46th Canadian Western Agribition gets underway in Regina

Regina residents might notice an increase in the number of cowboy hats and boots in the city this week.

The 46th Canadian Western Agribition officially kicked off Monday morning with the burning of the brand.

“The burning of the brand is very symbolic for our organization,” said Agribition president Stewart Stone.

“Most importantly, the burning of the brand is the symbol of the importance of agriculture as a consistent driver of our culture and our economy and a reminder of our roots here at the show.”

This year, John Willmott was chosen for the burning of the brand. Willmott has been a part of Agribition since the beginning, acting as a cattle judge at the very first one.

“It was pretty primitive back then and it’s come a long way since 1971,” Willmott said.

Stewart described Willmott as “a builder” and said he was glad to see Willmott get acknowledged for his years of hard work.

Once the ceremony was done, it was time for farmers to get to work on their cattle so they could ensure they would sell.

Travis Drum came from Winchester, Kentucky to sell his cattle at Agribition. He is selling Angus cattle and was getting them ready to be shown.

“Image and appearance is everything and that’s what sells these cattle so it’s important we make them look as best they can,” he said.

Dawn Halstead was at Agribition helping her family get their cattle ready.

“You can’t make a poor animal look good, but you can make a good animal look great,” Halstead said.

Agribition runs from Nov. 21-26.