The dining experience manager with Red Shores said his heart was pounding in his chest as he bid on the grand champion at the 67th annual Easter Beef Sale in Charlottetown on Friday.
“My heart is still pounding from the adrenaline,’’ Sean Furlong said after Red Shores and Dwayne MacQuarrie with MacQuarrie’s Meats were the successful bidders. “That’s part of the show; the adrenaline is flowing and you want to be part of it.’’
Emily McKenna’s prized steer, Pius, was crowned both grand champion and 4-H champion. The 1,360-pound animal fetched $8.25 per pound (selling weight was 1,300 pounds) making the pay cheque worth $10,725.
“I’ve never had this title before, so it feels pretty good,’’ said McKenna of Charlottetown. “But, it wasn’t just me. It was Blair Campbell and David Ford that deserve all the credit. They were the ones that raised him for me. They did all the work, and I just get to show him. It’s a pretty big honour.’’
Colby MacQuarrie of Winsloe had the reserve grand champion, fetching $6.75 a pound while Alana Worth of Loyalist Road had the reserve 4-H champion, getting $5.75 per pound.
Campbell, president of the Easter Beef Show and Sale, said without the support from local businesses who show up for the sale it wouldn’t exist.
“These folks take time and money from their operations because they realize how important this event is truly to the beef industry itself in this area,’’ Campbell said.
Furlong said it’s an event Red Shores looks forward to every year.
“It’s a lot of fun. It’s supporting a great cause like Easter Seals as well as the local agricultural industry on P.E.I.,’’ Furlong said.
The grand champion will be featured on Red Shores’ Easter buffet as well as on different lunch buffets throughout the month of April.
Furlong said a certain amount of strategy goes into attending the sale.
“It’s almost feeling like a stock trader, I guess. (I was) examining when I came in this morning looking over the last four years what the grand champion went for, what all the different prices went for to get an idea and then you come and you stake out who’s in, who is going to be buying and you get prepped up. Everyone talks a little bit but doesn’t want to share too much information and then you sit down and go.’’
Furlong acknowledged Red Shores came in with a budget in mind but wouldn’t say whether the price it paid exceeded what the plan was.
“I think you have to put into perspective what you’re doing and what you’re supporting and, at the end of the day, is it worth the full cost. I think . . . it was a great investment for us.’’
McKenna, 20, said she’s always had a passion for the industry.
“I always grew up around cows. My neighbour had a beef farm and my parents now have a dairy farm so it’s always been in my blood to show cows,’’ McKenna said.
She noted that it’s sad there are not more young people in the industry.
“It’s pretty sad. It teaches you a lot of good things in life – how to work hard and how to stick with things,’’ McKenna said.
Need to know:
Easter Beef
Following is the list of the champions at the Easter Beef Sale, weight of animal, sale weight, and price the animal sold for:
- Grand champion, 4-H champion, champion AOB – Emily McKenna, Charlottetown, 1,360 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $8.25 per pound
- Reserve grand champion, champion charolais – Colby MacQuarrie, Winsloe, 1,340 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $6.75 per pound
- Reserve champion 4-H, reserve champion heifer – Alana Worth, Loyalist Road, 1,245 pounds, 1,245 pounds, $5.75 per pound
- Champion shorthorn – Colby MacQuarrie, Winsloe, 1,265 pounds, 1,265 pounds, $5.50 per pound
- Champion simmental – Sean MacBeth, Mount Stewart, 1,415 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $6 per pound
- Champion angus – Ben MacQuarrie, Winsloe, 1,430 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $5.75 per pound
- Champion heifer – Austin and Ian Drake, Vernon Bridge, 1,310 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $5.75 per pound
- Champion hereford – David Ford and Blair Campbell, Charlottetown, 1,350 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $6 per pound
- Champion limousin – Austin and Ian Drake, Vernon Bridge, 1,335 pounds, 1,330 pounds, $6.50 per pound
- Champion Maine Anjou – Irwin Jay, Mount Stewart, 1,330 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $6.75 per pound
- Reserve champion shorthorn – Matthias Drake, Millview, 1,215 pounds, 1,215 pounds, $6 per pound
- Reserve champion simmental – Spencer Hambly, North Milton, 1,300 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $5.75 per pound
- Reserve champion angus – Don and Mike Godfrey, Meadow Bank, 1,450 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $5.75 per pound
- Reserve champion any other breed – Irwin Jay, Glenn Jay, Sean MacBeth, Mount Stewart, 1,415 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $6 per pound
- Reserve champion charolais – Glenn Jay, Mount Stewart, 1,335 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $5.50 per pound
- Reserve champion hereford 4-H, Austin Potts, Argyle Shore, 1,385 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $6.25 per pound
- Reserve champion limousin, Glen Ford and Kyle Younker, Oyster Bed, 1,410 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $6 per pound
- Reserve champion Maine Anjou 4-H – Corey Ford, Charlottetown, 1,320 pounds, 1,300 pounds, $4.75 per pound
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