Agribition 2010- Part 2

So the whole point of us going to Agribition each year is to promote our cattle. We do this through talking to interested cattlemen that come by the stall, connecting with fellow breeders, and also by putting them in the show, as this gives that cattlemen the best opportunity to look at the cattle and evaluate them for themselves

As kids, and it still holds true today, we were told that the show was a show. It was one person's opinion on the day. Sometimes you agree, and other times not to much, but you take it all in stride.

This year we had a fairly good show. The quality of cattle was the strongest we had even seen in the Simmental barn. It was great to see the largest show in a few years, yet top to bottom a really great group of cattle.

Last week I featured our string of cattle that we would have at the show. We then got pictures of all of them after they had completed showing. Not all of the pictures are the greatest, but it will give you an idea of how they looked there!

RJY First Date 1W- Class Winner

IPU Revolution 172U- 2nd in class and Res. Sr. Bull

CDY Front Runner- Sold out of the stall for $5000.00

Lil Bit of Paradise- 2nd in class

RJY Signature Move 4X- Sold for $6250 to Nova Scotia

SLY Sweet Thing 12X

Anchor D Viper- 3rd in Class

Agribition 2010- Part 1

We got back from Agribition last night after being out there for over a week. As usual the show never disappointed and our crew at High Country had a great time.

Because there was so much that happened, and there is a lot to catch up on, I have broke it down into a few different parts to keep you all informed.

The first part that I am going to talk about is probably the one that most of you are the most interested in... Jon. Crystal's boyfriend came up with her this year to help us out. None of the family had ever met him before, so it was a great opportunity to spend some time with him and get to know him.

I had a few people ask me what I thought of Jon throughout the week. My answer usually consisted of that he is a great guy, really funny, and they seem to really be in love. As long as she is happy and we don't hate the guy, i'm happy!

Jon comes from a Hereford background so we were not to worried about him helping out in the morning if needed. Most mornings this was how he contributed to morning chores.

And mornings that we was not doing that, he would do this in the afternoon....

He even missed out on shaving some ear's out because of all his afternoon napping... Oh well guess that will have to wait until next time!

Revolution

Well we saved the best for last!

Revolution has been a popular topic on my blog the last month, and for good reason. He is the 2010 National Champion Simmental Bull, the 2010 Grand Champion Bull at Farmfair International, was 2nd in the Farmfair Supreme Show, and is now a double qualifier to the RBC Supreme Show at Agribition.

IPU Revolution 172U

 This is a bull that we are really proud to own. He will have some tough competition at Agribition, but it will be great to see him standing there with 2 of his heifer calves in the stall/

Revolution is out of the AI Sire Crockett. This bull was not overly used, but the progeny are really picking up steam fast!

Crockett

Viper

This year we have a bull in our string that really sticks out. Its not because he is a bad animal, but rather that he is red and white and a Fleckvieh!

Our family does not have Flechvieh cattle, however, the people that we own our herd bulls with not only have red and black cattle, but a large herd of Fleckvieh's as well.

The bull that we are showing is Anchor D Viper. He was bought as the high selling bull as the 2010 Anchor D Bull Sale.

Anchor D Viper

 We have already taken Viper to one show this year. He was Res. Jr. Champion bull out in Brandon at our National Simmental Show. We will see how he makes out at Agribition. One thing is for sure, we will have lots of visitors to the stall as there are not many Fleckvieh cattle shown in Canada anymore!

First Date

First Date is a true favorite around our place! Just like Front Runner, she is out of the proven AI sire Black Joker.

Black Joker

Her mother, Dream Date, is our top black donor. Dream Date is out of the million dollar producing cow Ebony's Joy. She truly is the best black Simmental cow in the states. We were luck enough to buy this daughter a few years ago and have had nothing but great results so far.

Dream Date

First Date is just like her mother if not better! We have been asked many times why we have not shown this female heavily before now. To us we wanted to save her until she was a bred heifer and give her the shining moment that she deserved. Earlier this year she was named Res. Jr. Champion at the Drayton Valley Show, and Champion Female at the Mayerthorp Fair. This is defiantly the best female that we have ever raised. She is bred to In Dew Time to have a heifer calf in 2011.

RJY First Date 1W

Front Runner

Front Runner is a black bull calf of Crystal's. Each year it seems like this cow family never misses. Just like Signature Move, Front Runner is out of the CDY Signature Black 2N cow. 

CDY Signature Black 2N

Front Runner is her natural calf this year. He is a mid January calf, out of the proven AI Sire Joker. This is a calf that we are pretty excited about. He brings some really great things to the table.

Black Joker

Front Runner was also named Bull Calf Champion at the Drayton Valley Show this summer.

Signature Move

 The 3rd heifer calf that we have in our string is RJY Signature Move 4X. She will be selling at the Simmental Sale at Agribition on Thursday. The catalog can be found here.

RJY Signature Move 4X

This female is out of the powerhouse AI sire Wheatland 680S. This bull has really shown his mark on the breed in the last couple of years.

Wheatland 680S

 Her mother is one of our top donor cows CDY Signature 2N. This is a cow of Crystal's that has been used heavily as a donor at our place. We have a really strong set of young females coming out of this cow, and Signature Move is no exception

CDY Signature 2N

Sweet Thing

While we are on the roll of Revolution heifer calves, I mine as well feature the other one that we are showing.

SLY Sweet Thing is a heifer of my own. As I mentioned she is also out of our herdsire IPU Revolution 172U

IPU Revolution 172U

 Her dam is my baby, and the oldest cow on our farm WFL Miss Westway 669K, or Ruffles. Ruffles is one of our top producing cows. She now has 4 daughters in the herd, and has added #5 with Sweet Thing. Ruffles was purchased out of the Checkers sale as a heifer calf. She went on to be my 4-H heifer winning multiple titles all the way up to the Provincial level.

WFL Miss Westway 669K "Ruffles"

Sweet Thing has been to a few shows already this year. She was 3rd in her class at Drayton Valley in June, and recently was 4th in Class at the Simmental National in Brandon.

Item of the Week #12

 

I seen this picture on BCBG Max Azria webpage today. I absolutely love these three outfits. They are fun, classic and just really beautiful.

Lil Bit of Paradise

Because I will be gone at Agribition all this week, I figured I would do something different to keep you up to date. We are taking 7 head to the show, so each of the 7 days that I am gone I am going to feature a new animal that we have at the show with us.

Today I am going to feature one of the new additions to the show string, RJY Lil Bit of Paradise 21X.

This is one of my favorite heifer calves of the year.  is a daughter of our herdsire IPU Revolution.

IPU Revolution 172U

 Her grandmother was a heifer that I had bought from Czechmate Livestock as a heifer calf. I showed CMS Paradise 05P as a yearling and then again as a 2yr old pair. She was a Heifer Calf Champion, and won her class as a 2yr old at the World Simmental Show in Calgary. That year we offered pick of our herd in the World sale, and the original Paradise was picked by Beechinor Bros Simmentals.

CMS Paradise 05P

We were lucky enough to get one flush out of her before she left. As a result we have 1 daughter out of 05P and Red Label. She has to be one of our top producing cows and definitely a favorite of mine on the farm. This is her second heifer that will be in the herd. The Paradise cow family really is a rising star in our herd.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of The Year...

and No! It's not Christmas...

It's the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show!! This show gets filmed every November, and then airs each December. I love fashion, and this show is the best of the best.

Each year they come up with so many new and creative ideas! I can't wait to watch it on TV this winter.

Here are some of my favorite outfits that are going to be making their way down the runway

Elegant Force

On Monday I got a call from my dad in the morning. He wanted to know if I wanted to buy a heifer with him. He knew that I had been wanting to buy something, but anything that I was looking at was way out of my budget!

Dad and I had been looking at a heifer in the NAILE sale for a few weeks. We both had really been wanting a black baldy heifer, and something that was a little different pedigreed. We found this heifer, and I did a little bit of digging on her.

She is out of a really strong cow family, and had done pretty well in her show career to date. The only problem was if we could afford her or not... That's where dad's phone call came in. He thought that if we partnered up we could maybe afford her then!

Long story short about 4 hours after the original phone call we had bought the heifer! She comes from a small farm in Kentucky, called Happy 6  Simmentals. They have a really cool story about how they got into cattle, and about their son Cramer if you are looking for a good read!

The heifer is now headed to get her tests done in Iowa and will cross the border in about 2 or 3 weeks. I am super excited to see her, and can't wait for her to get here!

Highlight of the Week

Last week was pretty awesome. Our bull did great in the show, we won a new stock trailer, I got to catch up with lots of great friends that I hadn't seen for a while, and I only had to work 3 days! Really it can't get much better right?

Well those are all really great things, but there is one standout moment from last week. A friend of our families, and a really respected cattlemen gave me one of the most meaningful compliments that I had ever received.

This person has known me since I was just a little girl, and through the junior shows, cattle shows, and being a family friend has been able to watch me grow up. I have become friends with their children, and really admire their family for their hard work and dedication to the cattle industry, and especially the youth aspect of things of our industry.

The night after the show, we got talking to my mom and I, and said congratulations. Thinking that they were talking about us winning the show, we said thank-you, said it was really exciting, offered them a beer, and was just going to go on with the conversation. Instead they turned to be and said, "No, congratulations on being so great!"

For a minute I didn't know what they were talking about, and maybe it was the puzzled look on my face, but they went on to explain. They mentioned how they have watched me grow up, become a huge part of our families farm, and become a really great young woman.

Now I'm sure that we have all been told something like this before. But I think it really has more meaning when it comes from someone you really respect. Definitely the highlight in my week anyways!

Item of the Week #11

Things have been crazy busy around here.

Thought I would share this really cute dress with you.

French Connection

2010 Farmfair Supreme Show

This past Saturday was the Supreme Show at Farmfair International. This show is for all of the breed champions to take part in and compete against one another. The Supreme Champion Bull and Supreme Champion Female each drive away with one of these new 2010 Dodge Trucks! A pretty amazing prize.

There is a panel of 6 judges that are selected to judge the show. They each place the place from top to bottom. The animal who then has the lowest score wins. Sounds easy, but remember these are the best animals from the show so they have their work cut out for them.

This year the Supreme Champion Female went to Rancier Farms with their Simmental Female. They won this honor just 2 years ago, and now have won a total of 3 trucks from the Supreme Show!

The Champion Bull went to Prairie Cove Charolais with their Champion Charolais Bull.

Because our bull won the Simmental show we also go to compete in this. We came close to winning and ended up in 2nd place. I great accomplishment for sure! Another added bonus to the show was a trailer donated by Alan Dale Trailers. This prize went to one of the exhibitors that was competing in the Supreme Show. In the end we ended up winning this new stock trailer! A pretty great prize to win!

2010 Farmfair Simmental Show

The Simmental Show at Farmfair was yesterday. Farmfair is the largest cattle show in Alberta. Although the Simmental numbers were down a little bit this year, the quality was really strong.

Here are some of the champions from the day

 Champion Female- Racier Farms

 Res. Champion Female- Lewis Farms

 Champion Bull- High Country Cattle Services & Beechinor Bros Simmentals

 Res. Champion Bull- Lewis Farms

We had another great show going 2/2 this fall with our bull. This Saturday we will get to compete in the Supreme Show for a chance to win a brand new Dodge Truck!

Catch Up Time

So I have been a little absent with my blogging lately. This week we have been showing at Alberta's largest cattle show, Farmfair International.

I have lots of stories and blogs in my head, just need to find the time to get them out to all of you! Stay tuned in the next few weeks as there will be lots coming your way!

A Champion of a Weekend

This past weekend dad and one of our bull partners were out at the National Simmental Show in Brandon, Manitobia. The Simmental National takes turns rotating through the 4 larger shows throughout Canada.

We had never shown our cattle at Brandon before, so it was great to get back out and do some promoting in that part of the country.

We took a heifer calf, a sale bred heifer, our 2 yr old Bull and our bull partners also took one of their yearling bulls.

The show was excellent for us. The heifer calf was 4th in class, the bred was 2nd, the yearling bull was Res. Jr. Champion Bull, and our 2yr old Bull was Champion Sr. Bull and National Champion Simmental Bull!!

We had lots of really good comments about the cattle when we were there, and I was itching to be there all weekend. Thankfully we got dad trained on how to text message so he could keep us up to date on what was happening at the show.

 RJY Lady May 16W

2nd in class

Sold to Conray Cattle, MB

 Anchor D Viper

Owned by Beechinor Bros Simmentals

Res. Jr. Champion Bull

 IPU Revolution 172U

Sr. Champion Bull

2010 National Champion Bull

Go Away!!

Sorry for my lack of posts lately. Things have been really busy, and my sister still has my camera, so the lack of pictures is a result of that.

Thank goodness for my blackberry. Without it I could not bring you this!

People it is not Christmas yet!! Put away your silly decorations and just enjoy the fall. The winter and Christmas will come soon enough.