We, at Stewart Cattle Co., would like to thank the Manitoba Angus Association and its membership for the nomination and the prestige of naming us the Honorary President for 2021.

In 1951, Bob Stewart married Bonnie Dunn (daughter of Watson Dunn, owner of Primrose Hereford Farms) and together had four children – Brad, Bruce, Brent, and Marilyn .

Manitoba is steeped in the history of breeding and producing quality seedstock and being competitive in the show ring. Primrose Herefords were leaders in the breed and competitive in show circles under the helm of Bob Stewart. The year, 1952, at Toronto Royal, Primrose Hereford Farm won the Premier Exhibitor banner, along with Junior and Reserve Junior Champion Bulls, the Get of Sire and the Pair of Bulls. In another Bradley article from 1957, Primrose Farm was judged Supreme Champion of the Winter Fair in Brandon.

Their two primary shows were the Manitoba Winter Fair and the Toronto Royal. Although Brandon was a short haul, going to the Royal was a great ordeal and every young man’s dream. In those days, cattle were transported by train. The trip would usually take five to six days from Brandon to Toronto. Brent Stewart made his first trip to the Toronto Royal Winter Fair at the age of nine years.  Since that day, he has made twenty-three trips with cattle and later a few judging. Bob and Brent have exhibited many steers over their history… carloads which comprised of ten head, or pens of five and single bred steers. Brent recalls, “The carloads were the most work and the most enjoyable to win, we were lucky to win it a few times.”

Stewart Cattle Co. is a direct descendant of Primrose Hereford Farm. The leadership and guidance of Brent’s father, Bob, and grandfather, Watson Dunn, established the backbone of how Stewart Cattle Co. was developed.

Brent owned his own breeding stock at the age of nine years and had a very keen interest in showing and following his father’s love of showing registered cattle. He travelled with his father to many shows starting at a young age. In 1978, Brent registered his cattle as Stewart Cattle Co., the beginning of registering cattle with the prefix of “SCC”.

In 1983, Brent and Dale were married and the couple raised a daughter, Kelsey, together the three of them worked together to build Stewart Cattle Co. In 2016, Kelsey married Tyler Thompson and they now reside in Fort Assiniboine, Alberta.

Brent, Dale and Kelsey have won Champion Steer banners on numerous occasions at the Calgary Stampede. Kelsey made nineteen trips to the Stampede before she was twenty-one years of age… the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Brent recalls, “We have made and cultivated so many great family friends from the show world. Some of the highlights of the cattle business is the great people in the show cattle world and the strong competitors which we have been fortunate to compete with.

The Stewarts ran a purebred cow/calf operation and have bred and owned registered Horned Herefords, Salers, Black Angus and Black Simmental. In 1996, we became members of the Canadian Angus Association and registered our first Black Angus. They have also run commercial cows and calved upwards of two hundred over the years. Each year they implanted thirty to forty embryos and have sold bulls and females off the farm, while over the past decade they have hosted a spring bull sale. “We are proud of our record of repeat customers who have also become friends.”

Stewart Cattle Co. has exhibited at every major show in Canada, Billings, Montana and the National Western Stock Show, Denver, Colorado. To list the winning accomplishments would take pages but banners line the walls at SCC.

Lots of late nights, early mornings and long drives… it has been quite a ride!”

On December 20, 2020 at JP Farms sale facility at McCauley, Manitoba, the entire program sold at our dispersal sale.

Howard was a tireless supporter and promoter of the Angus breed and showed steers and breeding cattle across Canada. He had an idea to select Angus show cattle from breeders and take a show string on the western show run to Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Regina. What a great undertaking for Howard to organize these events and a great promotion for the Manitoba Angus breeders.

Unfortunately Howard and two of his sons were killed in a car accident in 1970. Two sons, Doug and Bruce, survived. After many years, Howard’s youngest son Bruce has restarted the Angus Valley herd name with a small herd of Angus in the Manitou area.

Howard McRae was a well-respected leader and loved Angus cattle.