CALGARY (March 11, 2013) – The average bull fetched a very encouraging price, while total sales exceeded $1 million, during the 113th annual Calgary Bull Sale held Wednesday, March 6 and Thursday, March 7 at Stampede Park.
This year’s Calgary Bull Sale, the oldest continuous consignment bull sale on the planet, rang up total sales of $1,004,850, and with 181 bulls sold in all, the average price was $4,675.41. Those figures may not match the extraordinary totals from the 2012 Calgary Bull Sale — $1.38 million and $5,727, respectively — but this year’s average bull price was still the second-highest of the new millennium, behind last spring’s edition.
The Calgary Bull Sale, boasting world-renowned genetics, is a benchmark for the Canadian cattle industry, and sets the bar for the remainder of the bull-buying season. Unsurpassed in reputation and longevity, the Calgary Bull Sale sees consignors offer top bulls from the Hereford and Angus breeds to commercial ranchers and fellow purebred producers from across North America.
This year’s sales total included 15 pens of five heifers as part of the second Commercial Replacement Heifer Pen Show and Sale, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Health, which sold for $82,750. It also included the sale of 12 ranch horses for $75,850.
In all, 137 Herefords were sold Thursday for an average price of $4,965.33, while 44 members of the Angus breed earned a tap of the auctioneer’s gavel for an average of $3,772.73.
The top-selling animal at the 113th annual Calgary Bull Sale was a Hereford from consignor Little Poplar Grove Herefords of Forestburg, Alta., purchased for $35,000 by Crone Hereford of Hardisty, Alta. The top-selling Angus, from consignor Scott Stock Farm Ltd, of Crossfield, Alta., was bought for $7,500 by Perry Farms of Calgary.
The 2013 Calgary Bull Sale’s grand champion Hereford was the same overall top-selling bull mentioned above, and wins the venerable Austin Trophy donated by Leonard P. Lord of Herefordshire, England. The reserve champion Hereford was a bull from Fenton Hereford Ranch Inc. of Irma, Alta., purchased for $17,000 by Pahl Livestock Ltd. of Medicine Hat, Alta.
The grand champion Angus, from Lorenz Angus Farms of Markerville, Alta., fetched $7,000 from M & R Damon Farms Ltd. of Strathmore, Alta., and wins the Sir Wm. Roote Trophy, donated by Sir William Roote of Glenalmond, Perthshire, Scotland. The reserve champion Angus, proffered by consignor Four L Cattle Holdings of Stettler, Alta., was purchased for $5,300 by Fahey Cattle Co. of Big Valley, Alta.
The top volume buyers were Miller Ranches Ltd. of Hanceville, B.C., Guenthner Ranch of Consort, Alta., the Pipeline Grazing Co-op of Medicine Hat, and the Vegreville Colony of Vegreville, Alta.
For more information and results from the 113th annual Calgary Bull Sale, please visit calgarybullsale.com
For more information:
Sharon Yeast
Agriculture Program Coordinator
Calgary Stampede
Phone: 403.261.9316
Fax: 403.262.3067
E-mail: syeast@calgarystampede.com
Todd Kimberley
Agriculture Media Writer
Calgary Stampede
Cell: 403.815.2752
Fax: 403.262.3067
Email: tkimberley@calgarystampede.com
