Back to the show | The Western Producer

The 50th anniversary of Canadian Western Agribition came a year late but the smiling eyes over pandemic masks told organizers that the celebration was better late than never.

A positive mood permeated the show from Day One and exhibitors said they were happy to be back and doing what they love after the live 2020 show was cancelled due to COVID-19.

“It’s been absolutely unreal,” said president Chris Lees of the show, its volunteers and staff.

“Definitely the exhibitors here today, they couldn’t be happier. I have never walked through those barns, through the trade show, where people just stop and talk and say hey, we’re glad we’re here.”

He said in past, exhibitors had trivial concerns that they didn’t even think about this year. Instead, they were talking about returning next year.

The show kicked off with the traditional burning of the brand. Members of founder Chris Sutter’s family had the honours.

As the show concluded, three people were inducted into the Agribition hall of fame: Doug Sauter from Express Ranches of Oklahoma and Ted and Mina Serhienko from Saskatoon.

Attendance for 2021 will be down. Organizers said about 70 percent of exhibitors came and attendance will likely mirror that.

International guests numbered 1,000 in 2019 but this year about 100 people from 20 countries made the trip.

Travel restrictions in their home countries kept many at home, but Lees noted they were watching shows and sales online.

Agribition chief executive officer Chris Lane said attendees were engaged and came to do business.

“I think top quality genetics, top quality cattle that come to Agribition, people are seeing the value in that, and Agribition remains the place to do the business of the highest quality cattle anywhere in the world,” he said.

The high seller of the week was an $82,000 Charolais yearling bull consigned by Serhienko Cattle Co. of Maymont, Sask. SVY Profound 145J sold for $82,000 to Nextgen Cattle Co. from Paxico, Kansas, and Alton Century Farms of Lucknow, Ont.

Dennis Serhienko said he was “thrilled, ecstatic” with the price. He had been judging the Angus show and hurried to the Charolais sale to see the action.

He said the bull is out of the Starstruck cow family that has been sending bull calves around the world.

“His great-grandmother won the Supreme here and his grandmother also won the Supreme, technically twice. His grandmother was at side when she was a calf and won the Agribition Supreme,” he said.

Profound will be going to Kansas, where Nextgen has large ties to the commercial industry, he said.

“This bull’s genetics for marbling and ribeye, combined with that Starstruck cow family, is what intrigued them,” he said.

The bull’s dam is a first-calf heifer who produced a performance bull, which isn’t easy.

“He was born really low birthweight and then for the show here he’s got a 4.55 WPDA, weight per day of age, which is just incredible for a two-year-old’s first calf to be born light and then to just really grow,” he explained.

Prices overall were strong, with several breeds offering donation animals to raise money for certain causes. Genetics sold to Australia, Scotland and Mexico.

Lane said Agribition worked for months with the province to make sure the show complied with the most current public health orders around COVID-19.

To attend, people had to be double vaccinated or have a current negative test. Lane said one check found that of 5,000 through a gate only about 100 had opted for the negative test.

On social media, some observed that many people appeared in photographs or video without masks on, despite that being a requirement.

“It’s something that we have been aware of and we’ve redoubled efforts at various times during the week when we thought that it could be better,” said Lane.

Agribition did not operate under different rules than anyone else staging a live event, however there was some consideration for visibility and safety around the cattle, ventilation in some of the buildings and people who were speaking publicly.

Lane said the majority were doing the right thing and in some cases people who came from other places had to be made aware of Saskatchewan rules.

The province’s enforcement team was on the grounds at times, but Lane did not know if anyone had been fined.

Next year’s show will be held later than usual to accommodate hosting the Grey Cup. The show will run Nov. 28 to Dec. 3.

Both Lees and Lane said they expect the show will be bigger but 2021 showed them there are lots of ways to measure success.

“If we can do things in the years going forward to keep the sense of positivity and the sense of community that has shown up here this week, I think that has to be something that we either try to find a way to measure or we find a way to replicate but it’s been overwhelming,” Lane said.