Swift Current Tarentaise cattle breeder honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award
The Canadian Tarentaise Association (CTA) recently presented Swift Current cattle rancher and cowboy poet Bryce Burnett with a lifetime achievement award, to celebrate the many decades he has spent promoting the breed across North America.
“I’m honoured to be getting [this award]. I didn’t expect anything like this,” said Burnett.
In the 1970s, Burnett became one of the first ranchers in North America to begin raising Tarentaise cattle, a breed that originated in the Savoie regions of the French Alps, with a heifer imported by Burnett tagged as the 20th animal registered with the CTA in 1972.
“She was one of the very first ones to come over [from France], and so a lot of our Tarentaise cattle still go back to that lineage,” said Burnett.
For nearly fifty years, Burnett and his family have since continued raising Tarentaise cattle, with decades of successful breeding, showing and selling of the breed across the country.
“Back in the early ‘70s, we started artificially inseminating cattle and we’ve continued doing that on our ranch every year since. We haven’t missed a year since 1971 [and] I don’t think there’s many operations that can say that,” said Burnett. In addition to the breeding program, Burnett has also spent a number of years presenting Tarentaise cows at prestigious shows across Canada and the United States, especially in the 1990s when the breed was more widespread. Burnett has produced numerous Grand and Reserve Champion cattle, including at shows like the Western Canadian Agribition, Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, and the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Col.
“We drummed up a lot of interest in the Tarentaise breed and had a lot of people we sold Tarentaise cattle to, a lot in the United States,” said Burnett. “We’ve sold Tarentaise cattle to just about every province [and] over the years, we’ve sold Tarentaise cattle into 35 states.” Burnett’s ranch is a fourth-generation operation located southwest of Swift Current, located on the same land homesteaded
Moose Jaw Express staff
The provincial government is now accepting grant applications from veterans’ service clubs as part of the province’s continued support of veterans and their families. The Sask. Party announced during the 2020 provincial election campaign that it would increase program funding to $1.5 million from $100,000, a hike of 1,500 per cent. It is now following through on that promise.
Introduced in 2018-19, the grant supports veterans’ services clubs by providing $5,000 for building improvement projects, upgrades, renovations or repairs to support community access to programming, meetings and events.
“Our government is proud of this increased commitment to Saskatchewan veterans and their family members,” said Laura Ross, minister of Parks, Culture and Sport, in a news release. “This funding will help keep Saskatchewan Legions operational and make the necessary improvements to continue serving our heroes.”
This program is delivered in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Legion (Saskatchewan Command) and the Army, Navy, and Air Force Veterans (ANAVETS), Saskatchewan Provincial Command. Registered non-profit veteran service clubs based in Saskatchewan are eligible to apply for grants up to $25,000. Applications are now being accepted with two application intake cut-off dates of April 30 and Aug. 31.
“I am pleased to support the Veterans capacity. But what cemented his love for Tarentaise was the strong maternal instincts he saw in the mother cows after he began breeding. “They’re one of the best cattle in the world, as far as fertility and superior structure of the feet and legs,” said Burnett. “And one of the slogans they had, back in the start of the breeding days, was that ‘a Tarentaise is probably the best mother a calf could have.’”
Kerry Brewin, president of the CTA, expressed the organization’s appreciation of Burnett’s dedication to promoting the breed across Canada and the U.S. “The biggest reason for deciding to give Bryce the lifetime achievement award is just the years of continuity that he has spent, raising and promoting Tarentaise cattle. He registered his first cow in the Association 49 years ago and has been breeding ever since, and that is an incredibly long time,” said Brewin. Tarentaise was a more widespread breed about thirty years ago, said Brewin. The Association has seen a decline in breeders since the early 2000s, although numbers are beginning to rise again.
The CTA presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Burnett by video during the association’s annual AGM conference on April 10.
Service Clubs Grant and the increased amount of funding announced by the Province of Saskatchewan,” said Keith Andrews, president of The Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Command. “This grant will not only assist our branches with the ability to do renovations to their buildings but will also allow them to make their buildings more energy efficient by reducing operating costs and will help recoup some expenses that veteran groups have faced due to COVID-19.” “The ANAVETS of Saskatchewan appreciate what the Saskatchewan Government and Legion Saskatchewan Command have done over the past two years in facilitating the Veterans Service Clubs Grants,” said Rick Taylor, president of ANAVETS Saskatchewan Command Provincial. “Our units have made good use of these grants and our members have benefited greatly. We are thankful that funding for 2021 has increased substantially.”
This program provides grants towards building projects, upgrades, renovations or repairs, access to programming, meetings and events, the news release said. Grant money can also be used toward special events, programs and activities that engage the public and advance the work of veteran service organizations. More information about the program, guidelines, applications and eligibility are available through the Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Command at (306) 525-8739 or admin@sasklegion.ca.