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Canadian Hereford Digest
Highlights from the Hereford Link, October 2007

Contents

The Hereford Link

420 Hereford steers in one pen at the YT Bar Ranch, Consort, AB

Photo by Kurt Gilmore


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From Field to Desk

Kurt Gilmore
Kurt Gilmore

The Advantage of Pure-Breed Bulls

A high percentage of commercial cattlemen are involved in one form of crossbreeding or another. The most successful programs are those that take advantage of the maximum amount of Heterosis in the first cross. Heterosis (also referred to as hybrid-vigor) is the extra advantage in performance and efficiency observed in the crossbred that is over and above the average of either of the parental breeds.

According to Dr. Jan Bonsma, a world renowned geneticist and for many years, head of the Department of Animal Products at the University of Pretoria, South Africa; several conclusions can be drawn from experimental data which he gathered from throughout the world. 1. Crossbreeding two pure breeds tends to increase the calving percentage in a herd. 2. First cross calves on average have a 15 per cent larger body mass at weaning than the average body mass at weaning of the two parental breeds. 3. Hybrid-vigor is accountable for an approximate 11 per cent improvement in feedlot average daily gain. 4. Hybrid vigor is responsible for an increase of 10 per cent in the fertility of first-cross cows. 5. Hybrid vigor contributes to greater longevity in crossbred cows. 6. Hybrid vigor favourably influences the survival rate of newborn calves by as much as 15 to 20 per cent.

In order for commercial cattle producers to maximize profits from crossbreeding, their programs must be the beneficiaries of the highest level of hetorosis. It follows that the operations who manage the most successful crossbreeding programs are those who exclusively use bulls of pure breeds and maintain cow herds that are also straight bred or at most, a combination of two breeds.

Most breed associations in Canada have, at one time or another allowed (for various reasons) the registry of crossbred cattle. Many still do. What this means to the commercial cattlemen is the so-called "Purebred Breeders" who are members of these associations have already utilized the maximum heterosis advantage in producing the bulls they offer to the public and reduce the amount of hybrid vigor that is available to their commercial customers. The fact is that anytime more than two breeds are utilized in a crossbreeding program, the influence of hybrid vigor is reduced. Cow herds with the mixed blood of several breeds and serviced by crossbred bulls are at the bottom of the gene poole. Not only is there no influence of hybrid vigor but the progeny are impossible to sort into even groups for sale to the feedlot or the packer. All end-use customers, including your local grocery store, depend on the uniformity of the product they buy in order to add value and resell it to the next market for a profit.

Simple crossbred programs can be very profitable but multi-breed programs steal profit.

In reality, the Hereford Association is the only Canadian breed organization that has maintained the integrity of a pure-breed pedigree. Not only do Hereford bulls offer the greatest potential for increased Heterosis but they also have the greatest influence when used to straighten out a "Heinz-57" program. After the first breeding season, all of the resulting progeny are at least 50 per cent Hereford and the operation is well on its way to solving the "predictability problem." Remember - uniformity leads to profit and a registered pure-breed Hereford bull speeds up the process.

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Blume Ranches - An Exemplary History of Customer Service 1941-2007
by Kurt Gilmore

Blume Ranches" THE CREW"
One of the closest working partnerships in the history of Canadian ranching. Mounted left to right: Corbin and Walter Blume.
Kneeling left to rght: Allen Blume,George Moore and Wayne Rossing.

November 2, 2007 is not only a historic date for Blume Ranches Ltd. of Castor, Alberta, but for everyone involved in the Hereford industry wherever they may be. After 66 years of selection and active participation, the owners of Wabash Herefords will completely disperse their cow herd. Never before has a cow herd of this size been sold where every female offered carried the same tattoo letters. Individuals carrying the KKH tattoo have been sold throughout the world at 46 production sales as well as a host of consignment sales without interruption. Excepting one year, the Blume Families consigned to the Calgary Bull Sale continuously from 1944 to 2003!

For many years, the ranch has been managed by Walter Blume and his brother Allen but Castor was not the first place the family settled. Their grandfather and his family emigrated from the state of Georgia in Russia and first lived in Saskatchewan. In 1910 they moved west to a German settlement in Stony Plain but, preferring the open ground, they moved again to another area of German settlers just north of Castor in 1917. Walter and Allen's father, John E. Blume, married in 1929 and purchased a half section of land that is currently the ranch headquarters. He was drawn to that location because of a flowing well that is rare in that country.

Hereford cattle actually were raised on that same land by a family by the name of Hanson from 1912 until 1920. But it wasn't until 1941 that John Blume acquired his first registered cows. Walter says, "Father got into Hereford cattle when he sold a stallion named Jupin, which he had previously purchased from Don Matthews of Highland Stock Farms. He sold the horse to a man acquainted with Stan Gould. Father then bought the black horse, Albion, but Mr. Gould convinced him that the horse business was nearly done and invited John to be a part of the Hereford business. Father never got over Mr. Gould telling him that he would like to have him in the Hereford business and a year later he purchased two cows of Panama breeding from Gould that had been named champion and reserve champion at the Camrose Fair. In addition, Gould sold father a replacement heifer that he said was better than both of the cows. Those cattle cost $400 and he paid for them with a PFA cheque that he called the 'dried-out bonus cheque'." Named after a creek that flows through the ranch, "Wabash Herefords" was born.

As it turned out, one of those cows ended up with a half Jersey calf and the replacement heifer had a heifer calf that later died.

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Hereford Health - By Roy Lewis DVM

Dr. Roy Lewis DVM
Dr. Roy Lewis DVM

PREGNANCY CHECKING RECTAL PALPATION VERSUS ULTRASOUND

Both rectal palpation and ultra sounding for pregnancy have certain advantages depending on their intended application. Both in order to be accurate must have a skilled veterinarian performing the pregnancy exam. I will try and outline the pros and cons of each method so you can see how to best fit them into their farming operation. Many myths and fallacies surround pregnancy examination and hopefully these will also be dispelled in this article.

Rectal examinations have been performed reliably by veterinarians for eons and very little has changed in this science. It is a relatively quick, cost effective and safe procedure in the right hands. Accuracy is good in the early stages of pregnancy (30-90 days). In mid gestation (4-7mths) it is not uncommon for veterinarians to be out two weeks to a month in their estimate. Several things account for this, which are easily explained. Gestational length still varies tremendously. I always use the example of a flush of embryos put into recipient cows. Even though genetics are identical and they are implanted within hours of each other it is not uncommon to have the recipients calving with up to a one month spread. Depending on breed and sex of calf gestations also vary greatly. The veterinarian may also palpate the non-pregnant horn of the uterus giving a false underestimation of pregnancy status. The most important thing is whether the cow is open or is late.

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Do You Know What You're Breathing at Cattle Shows?
By: Heather Hartmann, CHA Communications Coordinator

Do You Know What You're BreathingDo You Know What You're BreathingDo you tell your housepainter to paint indoors with the windows & doors closed?
Do you encourage your children to smoke cigarettes?
Of course you don't. And why you don't is obvious - because it is harmful to the health of your employees and your children.

Would you choose to, encourage your children to, or invite your customers over to breathe fumes from a container labeled:
"WARNING: BREATHING CONTENTS MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH."
Or: "This product contains a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer."
How about: "Contains METHYLENE CHLORIDE, which has been shown to cause cancer in certain laboratory animals."

Well, you do just that if you use aerosol products to fit cattle. ALL of those warnings are present on ONE can of a leading aerosol cattle fitting product. And you aren't just putting yourself, your family, your fitters, and the potential customers you hope attend the aerosol-groomed shows at risk.

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U.S. Reopens Border to Older Canadian Cattle
By Tom Johnston Meatingplace.com

USDA on Friday issued its final rule for normalizing cattle trade with Canada and other regions deemed at minimal risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The rule largely conforms to designations and guidelines established by the World Organization for Animal Health.

"We feel the rule is very much scientifically based, and that the risk is very negligible with regard to the introduction of BSE into the U.S.," USDA Chief Veterinarian John Clifford told reporters.

Specifically, the ruling allows Canada to export live cattle born after March 1, 1999, the date Canada ostensibly rid itself of ruminant feed associated with BSE. It also allows Canada to export small intestines without the distal ileum, casings, blood and blood products.

Canadian authorities will be responsible for certifying the age of cattle up for export, and those animals will have to bear a permanent brand or tattoo indicating their country of origin, as well as ear tags identifying them as Canadian.

However, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service doesn't expect the flood of cattle it once did, having slashed its original projection of some 650,000 down to 75,000 for 2008.

"The number of theses older animals that can have their ages verified, meaning confirmation that they are born on or after March 1, 1999, is limited," Clifford said.

Lack of demand?
But with the likes of Swift & Co. having indicated earlier this year that older Canadian animals no longer satisfied the wishes of the its customers, the question is whether a lack of U.S. demand also might be a factor.

APHIS spokeswoman Karen Eggert said the answer is, "no."

"It wasn't based on a lack of U.S. demand," she told Meatingplace.com. "As part of the rulemaking process, we collect information and continue to refine it through regulatory review."

Eggert said the estimate of 650,000 was a "biggest picture" account, but APHIS scaled the scope down after finding that a large number of Canadian slaughterhouses and other operations don't have birth records.

" Canada has a good system," Eggert said. "It's just that some cattle are directed for other use. We had to look only at those that can have their ages verified. When you look at those, the number is 75,000 in 2008. Over the next five years, the average should be 106,000."

In effect
Set to take effect Nov. 19, pending congressional approval, the rule comes more than four years after the United States closed the border to all Canadian cattle following a Canadian outbreak of BSE in May 2003.

The current rule expands on a directive published by USDA in January 2005, when it first resolved to allow the imports of Canadian beef derived from cattle older than 30 months of age.

USDA delayed work on proposal of the final rule, also known as "Rule 2," in July 2006 after detection of BSE in a 4-year-old animal from Alberta, but officially released the proposed rule in January 2007, allowing for three months of public comment.

Canada has reported a total of 11 cases of BSE since its first outbreak. Two occurred during the comment period.

Clifford said his team accounted for those cases while making its decision, maintaining they fit within its initial prevalence projections and that there are safeguards in place to prevent any such U.S. outbreak.

"The risk assessment acknowledged that BSE is present in Canada, that there likely would be additional cases identified in the future, and we still concluded these imports would present a negligible risk of establishment of BSE in the United States," he said.

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THE OSTERNDORFF ROAD TO SUCCESS
by Ron Wells

The Osterndorff Family The Osterndorff Family

"The name of the game to stay in business is to get the weight on those calves", comes straight from Barry Osterndorff, who at the age of 12, had a dream to some day own and operate his own cow-calf business. Robert Osterndorff began a farm machinery business in 1968 at his farm location, Elmwood, Ontario, known as Robert's Farm Equipment and with the assistance of his sons, expanded and relocated to Chesley, Ontario. For Barry, much of his time was devoted to the farming operation with his father, and for encouragement his father purchased 15 cows. As a young boy that dream became a reality to what it is today - 300 cows and 1,800 acres of pasture, hay and cash crop, mainly on sandy loam soil, and located directly across the road from what was home. Barry and his family have worked to develop a practical and compact maintenance free operation that is basically all under Barry's control and management with the exception of some neighbours, who assist at calving time. The cash crop is harvested as corn, soybeans and wheat.

One of the key factors in Ontario is proper facilities that develop from thorough planning to make everything less labour intensive and all basically in one location in order to save time. With this in mind, the present facilities were built, beginning with the use of the original bank barn. With his background experience and a lot of thought, Barry progressed with renovations, additions and new coveralls placed strategically with the terrain with weather factors and ease of movement in mind. These improvements enable him to concentrate solely on the end product - a calf that will command top dollar on the market. The additions to the original barn form an outside exposure for the working area in the centre that vents the whole system upwards allowing natural lighting and ventilation. One section consists of an 80 X 80 foot calving barn with four 10 X 12 foot calving pens that are formed with swing gates and a holding pen. This also houses the working chute system under cover. With the use of Hi-Hog equipment, it is logical to operate a dealership that has recently been added to the business. There are 10 to 12 additional calving pens in the original barn with holding pens attached. All calving pens are under a video surveillance system to the house that was installed for an approximate cost of $2,000. This year alone eight calves have been saved with the assistance of this system, simply by showing that the web was not removed naturally at the time of birth, thus a very fast dash to the barn saved those calves. The holding pen accommodates 50 cows at a time and as they udder up and appear to be close to calving they are relocated into the calving pens. There have been as many as 17 calve in an evening. Two days after calving they are relocated into another holding pen that is under cover, again with open ventilation, after which they graduate to the fresh sand paddock area all with a shelter barn. Calving is ideally from January to mid March of each year.

Two coveralls with cemented floor and a central manger in each are connected with gates, allowing the herd to access to both areas from a central bedded coverall that serves as hay storage for the summer months but is fed out in early fall. All these facilities are located on the crest of a sandy embankment with watering facilities placed away from any bedded or feeding areas.

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The B.C. Hereford Bull-Etin

The weekend of Sept. 7 to 9 was Hereford weekend in BC. Since most of our breeders have jobs, it is hard to celebrate a Hereford "week", so we contend ourselves with a "weekend". This year the Salmon Arm Fair can boast to having the largest MOE Hereford show in BC and maybe Western Canada, with 68 head paraded before judge Blaine Brost of Irvine, AB. Results will be in the November Digest but needless to say, the competition was tough and those who came out on top can be justly proud of their accomplishments.

I am always disappointed when we do not have many commercial people coming out to see what the breed has to offer. In the past some were chasing trends and forgetting to raise good useful cattle, but that phase is behind the breed and there are a lot of very good cattle being bred and offered for sale. Since this Link is going to our commercial customers I urge them to consider returning to the shows to see what the breed has to offer.

We had our usual banquet and fun auction following the show on Saturday evening and 75 people, including six children, ate a sumptuous meal that was reasonable, tasty and had a great variety. Instructions were given to book the same facility and cook for next year's event.

Two of our members were eligible for 25 year pins and received them from Victor Oulton, the newly elected CHA President, who was in attendance from the Maritimes. We appreciate him taking the time to attend this event. Victor presented 25 year pins to Harvey Halvorson of Brackendale and Tom Charlton of Aldergrove.

Thanks are in order to all the breeders who held field days. The Thompson Valley Hereford Breeders held their event on July 28, so they missed getting the report in the Herd Sire issue. Finlay Farm, Albert and Dena Finlay hosted the TVHB field day at their farm outside of Armstrong and it was well attended. The usual cattle judging competition was held and Don Raffan, owner/auctioneer from Valley Auction at Armstrong, did the judging. Prizes were awarded to those who had the same placings as Don. It was a great time, even though the weather was very warm, which made it better for drinking cool beverages.

Congratulations are in order to South Alder Farm of Aldergrove who got the premier breeder and premier exhibitor banners at the MOE show in Abbotsford.

Until next time I wish you all happiness in Herefords.

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The Alberta Influence

ALBERTA HEREFORD BULL LOTTERY

The fourth AHA BULL LOTTERY is now in progress. For 2007 we are offering two $2,500 credit vouchers toward the purchase of Hereford Bulls. Any bull purchased and transferred between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007 qualifies as an entry in this Bull Lottery. Draw to be made in January 2008.

Last years winners:
F. X. (Louie) Dechaine & Sons of St. Lina, Alberta won $2,500 for their purchase of WABASH MILESTONE 124P from Blume Ranches of Castor, AB.
Mike Slepicka of Minitonas, Manitoba, won $500 for his purchase of QLC-QUANTOCK 1124 1324P from M.C. Quantock Livestock Corp., Mac and Pat Creech, of Lloydminster, AB

Remember to ask for your transfer in order to be AUTOMATICALLY entered to win.

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR NEW AHA PRESIDENT, ANDY SCHUEPBACH:
It is an honour and great privilege to serve as your AHA president this coming year and I thank you for this opportunity. We all look back on a year with good moisture for most everybody and steady to strong cattle markets. The Hereford and Hereford Influence cattle sold at most Auction Markets at or near the top, which reflected in good bull sales across Alberta last spring.

It is exciting to see Hereford bulls sell into more and more cow herds of other breeds to produce that sought after baldie calf of any color. US Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) research shows that hybrid vigor is greater in white faced cattle, due to genetic purity in the Hereford breed. Let's build on that fact.

I feel we made quite an impression in the industry with our great results of the HiWay 52 Steer Trial. It shows that Herefords are feed efficient and can compete with, and beat, any breed. We look forward to the results of this years trial at Kasko's Feedlot and are planning another trial this fall.

The AHA continues to work on behalf of the Hereford industry to promote Herefords through print and radio advertising. Promotion will continue to focus on our breed's strengths and advantages in any breeding program. Pointing out some of the areas Herefords excel: Feed Efficiency, Hybrid Vigor, Fertility, Docility, and Longevity in a great Maternal Package. I encourage all breeders and commercial cattlemen to partake in the upcoming Hereford functions across Alberta. Get involved by participating and visiting shows and sales and enjoy the excitement in our breed.

PUT THE CREDIT WHERE THE CREDIT IS DUE AND MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU!

EAST CENTRAL HEREFORD CLUB
President: Tim Westerlund Secretary: Dianne Westerlund

Club activity has been limited to the Spring Bull Sale here in east central Alberta. All local cattlemen are anxiously looking ahead to fall calf sales, hoping for stronger markets than what we've been told to expect. Calves around the country are looking good thanks to higher than normal spring moisture giving pastures and hayfields a strong start. Hay yields were not as good as the banner year we had in 2006, but were still above average for most locations. Recent rains have generated some re-growth, so we can expect lots of opportunities for extending our grazing season well into the fall. Club members are looking forward to meeting up with fellow seedstock producers at the fall production sales.

SOUTHERN ALBERTA HEREFORD CLUB
Submitted by Carolyn Templeton

Herefords are busy in the south! Plans are underway for the All Breeds Bull Spectacular slated for October 27, 2007 at the Agriplex in Taber This is the third year in Taber. The Herefords showed very well last year. Congratulations to Doenz Ranches for winning People's Choice for their Hereford Long Yearling! We are excited to be involved in Balog Auction's British Breeds Bonanza Rancher Calf Sale again. Last year Fraser Hirsche Meats supplied Hereford Beef for the barbecue and by all accounts was the best beef ever eaten! The date for this year's sale is Tuesday October 16th, 2007. This sale will be the 11th anniversary of the British Breeds Bonanza. Bob does a great job of sourcing calves from some of the best British herds in western Canada. Come on down and see pens full of uniform, classy steers and heifers. For more information on booking your calves or your customers' calves, go to www.balogauction.com, click on Auction Calendar and Tuesday October 16th for all the info on this fine sale. Southern Alberta is looking forward to hosting Hereford Week 2008 in Medicine Hat August 13 to 16, 2008. For more information on sponsoring or entering "Bonanza 2008 Herefords Hot in the Hat" contact Gord and Kathy Klein at wildcat@jrtwave.com or an AJHA Junior in your area.

PEACE RIVER HEREFORD CLUB
Submitted by Serena Reber

The Peace River Hereford Club Annual Meeting will be held the first part of November in Rycroft with our 4th Annual Hereford Influence Sale on the agenda.

This summers Dawson Creek Exhibition has been added as a qualifying show for the RBC Beef Supreme Challenge at Agribition. The Supreme Champion Bull and Female now move on to Agribition in November. The Supreme Champion Bull was a yearling Polled Hereford entry from Rebers' Polled Herefords of Woking. Supreme Champion Female was a Charolais pair entered by Jordan McQuaig of JayDawn Farms, Sexsmith.

NORTHERN ALBERTA HEREFORD CLUB
Submitted by Ken Rutledge

It has been a busy year for the Northern Alberta Hereford Club. We had our Annual Meeting in June at New Norway. The award for Purebred Breeder of the Year went to the Butler family for their tireless effort on behalf of Hereford cattle.

The 13 th Annual Hardisty Field Day was very successful, considering how hot it was. Thanks to all the contributors who braved the heat wave and brought their cattle out. We had 108 bull calves and 14 pens of heifer calves. Thanks to Doug Finseth of Cache Creek, BC, for judging.

Congratulations to Lilybrook Herefords for winning Grand Champion honours and to Rutledge Herefords for winning Reserve Grand Champion. Thanks also to Fenton Herefords for donating the raffle heifer for our fundraiser. The heifer was won by Doug Finseth.

The Northern Alberta Hereford Club is looking ahead to the Western National Hereford Show at Farmfair in early November. The Hereford Show goes at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 7 while the Commercial Cattlemen's Pen Show is on Friday, November 9 at noon.

CENTRAL ALBERTA HEREFORD CLUB
Submitted by Andrea Sheehan

The CAHC has been very active hosting several functions and programs. We started our year with our Annual Meeting in April and a very successful semen auction selling 19 units of semen for the excellent price of $5,975. The club would truly like to thank all the donors and bidders alike for the tremendous support they have demonstrated to the CAHC.

Our young people also received excellent support from our club with Junior Herefords being assisted with a cash donation for their show and every 4-H Member who shows a Hereford influenced calf being presented with a Hereford print and if the calf shown is champion or reserve champion, the 4-Her is also awarded a jacket (with a Hereford logo).

We had a successful Hereford cattle tour this year with the theme for the day "ON THE ROAD AGAIN". We decided to go back to the old style cattle tour in lieu of a field day. The event took place on July 28, 2007 with host farms of Bricker Herefords at 10:00 for coffee and donuts then off for lunch at 12:00 to Coulee Crest Herefords, refreshments at Little Red Deer Herefords at 2:30 to end a super day with Stauffer Farms at 4:30 for an excellent prime rib supper. The day brought an excellent display of Hereford cattle, exciting prizes, fun events and excellent socializing. Everyone enjoyed the day.

The annual Hereford Supremacy Sale will be held at the Olds Cow Palace on December 4, 2007 and we expect to offer 50 purebred females and three to four top quality bull calves. Please contact Dwight Boychuk at (403) 556-4904 if you would like to enter your cattle for the sale.

In conclusion, the CAHC would again like to thank all those who participated in our events, making them the success they are and look forward to continuing our relationship with all our fellow breeders.

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Saskatchewan Cow-Man Sense

On August 11, 2007, the South East Saskatchewan Hereford Zone had their annual Field Day and Bull Calf Futurity. Thanks go out to this years host Breezeway Farms owned by Joe and Tracey Beckstead of Fillmore. This event was well attended with 11 breeders showing cattle. By the end of the day, the panel of three judges had worked their way through 65 head of cattle and six entries in the Get of Sire class. The South East Saskatchewan Hereford Zone would like to thank the sponsors for the day: Breezeway Farms, Railview Farms, Willow Creek Ranch, Enbridge Pipelines, Stoughton Vet Clinic, Fillmore Agro, Stoughton Feed Processing, Brad Eggum and Fillmore Family Foods. The results for the day are:

Champion Bull : WTK ANL 12R Transition 43T by GHC Canuck 12R exhibited by ANL Polled Herefords
Reserve Champion Bull : Glenlees 70T by GHC Rattler 75R exhibited by Glenlees Polled Herefords
Champion Heifer : ANL SH RH Ette 14T by Allendale Robin Hood exhibited by ANL Polled Herefords
Reserve Champion Heifer : ANL 12R Hannah 33T by GHC Canuck 12R exhibited by ANL Polled Herefords
Champion Cow : Blair-Athol 14G Greta 86M RU 16Y Grayson 14G exhibited by Blair Athol Farms
Reserve Champion Cow : ANL 8E Carla 49M by Remitall Embracer 8Eexhibited by ANL Polled Herefords
Champion Get of Sire : Progeny of GHC Canuck 12R exhibited by ANL Polled Herefords
Premier Breeder: ANL Polled Herefords
Premier Exhibitor: ANL Polled Herefords

A draw was made for a RED COAT CLASSIC Ticket, supplied by the Saskatchewan Hereford Association. The winner of the ticket was Greg Freitag.

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Ontario Hereford Happenings

Ontario Juniors At Bonanza
Congratulations to all Ontario participants at the 2007 Bonanza
Showmanship & Grooming:
Champion Junior Showman: Caylynne Brown
Champion Junior Grooming: Jordan Cavanagh
Reserve Champion Junior Grooming: Caylynne Brown
Champion Intermediate Grooming: Danielle Cavanagh
Open Show: Senior Champion & Grand Champion Bull: Whitney Morrison
Junior Champion & Grand Champion Female: Caylynne Brown
Little League Grooming : Ontario
Prepared Speech : Danielle Cavanagh
Hereford Art: Cattle Sale or Event Poster; Collage; Hand Drawn (All three categories)
Pee Wee: Chelsea McNeely
Literature: Report about an event or true story (3,000 words or less )
Pee Wee: Chelsea McNeely
Fiction (3,000 words or less )
Pee Wee: Chelsea McNeely

ONTARIO INFORMATION SEMINAR & BEEF-A-RAMA

It may have been damp overhead, but it didn't dampen the spirits of the Ontario Juniors as they did their thing in the usual professional manner on July 14 & 15. Thirty-four Juniors and approximately 55 head of cattle spread over the ground at Medonte Highlands along with their moms and dads with a coming together of Hereford friends. Jack and Lois McAughey's generous hospitality, combined with Kevin and Cathy Brown's many preparations, culminated into a weekend that was most enjoyable and rewarding.

Those in attendance will not soon forget the informative panel presentation on the Saturday afternoon and the 'Good for the Soul' music and comedy that were enjoyed after a scrumptious meal. Renowned Cowboy Poet and Humorist, Doris Dailey truly stole the hearts of her listeners and seven year old Sarah McNivan had everyone's toes a tapping.

Under the watchful eye and guidance of the Junior Adult Advisor, Cathy Brown, along with her very capable Junior executive, everyone wanted to be a Junior again. All sponsorships were sincerely appreciated including those who hosted breakfast Sunday morning, suppliers of food, and decorations all had a significant impact.

The Ontario Hereford Association board and the Ontario membership, commend all for giving us the assurance that the Hereford Breed and the activities of the future are in the hands of very capable leadership. A full report is included elsewhere in this publication.

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Quebec Communique

Gold Trophy Award
Birchler Farms received a Gold Trophy Award for their cow, RHBF 402H Madonna 303M. The presentation was made at the Cookshire Fair. Pictured from left to right are Jean Tetreault (CHA National Director) and Rolf and Heidi Birchler.

20 Years of Showing Herefords
Real Veilliux celebrated 20 years of showing Herefords at the Ayer's Cliff Fair held Aug. 25.

25-Year Pin Presentation
The Harland family of Margor Farm in Lachute, QC, were presented with a 25-year pin at the recent Lachute Fair. Pictured from left to right are Marilyn, Gordon and Dwayne Harland.

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Obituary

Peter Allen Rosgen

Peter Rosgen passed away peacefully Aug. 31, 2007 following a long battle with brain cancer. He was 62 years of age.

For more than 50 years, Rosgen Herefords of Three Hills, AB, bred and raised some of the most successful bulls used in the industry, many of which sold through the Calgary Bull Sale. The family was very successful in this venture and in 1974 exhibited both the grand and reserve grand champion bulls. Peter had followed on in the tradition of his parents, Wilf and Marie and lived on that same farm until recently. He was well known and respected by his peers throughout the country and could always be depended upon to give assistance to anyone in need. A big, strong man, he was known for his sense of humour and his hearty laugh. In his eulogy at the funeral, Pat Kubinec, a long-time neighbour and friend, spoke of Peter's quick sense of humour and his strong work ethic. He stated that Peter was known for the comment, "If you can't work and talk at the same time, then don't talk!"

Peter was always very proud of his children and thrilled with his grandchildren. He was an excellent host and no visitor every left hungry. He was a very clever and creative individual and had a natural gift for mathematics. He worked extensively with various computer programs including three dimensional design.

Peter was predeceased by his father Wilfred in 1985. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; mother, Marie; children, Mark (Brandi), Greg (Lynnette), Bradford, Kate and David (Meagen); sisters, Lorraine (Bob) Gillis, Sharon (Tom) Seaborn and Dianne (Jack) Lowe and mother of his children Anne Rosgen. Peter also leaves behind his beloved grandchildren, Braelynn, Rhett and Alexa.

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