By Tom Collins
TORONTO — The owners of this year’s Royal supreme champion bull won’t be his owners for much longer.
The Angus bull named Mich Wheatland Hicaliber 7197E is owned by Peter Frijters of Premier Livestock at Milverton, Rob Hasson of Hasson Livestock at Guelph, Brian Dudgeon of Dudgeon Cattle at Dobbinton in Grey County, MK Cattle Co. and Mainstream Genetics in Saskatchewan.
Hasson told Farmers Forum that Hicaliber will be available for purchase at a ballroom sale in late December. “Now that he’s a supreme, now would be the time to sell him,” he said.
The auction, called the Falls View Production Sale, takes place Dec. 28 in the ballroom at Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls. There are 55 lots available that will include semen, embryos, bulls and calves from the Angus, Hereford, Charolais and Simmental breeds.
Last year, sale organizers brought 12 cattle into the ballroom, where dinner and drinks were served before the sale began. About 300 people showed up, and the auction was the widest-watched online sale that T Bar C Cattle Co. in Saskatchewan had ever done, said Hasson. Semen from Hicaliber was the highest selling lot at $64,775, while another 15 lots sold for at least $10,000.
The four owners purchased Hicaliber as a calf for $46,500 at a Saskatchewan bull sale in early 2018. Hasson said they were hopeful going into the Royal that the bull could follow up on a successful 2018, when he was named grand champion Angus bull at the Royal and was a top-10 bull at the Canadian Western Agribition.
“We thought he probably looked better this year than he did even last year,” Hasson said. “He’s just a real classy bull: Long neck, straight top, got a really big butt in him, good size testicles, good feet and legs.”
Here are the supreme champions and some of the Western Ontario winners from this year’s Royal:
Supreme champion female: Vos Vegas Black Pearl 6E, owned by Vos Vegas Farms at Plainfield, Ont.
Supreme champion bull: Mich Wheatland Hicaliber 7197E, owned by Peter Frijters of Premier Livestock at Milverton, Rob Hasson of Hasson Livestock at Guelph, Brian Dudgeon of Dudgeon Cattle at Dobbinton in Grey County, MK Cattle Co. and Mainstream Genetics in Saskatchewan.
ANGUS
Grand champion bull: Mich Wheatland Hicaliber 7197E
Breeder’s herd: Premier Livestock at Milverton, Ont.
Progeny of dam: Premier Livestock
Two bulls, bred and owned by the exhibitor: Premier Livestock
Get of sire: Gilchrist Farms at Lucknow, Ont.
Junior get of sire: Gilchrist Farms
HEREFORD
Grand champion female: Wildcat Pebbles 814 ET, owned by Team Nostadt, Justamere Ranch and Running Steady Ranch at Maidstone, Ont.
LIMOUSIN
Two bulls, bred and owned by the exhibitor: After Hours Limousins at Tara, Ont.
Premier breeder: Rail Line Farms at Lucknow, Ont.
Premier exhibitor: Rail Line Farms
Breeder’s herd: Rail Line Farms
