Heck of a show.
Cornerview Willow 7W is in the spotlight after winning her senior yearling Charolais class and going on to win reserve grand champion female. From left are Brian Coughlin, judge Garner Deobald, Katrina Coughlin and a sponsor.
Courtesy of Couglin family
The last few years of Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair have
been good to Brian and Heather Coughlin of Cobden.
Their Cornerview Charolais entries have had consistent
success, with a grand champion cow last year, reserve grand champion cow and
bull two years ago, and a grand champion cow three years ago.
But there’s nothing to compare to the family showing at
the November 2010 Royal Winter Fair.
En route to capturing the prestigious accolades of
premier exhibitor and premier breeder, the Coughlins’ entries excelled in every
class they entered. From a possible 16 top-three finishes, they had 15.
And even in the senior heifer class in which they placed
sixth, their Cornerview Xquisite entry finished first.
“It’s good, except it’s going to be hard to repeat. It
was great,” said Brian, whose farm was founded in the early 1980s.
Even better, success continues to be a family success.
“It’s not a bit of a family thing. It is a family
thing,” he says of himself, his wife and children Katrina, Brett and Cody.
“We’ve probably
been going (to the Royal Winter Fair) about 10 years on a consistent basis.
We’ve shown cattle a long time,” says Coughlin, whose Cornerview Charolais farm
was recognized this summer for showing 25 years at the Shawville Fair.
“It helps” he says of winning at such shows as the Royal
Winter Fair.
“It raises your profile. I don’t know if you get more
money (per animal), but you get more customers.”
And, perhaps even better, the Couglins have cattle
friends from across the country whose paths they cross regularly.
The summary of Cornerview Charolais’ success at the 2010
Royal Winter Fair looks like this:
• Cornerview Nascar, winner of her junior heifer class;
• Cornerview Xquisite, winner of senior heifer class and
champion;
• Cornerview Willow, winner of senior yearling class,
junior champion and reserve grand champion female;
• Cornerview Savana, reserve champion for mature cow;
• Cornerview Xcalibre, second in senior bull calf class
and reserve bull calf champion;
• and first for get-of-sire class.
Every animal the Couglins exhibited was home-bred.
Cornerview Charolais farm is located on Snake River
Line, just outside Cobden.