By Deborah Shawcross

Agribition shines spotlight on livestock

Nov 24, 2014 | 11:36 AM

Cattle, sheep and horses will be calling Evraz Place in Regina home for the week, as the Canadian Western Agribition kicks off on Monday.  
 
Cindy Lischka from Estevan is at Agribition to show her boer goats, which are larger goats with horns that are used for their meat. Lischka says raising a goat and a cow are similar in many ways, but goats are more people-friendly. 
 
“They would sooner hang out with you than other goats. You find that more with your bottle babies, they get very humanized,” said Lischka.

Every night of Agribition you can see animals in action during the rodeo. It’s not just an adult sport, as young cowgirls and cowboys can take part in the High School Rodeo on Monday. 
 
Bayley Farr, 15, from Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan will be competing in her first rodeo at Agribtion with her horse, Jewel. 
 
“I got her when she was a three-year-old so I’ve done training on her and taught her how to barrel race.”
 
A barrel race can be over in just 17 seconds, so Bayley and her horse have to be in sync.
 
“She just kinda gotta feed off of my energy so I got to get excited for her to get excited.”
 
Agribition is also a place for kids to learn about animals and where their food comes from. SaskMilk will be holding milking demonstrations all week long.
 
“It’s three to five minutes for a cow to milk with a milking machine, it’s probably 15 minutes if your good with your hands,” said Deb Haupstein with SaskMilk.
 
Haupsterin says the demonstrations are needed as not many kids are growing up on the farm anymore.
 
“In order to make them understand that what’s in that carton just didn’t happen to be in that carton, they need to see where it comes from.”

DShawcross@rawlco.com

On Twitter: @DebShawcross