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Report by Dan Evans - World Federation Representative
I arrived on Monday 10th June 2006 with Sheila, my wife, and our President,
John Dykes and his wife Kate. Tuesday we had a leisurely day
after meeting John and Betty Young, with a horse and cart ride
through the streets of Calgary, with breakfast provided and
a great carnival atmosphere within the city. On Wednesday,
there were various Committee meetings from 08.00 – 18.00pm,
which John, Fiona Sloan & I attended. That evening there was a welcoming
reception where we met a lot of overseas visitors, some old
friends and new, a great social event.
Thursday 13th, the World Congress Convention
was based at the Telus Convention Centre, all delegates and
nondelegates attended (250-300 people), where we had reports from Franz-Xaver
Sturzer, the President. Vice President, Josef Kucera from the Czech Republic,
reported on arrangement for the 2007 Committee Meeting. Fiona and I gave
a presentation regarding the plans for the 2008 Congress in the UK, and
then the Namibians invited the World Committee to Namibia in 2009, followed
by Peter Speers from Australia giving a presentation on the 2010 World
Congress, starting in the west and finishing at Melbourne. The World Congress
was then invited by the President to Germany in 2012. This was followed
by three short papers which concluded the morning’s agenda. In the afternoon, we went to
JB Livestock for a farm visit.
Friday 14th was the Simmental Show at the
Stampede Ground. The show started in typical Canadian razzmatazz
fashion with stretched Limousines full of various Regional Presidents.
Then the show itself started, with two Judges who drew the cattle into
line, as we do in the UK, but here, they were pulling in the poorest animals
first, leaving the last two to actually be placed as first and second prize
winners – this
took a little getting used to.
Various sections then had their champions
and reserves with the final class being all the champions – to select
the Grand Champion, which was a mature black bull. The reserve was a traditional
Simmental. The emphasis was on black, as this apparently was the judges’ preference.
Consequently some breeders left their traditional coloured cattle at home,
which was a pity.
That evening we had the international awards and social
evening, many countries gave awards to the various champions.
The UK trophy, which was a Borderfine Art Simmental Family Group went to
the Male Supreme Champion, which was very much appreciated. A buffet supper
then rounded off the evening.
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Presentation
of Simmental Family Group to the breeders of Male Supreme
Champion |
Saturday was at the Stampede Ground again,
for a pre-sale social and luncheon. The sale was in traditional
Canadian style with sale lots in pre-arranged order, and some
lots paired with the purchaser then deciding which animal they preferred.
All the Canadians seemed to think it was a very successful sale – although I don’t
recommend that we have a sale at our Congress. Onto the Chuck-Wagon racing
and Grand Stand Show which was certainly a very spectacular and memorable
event with the show continuing on until midnight, if you ever get the chance
you really should see this annual event.
Sunday and back to the Stampede Ground for
a final look and the rodeo finals – which were very well organised
and very entertaining, again something that you have to see to believe.
Back to the hotel for the closing ceremony and dinner and dance. We were
presented with the Simmental World Banner to take home and display in 2008
in the UK.
The UK was very well represented with approximately 30 supporters,
a lot from Northern Ireland thanks to David and Mrs Hazelton.
All had good reports about the pre-tour and the post-tour which I did
not go on but was very good, apparently. I did, however, gate-crash two
of the Tuesday visits at Independent Breeders (an AI Centre) and Tom Smyth
of Saugeen Farms, which was very impressive and here we saw
some very good cattle, some of which had been brought in from other ranches.
I would like to have gone to see Lewis Farms, but we were staying with
friends and didn’t
want to drag them 200 miles to Edmonton. I have since learned
what a great visit it was.
A very worthwhile World Congress trip with a
lot of delegates saying they plan to be in the UK in 2008.
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