The Saskatchewan Junior Hereford Association made a significant presence at this year’s Canadian National Juniors Hereford Show Bonanza 2024, held in Brandon, Manitoba from July 23-27.
Known as one of the most prestigious events in the Hereford cattle industry, the Bonanza Show gathers junior breeders, enthusiasts, and industry experts from across Canada to celebrate and highlight the finest Hereford genetics.
The Saskatchewan Hereford Association sent a robust delegation to the show with around 60 juniors eager to show the hard work and dedication they have put into their cattle.
Saskatchewan Junior’s brought some of their best cattle to the show, competing in various categories and age groups.
The animals were judged on criteria such as confirmation, breeding potential and overall health. Many Saskatchewan exhibitors achieved high rankings, reinforcing the province’s reputation for producing top-tier Hereford cattle.
One notable participant was Kyla Lees, a young breeder from the Arcola area and the daughter of Corey and Tasha Lees, who took home several awards.
“It was definitely a week to remember,” said Kyla.
The steer show was held in the first days. There were many lending a hand to get Kyla and Stu her Hereford steer show ready with multiply steers, but at the end of the day, it was Stu who was slapped for the Grand Champion Market Steer.
The judge walks around the ring and when they decide on the championship, the animal is slapped on the rump and according to those that show, this is a feeling that is hard to explain.
The week would continue with Kyla showing her Hereford heifer, and several of the others did too. “We always work together as much as possible,” said Kyla.
Kyla went into the grand champion drive, with her sisters Emma and Becca showing in the same class. While Kyla’s heifer Glenlees 240J Beth 20 L was the one to receive the slap, it was an overwhelming and unmatched feelings for the sisters, as they hugged and knew that the challenging work, they had done at home was getting rewarded.
Jade Charlton, from Arcola was also awarded Champion Semen Donation Female with her heifer JAC 155E Connie 1L. This class is a Canadian Junior Hereford program where Saskatchewan breeders donate semen, and junior members apply for the semen. It is a program that randomly selects the junior and they get to breed their cow with the donated semen. They can then show the calf in these semen donation classes.
This paid off for the Charlton family, as the Champion Semen Donation Male went to Matthew Charlton with the Hereford JAC Rango 33M.
The awards continued throughout the five days as Saskatchewan seemed to rule the ring.
Saskatchewan also won the group of five head from one province ( do we have a name for this one?), and the three sisters, Emma, Kyla and Becca Lees won the group of three from one family.
It did not end there; they also took home the award for Saskatchewan with team judging and placed second for grooming.
The junior group also celebrated their impressive skills in showmanship. Judging and public speaking. Their success at Bonanza underscores the associations commitment to nurturing the next generation of Hereford breeders.
They are dedicated to excellence in Hereford breeding and have an impressive showing in the senior and junior members in producing high quality Hereford cattle.
With the Bonanza show now concluded, the Saskatchewan Hereford Association is already looking ahead to future events and opportunities to grow.
As they look to the future the lessons and experiences from the Bonanza will undoubtedly drive continued success and innovation in the Saskatchewan Hereford community.
