercial Female

Cole Dodgson

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Reserve Purebred Bull Sara Van Sickle

Cathryn Thompson

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Reserve Commercial Bull Haylea Jones

mrpm countryfest

Photos: MRPM Countryfest

BELT BUCKLE BONANZA 4-H STOCK SHOW Date: July 25 - 26, 2015 Location: Maple Ridge, BC Judge: Clint Morasch, Bassano, AB

Reserve Champion Steer Paige Thompson

Grand Champion Steer Emalee Higgins

Reserve Supreme Female, Reserve Champion Heifer Heather LeBlanc

Supreme Champion Female & Champion Heifer Mackenzie Schuurman

Champion Cow/Calf Christina Jones

SKILLS WINNERS 2015

Junior Showmanship

Senior Showmanship

Res Junior Showmanship

Res Senior Showmanship

Ken Paul

Emalee Higgins

Jayme Thompson

Mackenzie Schuurman

Reserve Cow/Calf Paige Thompson

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

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prince albert

Photos: Claude & Adele Wasden

EXHIBITION SHOW Location: Prince Albert, SK Date: July 28 - Aug 1

Champion Angus Female Baxter Blair

Champion Angus Bull

Bar-H Land & Cattle Co

Supreme Champion Female Randy & Susan Cay, Cay’s Cattle Champion Simmental Female McIntosh Livestock

Champion Simmental Bull

Champion Commercial Female Arch Holdings

Champion Commercial Bull

Princess Classic Jackpot Champion Arch Holdings

Lord of the Ringst Jackpot Sunny Valley

Little Lady Jackpot Champion Toby Noble

Junior Show Futurity Champion Megan Wasden

Sunny Valley Simmentals

McCormack Family Ranch

Simmentals

Reserve Female, Blairs.Ag Jr Show Baxter Blair 052

Supreme Champion Bull Kurtis Reid, The Cliffs Farm

Grand Champion Female, Blairs.Ag Junior Show Mcquire Blair

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Farmfair International is an amazing opportunity to market your operation to thousands of potential buyers. From livestock genetics to the latest equipment, this is where the world’s agricultural community comes together to be seen and make businesses grow.

Definitely worth the trip.

ENTRIES OPEN SEPTEMBER 1 farmfairinternational.com | #FARMFAIR | Edmonton EXPO Centre

Grand Champion Market Steer Maguire Blair

Grand Champion Prospect Steer Arch’s Cattle

PRINCE ALBERT

steer show Reserve Market Steer Hall’s Cattle Co

Reserve Prospect Steer Franc Farm Show Calves Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

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Photos: Grant Rolston Photography Ltd.

junior hereford

bonanza NATIONAL JUNIOR HEREFORD SHOW Date: July 28 - Aug 1, 2015 Location: Fredricton, NB Judges: Stephen & Jennie Mutch, Kingston, PEI (Conformation); Kurt Duncan, Cornwall, PEI (Bred & Owned, Semen Donation, Commercial Classes

Grand Champion Female, Senior Champion Female Gabrielle Cheremshynski

Reserve Champion Female, Senior Yearling Champion Female Kylee Dixon

Reserve Champion Bull, Junior Champion Bull Wyatt Oulton

Champion Heifer Calf Rebecca Hess

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Grand Champion Bull, Bull Calf Champion Caitlyn Brake

Reserve Heifer Calf Will Raymond

Champion Junior Yearling Wyatt Oulton

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Reserve Junior Yearling Allison Mastine

junior hereford

bonanza

Res Bred & Owned Female Justin McLaughlin

Supreme Champion Bred & Owned, Champion Bred & Owned Female, Champion Semen Donation Wyatt Oulton

Champion Bred & Owned Bull Ethan Stone

Champion Steer Nicholas Cheremshynski

Champion Commercial Hayley Kemp

Reserve Champion Steer

Reserve Champion Commercial

Christopher Bell

Reserve Senior Yearling Ethan Stone

Dallas Hunter

Reserve Senior Champion Mitch Best

Reserve Bred & Owned Bull, Reserve Semen Donation Wyatt Oulton

Reserve Bull Calf Champion Mitch Best

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Reserve Junior Champion Bull Memphis Mastine

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manitoba youth beef round-up 8TH ANNUAL SHOW

Photos: Melissa McRae

Date: July 31 - Aug 2, 2015

Champion AOB Female (Limousin) Kaitlyn Davey

Champion Shorthorn Female

Grand Champion Steer

Wyatt Inglis

Justin Carvey

Champion Angus Female Haley Brownell

Reserve Angus Female Raina Syrnyk

Grand Agregates

Champion Commercial Female Kolton McIntosh

Reserve Commercial Female Haley Brownell

Naomi Best (Intermediate), Carson Baker (Peewee), Taylor Carlson (Junior) and Raina Syrnyk (Senior) by John Deer Enns Bros Tractor.

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Champion Simmental Female Kolton McIntosh

Reserve Simmental Female James Reid

Reserve Champion Steer Brooklyn Hedley

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Reserve AOB Female (Limousin) Kaitlyn Davey

Reserve Shorthorn Female

Justin Kristjansson

junior shorthorn

Photos: Show Champions

NATIONAL SHOW Date: July 31 - Aug 2, 2015 Judge: Callyn Hahn Location: Brome, QC

Grand Champion Bull Melanie Ross Grand Champion Female & Heifer Calf Champion Olivia Dempsey

Champion Bred & Owned Patrick Brown Andison

Reserve Champion Female & Junior Champion Samuel Dempsey

Reserve Senior Champion Female Riley Sutherland (no photo)

Reserve Heifer Calf Champion Nicholas Dempsey

Reserve Champion Bull Blair Allnut (no photo)

Reserve Junior Champion, Reserve Champion Bred & Owned Brigitte Herrema

Champion ShorthornPlus Kristen Dempsey

Senior Champion Female Rianne Dempsey

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Reserve Champion ShorthornPlus William McNiven

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limousin impact ‘15

Photos: Barn Girls Photography (Jeannine Hamilton, Mel Curtis)

DIVISION CHAMPIONS

Purebred Heifer Calf Champion Melissa MacIntyre

Purebred Reserve Heifer Calf Champion Braeden Weppler

Supreme Champion & Champion Purebred Female  Nicole Bielecki

Purebred Reserve Junior Champion Brad MacIntyre

Purebred Reserve Senior Champion Melissa MacIntyre

Reserve Champion Bull Melissa MacIntyre

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Grand Champion Bull Brad MacIntyre

Grand Champion Open Female & Heifer Calf Champion Paige Grant

Reserve Champion Open Female & Junior Champion Brittany Hirschfeld

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Reserve Champion Commercial Female & Calf Champion Haleigh Weppler

limousin impact ‘15 NATIONAL SHOW Date: Aug 6 - 8, 2015 Judge: Chester Tupling, Honeywood, ON Location: Stratford, ON

Open Reserve Heifer Calf Champion Brad MacIntyre

Reserve Supreme Champion & Champion 4-H Female Connor Wiley

Open Reserve Junior Champion Rachelle Ormiston

Grand Champion Female, Commercial Division Rachelle Ormiston

Reserve Champion Junior Steer Nolan McLarty

Commercial Reserve Junior Champion

Grand Champion Market Steer Abbey Gibson

Reserve Champion Purebred Female Melissa MacIntyre

Top Stock Magazine / Show Results

Michaela Rodger

Reserve Champion 4-H Female Colton Rodger

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VOICE EXPERIENCE The

WORDS BY PIPER WHELAN

Montana cattleman and judge Brian Barragree looks to the north this September for his first Canadian show

W

hen Brian Barragree crosses the Canada-United States border this September, he’ll be on his way to judge his first-ever Canadian cattle show. The Absarokee, Montana, cattleman is no stranger to Canadian shows, however.

“I used to come up there a lot and go to shows and work, or take cattle to the shows,” he explains. “I think it will be really interesting.”

Barragree will be judging conformation at the third-annual Young Ranchman’s Show on Sept. 25 - 27 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. This will consist of the junior female show, as well as the open Southwest Prospect Classic Steer Show.

Respected in American livestock judging circles, Barragree has years of experience in evaluating cattle, and has done so at some of the most prestigious stock shows in the United States.

Like the stockmen of old, Barragree got his education in livestock judging through practical experience. He judged his first show in the early 1990s. “I judged a show in Reno, Nevada — the Western Angus

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Futurity,” he recalls. Since that first experience, he believes his approach to judging cattle as stayed relatively similar throughout the years. “You still need cattle that are functional as far as being sound on their feet and legs, and cattle that have some ability to flesh. I don’t think it’s really changed all that much.”

Barragree has been in the cattle business for 35 years, growing up in the industry and then working for a number of operations, including the Beartooth Angus Ranch, before establishing his own ranch with his family in the picturesque Beartooth Mountain region. Barragree Cattle Company is primarily a seed stock operation. “We run about 400 head of cows, and we have an annual bull sale in March. We run pretty much all Angus cows,” he says. “Both my kids are somewhat involved. My son is there all the time and my daughter’s in college, so she’s up there in the summers. We’ve been at the present location about 10 years.”

He counts starting their own ranch as the prime achievement of his career. “Just

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An accomplished cattlemen, Barragree has judged at some of North America’s premiere events, including the National Western Stock show. ©© ShowChampions.

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“You still need cattle that are functional as far as being sound on their feet and legs, and cattle that have some ability to flesh. I don’t think it’s really changed all that much.” establishing our own operation was probably one of the bigger things, I think, we’ve ever done. I worked for several places for years, and going out on our own is probably our biggest accomplishment, I’d say.”

Another noteworthy highlight on Barragree’s list of accomplishments is definitely the biggest show he has ever judged. In 2010, he judged the Angus show at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado. “It was a good experience,” he says. “It’s the breed I’m already in, so there was probably a little more pressure than any other show

Above Zane Barragree claiming the Reserve Grand Champion Female at the 2009 National Western Stock Show. Previously named Junior Champion, H C A Estella 782 was a daughter of Plainview Lutton E102.

I’ve ever done. Then I helped judge the Herefords last year, and that was maybe a little bit more enjoyable because it wasn’t quite as stressful.”

When asked what he considers the best way to keep youth in agriculture, he brings up the importance of encouraging youth in our families and getting started at home, if you can. “It’s difficult,” he says of establishing yourself in the industry and making a living out of it. “Support from our families is certainly the number-one thing, I think. It’s an expensive project to establish an operation. The cost of just

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Right Barragree’s Supreme Bull athe 2014 NILE, Billings, MT. BCC Windy 66A was previously named the Champion Angus Bull. ©© ShowChampions

©© ShowChampions

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As the associate judge of Troy Thomas of Harold, South Dakota, Barragree sorted the Herefords at the 2015 National Western Stock show. ©© ShowChampions.

&

A

FAVORITE SHOW JUDGED

ALL TIME FAVORITE COW/BULL

To this point, probably the National Western Stock Show. Since I was a kid and first started going, it’s always been my favourite stock show, and it probably meant the most to me to judge what I consider to be my favourite stock show.

Probably my last favourite cow was a heifer that was Reserve Grand Champion in Denver three or four years ago — H C A Estella 782, a heifer that my son had while he was showing in the junior shows.

We were kind of a dark horse, and she just blossomed with a week at National Western, it seemed. As far as bulls, I’ve had several really nice ones, and probably the last one that I think about is from my last year before Beartooth Angus Ranch sold out. We had a bull called BT Crossover 758N, and he was popular with several different sides of the business. It turns out he was a carrier for one of these genetic defects, but we didn’t know that at the time.

But he was a pretty popular champion that we had in Denver in the show ring.

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doing business is high, and I do think being involved in a family operation is the best thing that can happen for them.”

Top Left Young participants enjoy arts & crafts at the 2013 Young Ranchman’s ©© Mary-Kate Robertson

Middle Left Cody Lafrentz, SK, shows the Grand Champion Steer at the 2013 event. ©© Meghan Kimmel Hoffman

Bottom Left Darby McCormick in the wash rack. The Young Ranchman’s show encourages hands-on participation and learning. ©© Sandra Kimmel

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Encouraging youth in agriculture is at the heart of the show Barragree will judge in late September. The Young Ranchman’s Show was created “to provide a competitive platform for the talented youth in this part of the province to showcase their skills, and further their development as young stockmen and women,” says Jamie-Rae Pittman, who is part of the show’s organizing committee.

“The support has been tremendous; in our first year we drew participants from Alberta and all over Saskatchewan, and the numbers have been steadily increasing.”

This three-day event includes a conformation show and a number of skills competitions, including showmanship, show team judging, team grooming, public speaking, art and photography.

This is a qualifying show for the National Young Cattleman of the Year competition T o p S t o c k M a g a z i n e / Fa l l 2 0 1 5

and the Western Canadian Show Team Judging Finals.

“Last year we also developed a workshop series, and we are thrilled to be presenting two new workshops this year: Livestock Photography, and Agvocacy and Social Media,” Pittman continues. “Also new this year, we are excited to be able to provide some scholarship opportunities to our participants.” Another facet of the show is the Little Rancher’s day, a special line-up of agriculture-related games and crafts for participants eight years old and under.

Barragree is looking forward to seeing the Canadian cattle that will be exhibited at the Young Ranchman’s Show. “I’ve seen a few of the cattle that have come down to the National Western,” he says.

“There’s some interesting cattle up there, and I think they’re a little different pedigree, and now that we’ve kind of moved past our border issues, I think they’ll be a little more trade between the two countries from a seed stock

JUDGE INTERVIEW (CONTINUED) ROLE MODELS GROWING UP & HOW THEY AFFECTED YOU Some of my role models were older people who I respected when I was a kid because they were people who were successful in the seedstock business. I guess some of them weren’t that much older than me, but they were successful. There’d be people like Eldon Krebs (of Krebs Ranch in Nebraska) and Bill Couch (of C-Bar Ranch in Indiana) — those guys who had been successful at showing cattle, which, when I first started in the business, was still a huge part of promotion. We didn’t have as nearly as many EPDs, and those guys knew how to show cattle and how to sell them to people, and those kind of people were the people I looked up to.

FAVORITE SHOW DAY TIP I would caution them all to spend a bit of time ahead of time with (their show animals) and know their animals’ strengths and weaknesses. Keep in mind the more natural you can make one look, the better they look to the judge from his viewing distance. I think if you do a little more natural job of fitting them, you can catch the judge’s eye just as well that way as you can over-fitting them. standpoint, so I’m kind of anxious to see what’s there. I think I’ll see some good ones.”

Barragree’s long-term goals for the future of his family’s cattle operation are focused on expansion and meeting the growing demand they’re facing. “We’d like to take our cow numbers up. As we’ve had this bull sale for several years, our demand has increased, and along with raising our cow numbers, we’d like to increase our land, too — our base for our operation.”

At the moment, Barragree is pleased with what he sees going on in the cattle industry, particularly dealing with demand and profit. “Right now, on both sides of the border it’s really been good; it’s been a profit margin. There’s high demand right now, and it’s made the seed stock cattle worth considerable more, too, with the market being up,” he says.

“I think we’re in an expansion mode, but I don’t think it’s going to be like any other in history. I think it’s going to be more controlled, and as we do control it we can control what we’re getting for our product to some degree, and I think it will stay in the profit margin for a few years.”

Above Center Sadie Anwender and Garrett Leibreich in Show Team judging at the Young Ranchman’s show. ©© Meghan Kimmel Hoffman

WORDS OF ADVICE FOR JUNIORS I would ask the people that are successful, whether they’re your neighbour down the road or somebody from the next province or state. Most people, if somebody has some genuine interest, will give them the time, and I think people are pretty good in agriculture about helping if somebody has some interest.

YOUNG RANCHMAN’S SHOW DAY CRITERIA I like a female that’s feminine, and yet we want her to have some width when you view her from behind. I like straight lines. I like heifers that have a feminine front end on them and look like they’re going to make good cows. I like cattle that have some spring of rib and depth of rib, and cattle that are good-footed and good-legged. That’s a big part of it — cows are harvesters of grass, so they have to walk to survive. On the steer side of things, you sure want a steer that’s adequate in terms of being sound — maybe not quite as critical on that at that point. I like cattle that have some top in them, cattle that have some rear quarter to them and are reasonably level in their underline. As we view the market, I think those steers that are finished need to be in that upper 1,200 to almost 1,400 (pound range). That’s where the buyers are giving the premiums at this point.

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5+6 SEPT

21

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26

SEPT

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26+27

Miller Show Cattle Steer & Heifer Sale Cremona, AB

Larson Club Calves Pasture-Bid-off Sale

Wessington Springs, SD

NOVEMBER NOV

14

NOV

27

“November Gold” Club Calf + Prospect Sale

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T Bar C “Champions by Design” Club Calf Genetics Sale

SEPT

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Regina, SK

Dun-rite Stock and Stables “Brothers from different mothers” Bentley, AB

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Hill Haven “Selections” Shorthorn Sale Duntroon, ON

Ockerman Prospect Calves Online Sale

DECEMBER DEC

8-9

DEC

10

Deer Ridge Ranch Maine/Mainetainer Female Sale Dewberry, AB

Blairs.Ag/Six Mile Ranch “Genetic Focus ‘15” Regina, SK

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Diamond T Cattle “Diamond Mine” Online Sale Olds, AB

Rusylvia Cattle Co Prospect Heifer & Steer Online Sale Derwent, AB

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2-6

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Olds Fall Classic Beef Cattle Shows Olds, AB

Manitoba Ag Ex

Brandon, MB

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Toronto, ON

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Junior Fitting Competition Toronto, ON

11 - 15 NOV

11

Farmfair International

Edmonton, AB

National Maine Anjou/ Mainetainer Show

Farmfair, Edmonton, AB

NOV

23 - 28

Canadian Western Agribition Regina, SK

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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Arch Holdings Club Cattle Blairs.Ag Blenview Farms Bow Valley Genetics The Cliffs Farm Diamond T Cattle

072

72 3 68 -15 4,5

Hiller Hay Farms

13

RK Animal Supplies

35

Horner Cattle Company

24

Royal Winter Fair Fitting Competition

15

JT Livestock Ltd.

73

Rusylvia Cattle Co

27

Larson Club Calves

9

Six Mile Ranch

Lazy MC Angus

11

Spady Farms

10 60

Lucky Springs Farms

69

South East Show Calf Pursuit

3

Dun-Rite Stock & Stables

61

Ockerman Prospect Calves

26

SSS Red Angus

11

E5 Livestock

27

Rasmuson Cattle

74

Tessa Nybo Cattle & Clinics

27

Farmfair International

53

Rawluk Livestock

24

Townsend Show Cattle

Golden Thread Livestock Images

34

River Point Cattle Co

25

UFA Junior Steer Classic

Hill Haven Shorthorns

68

RK Cattle Co

49

Vandy Cattle

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•

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october

10

open house Bidding closes

OCTOBER 12