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PHOTOS/VIDEO: Spiritwood bull sale a raging success

Mar 23, 2014 | 8:32 AM

The 41st annual bull sale at the Spiritwood stockyards went off without a hitch.

In total, 86 bulls were sold, including both red and black Angus and Simmental, and Charolais.

They had a set order, and one by one each bull was paraded through the ring for the audience to check out.

Those who made it before the show had the chance to get in the barn, talk to sellers, and see the bulls up a little closer.

Ralph and Joy Ogden have a cattle farm in the Spruce Home area. They showed up early and picked out the bulls they wanted to bid on.

“You can see if he has an attitude, see how he walks, make sure there’s no problems in his gait,” Ralph said.

“Yeah”, Joy agreed, adding with a laugh that if he has attitude he doesn’t come home; I’m the only one with attitude on the farm.”In the end, they took home one of the purebred yearling red Simmentals they wanted.

“They had a really good selection to pick from, we had a number of bulls marked off that we were seriously looking at,” Joy said.

The bull they bought is 1,350 pounds at 13 months old, and they said the price was right in the ball park of what they hoped for.

Bull sales reflecting the larger market

Joy said she thinks prices have been lower because of the fewer number of small producers lately, and Ralph said the feed has been cheaper since grain isn’t moving much this year.

“We had initially expected to spend a lot more on a bull than what they were going for today,” Joy said.

Overall, the Ogdens said they enjoyed the sale.

“We just enjoyed the camaraderie of all the people here, and nice hospitality; beef on a bun, the food was good,” said Ralph.

“And the people that took our money were still really nice and friendly,” he laughed, after paying for their new bull.

Ernie Levasseur is a cattle farmer, but he went to the sale to see his brother-in-law sell some of his bulls.

“I thought it was good. I think there were quite a few people and some good bulls,” he said.

Levasseur said he and his wife weren’t in the market to buy a bull this year. 

“They’re just kind of a side line for us but we enjoy looking after them and having calves,” he said. 

Claude Wasden, President of the Spiritwood Ag Society, and organizer of the bull sale, was pleased with the number of people at the sale.

“We had a phenomenal turn out. It looks like every seat is full and lots of standing room, so looks like a really good turn out for the sale today,” said Wasden.

According to Wasden, this year is a good time to buy.

“Actually cattle prices are probably at an all time high right now and most of the bull sales in the area have been really selling well too,” he said.

Buyers came from many different places including Canwood, Shellbrook, Big River, Unity and Battleford.

The sale was held at 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.

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