Hereford cattle were first selectively bred in the mid-1700s by Benjamin Tompkins in Herefordshire, England, for beef-specific characteristics. The highest quality cattle were then brought to Canada in the 1860s and by 1903, Polled Herefords (hornless) were established.
This means the beef cattle industry in Canada has been celebrated for over 100 years. Locally a group of dedicated ranchers gathered together at Blair Athol Farms for a field day.
Through the Canadian Hereford Association, the Saskatchewan Hereford Association is very active. Broken down into regions, the Â鶹ÊÓƵeast Saskatchewan Hereford Association pulls members from Weyburn to the Manitoba border to the border of the United States and north to Vibank.
The show held at Blair Athol Farms was a Mark of Excellence Program. Here, Jeff Lees explained the show is organized with various participating ranchers bringing cattle to show. Three judges: Ian Glas, Allen DeCorby, and Beth Trueman, were invited. The remaining families were then able to take part in a jackpot competition where those in the audience participated, hoping to place the herefords into the same order.
The entire idea is to better acquaint oneself with the breed and to strive to make ones herd the best genetic beef cattle possible.
"It's a good measuring stick to see where you're at," Lees stated. "You want the best cattle, the best genetics, and being able to see the cattle everyone is producing lets you see if you need to introduce different genetics into your herd or if you're on the right track."
In total, 104 head of cattle were shown at the ranch with approximately a dozen different breeders attending from Â鶹ÊÓƵeast Saskatchewan and a few travelling from Manitoba. Total in attendance included approximately 80 people of varying ages who participated in the day.
Essentially the day provides an opportunity to not only compare herds and strive for excellence, but it also allows breeders to create networking opportunities in order to ensure a strong beef cattle industry in the province and ultimately, the country.
Lees went on to explain that although it was an important day for Hereford producers, it was also an important day for Junior Hereford members.
"The lunch today, all proceeds will go to local youth to go to a show in New Brunswick next year."
Though Lees doesn't expect a lot of kids from the immediate area to attend the Canadian National Junior Hereford Show in New Brunswick, as it is quite costly to travel for families even with fundraising help. He explained that the year after, the show travels west again to be held in Alberta (2016) and B.C. (2017), before returning to either Manitoba or Saskatchewan.
"When it's held in Saskatchewan there are about 150 kids who participate from across the province, but when it's further away there are fewer that are able to attend."
These Junior Hereford shows provide youth with experience in judging cattle, which provides them a solid base in understanding genetics for the day they may one day take over the ranch. It also allows them the opportunity to interact and create friendships with other youth across the country.
The next stop for cattle breeders in comparing herds for those in southeast Saskatchewan will be Agribition this fall, although a few Saskatchewan breeders will attend a similar show to the one held at Blair Athol Farms only held in Manitoba this weekend.
