Karen Graham
For Gregg Frederick, going to the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto this week is old hat- been there, done that. He has even walked away with some top awards, having won Bull Calf Champion in 2011. That has not dampened his enthusiasm for this annual ritual which requires he take vacation from his full time job in order to make the trek to Toronto this week. He has been raising Herefords for 25 years, and began with his grandparents from whom he received birthday gifts of calves instead of hockey skates or camping equipment. He also worked for several summers alongside the late Dr. Neal Robson, a well-loved and respected local veterinarian who serviced the local farm community. It was with Neal that he acquired his finely-tuned sense of how to handle animals, in distress or otherwise.
Gregg Frederick with his Hereford yearlings Greta and Queen who are headed this week to the Royal Winter Fair. The difficulty for Gregg will be keeping them separated during the judging, as they prefer to be side by side and tend to follow each other around. Photo: Karen Graham.
For the cattle, a trip to any show can be a stressful experience, and their owners want them to look and feel their best. In Toronto, the animals spend their days in the buildings on the Exhibition grounds from 9am until 7pm for more than a week, but they don’t sleep there. Each day, the take a 3 km hike from the buildings to a temporary berth underneath the Gardiner Expressway! The owners set up tie-outs with fresh bedding, and water is supplied by local hydrants connected by hoses to troughs to keep the animals hydrated, who require roughly 40 litres per animal per day. This daily ritual may seem like a lot of work, but Gregg says this exercise is critical to the animals’ health- both mental and physical…
While judging for the cattle is not open to the public, there are plenty of interesting events and shows at the fair to see, from poultry, ponies, horses and dog shows to name a few. The Royal Winter Fair runs from November 6th to 15th. For more information, visit www.royalfair.org, to plan your country in the city experience.
