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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen Agriculture, 2003-03-19, Page 39PAGE A-14. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2003. Armstrong jerseys continue to be Royal winners Winning herd Fred and Ruth Armstrong show off just one of the award winning Jerseys they have raised. (Janice Becker photo) By Janice Becker Citizen staff Though the personal participation has dropped off in recent years, Fred Armstrong’s Jerseys continue to have an impact at the Royal Winter Fair and with international breeders. It was his father Jack who first brought Jerseys to the family farm, earning a contract in 1961 to ship Jersey milk to Toronto. After moving into registered cattle in the mid 1970s, Fred Armstrong followed the suggestion of a hired hand who thought the animals should be shown. Ed Franken, who had a background in showing through involvement in 4-H, was the first to encourage the family to take the Jerseys to local fairs. The cattle eventually went to Western Fair in London and by 1978 were being shown at the Royal. It was a family affair for the Armstrongs, with wife Ruth helping and the children soon stepping into the ring. “They were all good showmen,” said Armstrong. The children began by showing calves through 4-H, attending the Seaforth Fair, Clinton Spring Show and the Perth and Huron County’s show for Jerseys. As their experience and confidence grew, the youngsters helped at the Royal as well. “Once you get started (showing) it is hard to stop” said Armstrong. “We enjoy it and we meet people from all over the world, thanks to a little Jersey cow. That is why we do it.” Showing involves considerable work as the training of the selected animals begins months in advance. “It takes extra people to train them on the lead and do the washing and clipping just before the show,” said Armstrong. The selection process is also key to entering potential prize winners. “We look for good dairy qualities such as good fat and good leg size. We look at the breeding behind her RADAR AUTO PARTS even if something doesn’t look right at the time of choosing.” Armstrong said they often use smaller fairs prior to the Royal to compare the cattle and work to improve show qualities. He pointed out that the small fairs play a very important role in developing not only the showperson’s abilities, but allows local breeders to scrutinize other stock. Armstrong said he begins by showing a group of cattle in Clinton, then moves on to Seaforth and Stratford in the fall. “If they are in the top four or five in Stratford, then they are good enough for the Royal.” The Stratford show, with 130-160 head on display, is second only to the Royal in the number of animals. (It is often held in conjunction with the Holstein show.) Armstrong said attending the Royal regularly and networking with exhibitors is a great source of advertisement for the livestock. “We can compare with others and see if we are on the right track (with the breeding),” he said. It also can bring international attention to a breeding line. “We got a lot of attention for a two-year-old that won second this year,” he said. “We had calls from Oklahoma and Texas.” However, as the cropping portion of the Armstrong operation grew and the children moved on to other endeavours, the time available for showing decreased. Where they once showed as many as 20 cattle, though they averaged 10 head over the years, the Armstrongs COOK’S - Everything you need for Spring PREMIUMS AVAILABLE Call us about premiums on Soybeans and Wheat FOR FALL DELIVERY AND ON FARM STORAGE. NK SEED CORN N2555Bt N27-M3 N3030Bt 2700 H.U. 2775 H.U. 2850 H.U. The Results Speak For Themselves ALSO: Most varieties of soybeans, & WHITE BEAN SEED DRY & LIQUID FERTILIZER * nav eebtii r?ED code uneoeDRY rERTILEER SPREADERS * PRV A I lOlltn FFRT1II7FR DELIVERY * COMPLETE LINE OF CHEMICALS * CERTIFIED CROP ADVISOR ON STAFF W WALTON * GREAT SERVICE- have only taken one or two in the last couple years. In spite of that, Armstrong said, “We have accomplished more with only one animal at the show.” In 2002, Armstrong was named Premier Breeder as animals raised and shown by others took numerous prizes. This is where the success of the breeding program shines through. With nine other cattle on exhibit which had originated from the Armstrongs herd, there were three first-place finishes including milking yearling, senior yearling and four- year-old. There were also three reserve champion awards. “It is the first time the Premier award has been won by someone with only one cow,” smiled Armstrong. With the herd prefix attached to any animals sold from the Armstrong farm, his line still gets the advertisement. “We are proud of the showers, but also proud of the breeding on this farm as well,” he said. That continued success of the breeding line at events such as the Royal has brought buyers from around the world. Since their first win, the Armstrongs have been fielding calls from the States about bulls, embryos and breeders. “A lot of them want to get show animals. They will buy what will win a prize and nothing else matters.” said Armstrong. However, some are looking for good breeding stock, he added. As Royal winners, information is posted on the internet which has also helped open up the international SPRING GRAIN SEED WILMAR EAGLE - 120 FT. BOOM market. With his triumph at the 2002 Royal, Armstrong said he will probably continue for a few more years as long as he still enjoys it. “If it was not for trying to breed great cattle, I wouldn’t milk,” he said. “The part I enjoy is trying to breed a better cow, to cross the right genetics to get the perfect one.” • CABLE • ROPE • CHAIN *1CABLE v.• Galvanized Cable 1/16" to 5/16" • Wire Rope 3/8" to 3/4" • Stainless Steel Cable 1/16" -1/4" •PVC Cable 1/8"-3/16" Clear & White Coat ROPE • Polypropylene -1/4" to 1/2" • Nylon 1/4", 1/2", 5/8", 1" • Hemp 1/2", 3/4", 7/8", 1" CHAIN Grade 30, 3/16" to 1/2" - Wide range of “ thimbles, shackles, cable clamps, etc. Above are stock items Other sizes and grades available by order 519-524-9671 Fax: (519)524-6962 53 Victoria S..Goderich Suppliers of... 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