At the National Western Stock Show in Denver

The 2012 Red Angus Show at the National Western Stock Show in Denver must be one of the largestwith just a few shy of 300 head. The quality and presentation is tremendous! It is very exciting to watch our Canadians be so competitive and to see how profoundly our genetics are impacting our American friends.

It has been an amazing day for Canadian Red Angus breeders. Here's how it broke down, from start to incredible finish:

The Spring Heifer Calf Champion is Red Six Mile Marta 300Y and Reserve Champion is Red Wildman Chieftess 115Y. Congratulations to the Gibson family from Fir Mountain in their champion and Brett, Tracy and Paige on breeding the Reserve for Wildcat Creek.

Red Six Mile Countess 105Y is the Junior Calf Champion--way to go Gibson family.

Northline Angus has the Reserve Intermediate Champion Female with Red Northline Cream Soda. Congratulations to the Schneider family of Ardrossen, AB.

Six Mile Red Angus has the American National Red Angus Champion Female--Red Six Mile Countess 105Y is the Denver NWSS Grand Champion! Congratulations to the Gibson family from Fir Mountain, SK.

Also, the Reserve National Champion Red Angus Female was sired by Red Lazy MC Cowboy Cut 26U, a bull born to the Morasch family of Bassano who was co-owned by the Longshores of Bar-E-L at Stettler, AB. The runner-up in that division is sired by Red Ter-Ron RealDeal 01W, the 2011 Canadian Angus Association Show Bull of the Year.

In the Junior Bull Calf Division, the Champion is Red Six Mile Smokin Gun 133Y and the Reserve is Red Lazy MC Trooper 21Y. Both of these bulls factored into the CAA Gold Show champions as, respectively, the calf on the Gold Show Champion Female of the Year for Six Mile and a Top Five finish for Lazy MC.

Red Northline Chuck Norris is the Champion Intermediate Bull for the Schneiders and Doug and Cheryl Domolewski and girls from Taber, AB, and Red Northline Jesse James is the Reserve Senior Bull for Howard and Wendy Schneider and family.

Congratulations to Brylor Ranch and Wraz Red Angus on Red Brylor Makn Waves 39X being named the Reserve Junior Champion Bull along with their American partners.

For the first time in their history, Six Mile Red Angus from Fir Mountain, SK is the Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor of the American National Red Angus Show! What an amazing... and deserved... accomplishment for Clayton, Corinne, Callie, Cade and Coy Gibson.

The first bull division champion is Red Lazy MC Eye Spy 64Y. Way to go, Clint, Angela, Laurie and Layne of Lazy MC Red Angus at Bassano, AB.

Holy Smokes! Both Grand and Reserve Champion Bulls are Canadian! Red Lazy MC Eye Spy 64Y from Clint, Angela, Laurie and Layne Morasch of Bassano, AB is the American National Champion Red Angus Bull and the calf on our Gold and National Champion Red Angus Female, Red Six Mile Smokin Gun 133Y, is the Reserve! Congratulations to the Gibson family, especially Coy who claims Smokin Gun as his own.

Additionally, Laurie Del Morasch was named the Champion Junior Herdsman earlier today. Way to be Laurie!

Our Canadian Red Angus breeders have done us so very proud! What an amazing day in Denver!


Posted by Rob Smith
Feedback: cdnangus@cdnangus.ca

Farmfair 2011

This year's edition of Farmfair International was quite an event. Along with CEO Rob Smith and President David Bolduc, I attended the reception for Alberta's new Agriculture Minister, Evan Berger. This was one of the first public appearances by Minister Berger since his appointment. The event also featured a number of representatives from agricultural organizations and government officials.

The Angus show featured one of the largest crowds in recent Farmfair history. The Angus breeders exhibited a high quality group of cattle from top to bottom. It was mentioned by more than one bystander that although the number of entries was lower than in the "old days of the Winter Classic", the quality of cattle was better. The Red Angus section was judged by Riley and Jill Mader while the Black section was judged by Jim Henderson.

There was a somewhat unprecedented but will deserved result in the Alberta Supreme Show. Both supreme Champions were exhibited by Miller Wilson Angus of Bashaw. The winning bull was DMM Creed 75W, co-owned by Miller Wilson Angus and Harold Reich. The winning female was DMM Miss Essence 37T, owned by Jaelayne Wilson. This is quite an accomplishment given the fact that this was the first Supreme show featuring winners from other major shows across Alberta. I will be interested to see which one(s) of the Miller Wilson clan will be driving the two new Dodge trucks!


Posted by Michael Latimer
Feedback: cdnangus@cdnangus.ca

Alberta Age Verification Incentive Program Milestone

This morning we hit a milestone. The Angus Association has given away over $300,000 worth of free tags under the Government of Alberta’s Age Verification Incentive Program. That equates to producers receiving 102,908 free Angus tags. This phase of the program began in July 2010 and will continue until December 31, 2012.

Any Alberta producers who paid full price for their tags or who have not yet returned their signed 2011 AVIP application form to the office, need to do so as soon as possible. Those forms must be processed by us before the end of the year to qualify for this year’s incentive. Please fax them to (403) 571-3599 or email them to chazenberg@cdnangus.ca if you have any questions about this program please feel free to contact me anytime.

We offer free third-party age verification services to Angus tag customers. We can only accept information that is sent by fax, mail or e-mail. Be sure to include the tags used and first day of calving season or individual birthdates (including year) cross referenced to tag numbers. We require a few days to complete the work before your calves are sold. Please forward the information as early as possible. Birth certificates will be returned by mail unless otherwise instructed.

Posted by Cheryl Hazenberger
Feedback: chazenberg@cdnangus.ca

Canadian Angus at the Glenbow!

Six months after having emerged from the basement archives, I can now proudly announce that the Canadian Angus Association archival records have been catalogued and safely stored at the Glenbow Museum & Archives in Calgary, Alberta. The records are open to the public for viewing and our members are encouraged to stop by the Glenbow whenever they’re in town to check out the Association’s bylaw amendments, official correspondence, publications, and other fascinating historical documents.

The Glenbow Museum and Archives have posted an online Finding Aid to assist anyone interested in our history in identifying and locating individual items.

If you go to the Photographs section of the finding aid you can see some of the photos scanned by the Glenbow. This collection includes pictures of important figures in the history of the breed including early proponents of the breed, past board members, and the iconic image of Old Grannie, the first recorded Aberdeen-Angus cow.

This project has been a success so far, but it is by no means complete. As we continue to move forward as a superior beef breed in Canada, we need to continue accumulating and preserving mementos of our progress and growth. It is important to remember that the work we do today in improving and expanding the Angus breed is history in the making.

Posted by Amanda Suhan
Feedback: amanda1@cdnangus.ca

Report on January Industry Events

Thank you to everyone who has come out and visited with Julia or myself at recent industry events across the county. Tag sales have been fantastic these last few weeks, and we have received a great response at all the events we have been to. New dates are still being added for March and will be posted very soon, but the Calgary Bull Sale, March 2 and 3, 2011, is confirmed.

In addition to attending Ag Days in Brandon and the Feeder Association of Alberta’s annual Convention in Red Deer, I had the privilege to speak at this year’s Ottawa Valley Annual General Meeting. I was delighted to see the turn out and to hear the positive comments not only about the industry but what the Association is doing. I am very grateful for the opportunity and the invitation to attend.

Ag Days in Brandon is a wonderful event and I am sorry that I have never had the chance to attend until this year. With a huge showcase of everything agricultural related, I was pleased to be able to add Canadian Angus Rancher Endorsed Tags to that list. The people that I spoke with over those two days were from diverse backgrounds and very interesting; from producers to consumers every step along the way was represented. Thanks to the Manitoba Angus Association for working with me and helping make that event a success.

Julia made the trip to Camrose, Alberta this year for the Bull Congress and we had fantastic tag sales there. Alberta producers have embraced the Angus Tag Program and are taking full advantage of the Alberta Government’s Age Verification Incentive Program. AVIP is in year two now and producers who applied last year are eligible to apply again. Anyone who didn’t apply last year can still maximize their returns on a 2011 tag purchase.

Expect to see us out and about in March and again this fall. And as always you can mail or fax in your tag order, complete it online or call us at the office. Remember it takes a couple of days to ship tags, so order early.

Posted by Cheryl Hazenberg
Feedback: cheryl1@cdnangus.ca

Canadian Angus Staff on the Road

Canadian Angus Association staff will be out and about at upcoming industry events. Cheryl or Julia will be at the Angus booth taking tag orders and answering your questions. They will have limited quantities of tags available for pick up at each location. They will be at the following locations:

January 18 & 19

Ag Days

Brandon, MB

January 21 & 22

Camrose Bull Congress

Camrose, AB

January 28

Feeder’s Association of Alberta Conference

Red Deer, AB

March 2 & 3

Calgary Bull Sale

Calgary, AB

If you can't make it to one of these events, you can order tags online, fax your order form to (403) 571-3580, call the office at 1-888-571-3580 or call the automated tag order line at 1-866-571-8093. We are experiencing a very high volume of phone orders and appreciate your patience.

Posted by Tina Zakowsky
Feedback: cdnangus@cdnangus.ca

Alberta Angus Association Awards Banquet

Sunday evening, Doug and I had the privilege of attending the Alberta Angus Association Hall of Fame Gala. This event was scheduled after the annual meeting in December was cancelled because of inclement weather. The following breeders were entered into the Alberta Angus Hall of Fame:

Mike & Ella May Rodgers (Breed Builder category)
Cudlobe Farms (Contemporary Breeder category)
Triple S Red Angus (Contemporary Breeder category)

Alberta Angus' 2010 Honorary President, Dr. Ben MacLeod, was also recognized although he will not officially receive his award until Saturday at the Canadian Angus Association's annual meeting. Dr. MacLeod shared with the crowd some very valuable life lessons.

Doug Fee also presented the plaque for the 2009 Red Show Bull of the Year. Red Ter-Ron Realdeal HFX 01W, owned by Terry Adams and Rob Adams of Forestburg and Keith Adams of Calgary, won the award but are unable to attend the annual meeting and accept it there.

Congratulations to the award winners and the hall of fame inductees. Without the support and vision of these dedicated breeders, the Angus breed would not be in the leading position it is today.

Posted by Michael Latimer
Feedback: michael1@cdnangus.ca

Government of Alberta develops plan to help cow-calf producers cover cost of RFID tags

Starting July 1, eligible Alberta cattle producers will be able to take advantage of the province's 3 year, $15 million program when they purchase Angus tags. The Age Verification Incentive Program will provide a discount of up to $3 per age-verified animal, based on the number of animals a beef producer has, or plans to have, age verified from the previous year's calf crop. For anyone who has already purchased their tags this year, the government will reimburse them directly; a separate Producer Application form is required.

Alberta producers will be required to fill out and sign a program form and mail or fax it along with an Angus tag order form to the Association office. Forms will be available on our website starting June 30.

For further information, contact Cheryl or Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development online or by phoning 310-FARM (3276).

Posted by Cheryl Hazenberg
Feedback: cheryl1@cdnangus.ca

Provincial Annual Meetings

We have a few notes to share about the recent annual meetings in Manitoba and Alberta. CEO Doug Fee attended both and reports on positive meetings and two gung-ho groups of people.

The Manitoba meeting was well attended. "Hats off to the Manitoba Angus Association for running a meeting with four other breed associations. It's great for everyone to meet in one place like this," Doug said upon his return. He also reports that the roundtable discussions were excellent and provided some great ideas.

Doug, Assistant General Manager Michael Latimer, and four of the five Alberta directors attended Sunday's Alberta Angus annual meeting. Gary Latimer and Cecilie Fleming, the Canadian Angus Association directors for Alberta were re-elected by acclamation. Congratulations to Doug Reid, recipient of the Cecilie Fleming Spirit of Angus Award and Emily Pugh, recipient of the Dorothy Banks scholarship. The new directors of the Alberta board are Richard Latimer, Ricki Fleming, Carolyn Congdon, Laurie Hunter and Blake MacMillan.

Doug reports that the big challenge for Angus producers in 2010 is to get Angus tags into qualified commercial animals. Visit our website for information on the Angus tag program.

The next meeting is the Saskatchewan annual meeting on Saturday. Michael will attend on behalf of the Canadian Angus Association.

Posted by Tina Zakowsky
Feedback: cdnangus@cdnangus.ca