Leonard Poholka, of Breton, manicures the business end of a bull, preparing it for a showing, at the 112th Calgary Bull Sale.Case in point – The Calgary Bull Sale.
Located on the Stampede grounds, a stone’s throw from the city’s downtown business core, the livestock sale attracts Alberta’s top quality beef bulls and is considered a benchmark for other sales across the prairies and often serves as a barometer for the local economic climate. The event marked its 112th year of operation Feb. 29 and March 1, 2012.
Quinn Hamilton, of Innisfail, Alberta, guides a bull around the show ring.I’m hardly a child of the prairies – more of a city slicker. I’ve never even owned a pair of cowboy boots. But there’s a certain level of comfort in knowing the city hasn’t strayed too far from its western-way-of-life ancestry. It’s good for a city to know where it came from.
And a good ol’ bull sale serves as an effective reminder.
After all, Calgary will always be ‘Cowtown’ – love it or hate it.
Potential buyers.Walking, while distracted, amongst this many cows can have unfortunate consequences for your footwear, if you know what I mean.
Suffice it to say, my right shoe required a thorough cleaning before getting back into my car after the job.
Twitter – @StuGradonPhoto
“I love Alberta beef”
The show ring.
Freshly quaffed for showing.
Preparing for a showing.
Potential buyer.
Potential buyers.
Show ring parade.
Potential buyers, father and daughter Dick and Renee Ardill at the show ring.
Carsen Longson, 5, has a look at the trophies awarded to the best bulls in the show ring.
The show ring.