The Power of a “band -aid” Against a Virus

WORDS BY BRUCE DERKSEN

Pete Frijters of Milverton, Ontario grew up with 4-H playing a meaningful and profound role in his childhood. The passion for remarkable cattle that blossomed from their relationship doggedly followed him into his adult life. So, when the Toronto Royal Fair was cancelled in late June due to the Covid-19 virus, it focused his attention on the hole this absence would create in the hearts and minds of kids counting on showing their cattle.

Putting the Wheels in Motion On the day of the cancellation announcement, Pete was at his local abattoir picking up a side of beef. A few local 4-H kids were there, and their disappointment and discouragement were obvious. He knew something needed to be done.

“They all had their calves and had spent a lot of time and effort working with them. When I got home, I said to my wife, ‘we've got to try to do something for these kids at the farm.’

From there, the wheels were put in motion and the Premier/Fallsview Jackpot Show began to take shape.

Pete and his wife Karen of Milverton, Ontario, own and operate Premier Livestock, home to primarily Angus cows, plus a handful of Herefords and Charolais. When the couple’s plans for the event were being developed, they expected about 30 or 40 kids to show interest, but by show day, 74 exhibitors with 134 head of cattle were travelling to their farm.

Making the Changes Pete used the ‘better to ask for forgiveness than permission’ philosophy in early planning, but when word of the event got out, the local Health Board came calling to see what he was up to. When he explained the situation of the Royal Fair being cancelled, and the junior 4-H members without a place to display their hard work, the Board supported the idea if some protocols were implemented.

Photo by Juanita Elmhirst

First, they needed to move the show from inside the barn to outdoors and install plenty of Covid signage. They removed the bleachers and self-serve food and painted arrows on the driveways to distribute the walking traffic. An acceptable number of attendees was agreed upon including the exhibitors, parents, ring stewards, judges and volunteers, plus hard copy documents were kept on hand in case of questions.

Photo by Juanita Elmhirst

Pete said they initially found it tough to secure corporate sponsorship as the businesses who normally supported similar events weren’t sure if they should get involved. But after the finances were calculated, between the sponsorship they did arrange and support from the breeders, they raised approximately $8,000 in prize money along with ‘clipping’ jackets and bronzes for the Champion Steer and Female.

An area at the farm was set aside for approximately 30 RVs as families came from up to 8 hours away. Many others stayed in local hotels. A livestock equipment dealer from Saskatchewan supplied 30 portable panels for the ring and stall areas. “I put bark down for all the packs and it was really pretty much like a regular show,” said Pete. Finalizing the Details Heather LeBlanc of Ogema and Riley Lafrentz of Bienfait, Saskatchewan judged the Showmanship and Conformation classes respectively and the farm even hosted a market steer sale Sunday night with the assistance of T Bar C Cattle Company. “The steer sale was really popular and supported extremely well especially by several abattoirs,” said Pete. Monty Belsham of Poplar Meadows Angus, Houston, British Columbia was there, bought one of the animals and promptly donated it back to be re-sold. The additional money raised went into the jackpot for the kids.

The shows saw plenty of prizes handed out to exhibitors of multiple breeds including Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn, Simmental, Charolais and Speckle Park along with some crossbreds. Ages of 8- 21 represented the categories from Pee Wee to Senior. A drone combined with a professional photographer captured pictures of the spectacle from the air and the ground. Direct Livestock Marketing Services (DLMS) also broadcasted the event live.

Pete says he would consider doing it all again if needed. “A lot of kids have asked us that, and it will depend on whether things are straightened out by next year” he said. “It was really designed as a Band-Aid due to the fact everything was getting shut down. But it was special to see everybody getting together and having a good time, forgetting about the chaos of what's going on in the world, at least for two days.”

Photo by Juanita Elmhirst

Photo by Juanita Elmhirst