Saskatchewan Angus Association

Awards and Honours

Purebred Breeder of the Year

Nominations for Saskatchewan Purebred Breeder of the Year are accepted during the Annual General Meeting each year and are voted on by the membership at the meeting. The winner is presented with their award at an event of their choice and they are featured on the cover article of the Fall issue of the Angus Edge newsletter.

Kenray brand - IMG_4555
Kenray Logo

2021 Purebred Breeder of the Year: Kenray Ranch - Redvers, SK

The 2021 Saskatchewan Angus Association (SAA) Breeder of the Year should be a familiar name to those involved in our Association in recent years. The Kyle family of Kenray Ranch are supporters and sponsors of their community and the livestock industry, volunteering their time and assistance whenever possible. Sheldon has been an SAA board member since 2014, served as the President in 2018 and he is currently the President of the Canadian Angus Association. Sheldon has been a mentor to young producers and the family have been involved in hosting the last two Saskatchewan Angus tours that have been held close to their area.

Sheldon has also been involved with the local Co-Op board and Canadian Western Agribition committees. He was part of the Canadian Young Leaders Program and has had the opportunity to travel to the United States, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand meeting new people and touring cattle operations.

The original homestead of the ranch was started in 1902.  In 1971 the Kenray ranch was officially formed as a partnership between Ken Kyle and his son Ray Kyle. 1971 was a special year as it also marked the marriage of Ray and Donelda Kyle. The farm started off as a mixed farm in the early years and started importing Simmentals from Germany in 1973.  During that particular time period there was a large demand for Simmental genetics but also a lot of supply; prompting the partnership to dissolve in 1986 and the dispersal of the Simmental program. 

In the fall in 1986 Ray and Donelda took a trip out to Moose Creek Red Angus and bought a package of bred heifers that became the source of their foundation genetics.  In 1989 they went to Flying K Red Angus and purchased four bred females along with Dynamo 6Y. Dynamo become one of their foundation sires in which many cattle trace back to this day.  The herd grew over the years to where it is today and they now calve out roughly 200 females.

Local community involvement was very important to Ray and Donelda - they were involved in the Co-Op boards, the tourism booth, as well as local curling and hockey.  4-H was a very important organization as well and Sheldon was a member for many years.  This led to Kenray Ranch showing at Agribition for the first time in 1993 and they haven’t missed many since.  One of their biggest accomplishments was when a bull called Red Lakeford Kapton 7M, who they co-owned with Jackson Cattle Company, was crowned Grand Champion Red Angus bull at Canadian Western Agribition and was a top 10 finalist in the RBC Beef Supreme. In the early days they were quite involved in the showring and now have transitioned to exhibiting cattle in the Yards. Agribition has always been a great place to meet new people and share new ideas whether it is an afternoon cocktail on the tack box or a late-night discussion at the Swamp.  The Kyle’s value so many people they have met over the years and consider the following people as key mentors in their program: Ray & Glenn Ippolito, Levi Jackson, Barry Young, Dale Easton, Cathy Piller, Blair & Lois McRae and Trent Liebreich.

Ray and Donelda had two sons.  The oldest is Lyndon who along with his wife Karmen have three children: Layne, Reese and Tyson.  Lyndon works as a journeyman mechanic in Carlyle and the whole family is close by to lend a hand on the farm when needed.

The youngest of the brothers is Sheldon and along with his better half Ella Wright, they have a son named Oliver. 

Sheldon obtained his Animal Science degree at the University of Saskatchewan in Agriculture in 2000.  After university he took the time to travel the world spending seven months in Australia, working in the feed industry in Brandon and Calgary as well as a lender for TD Canada Trust in Red Deer. Sheldon returned to the farm full time in the fall of 2006.  Along with the day-to-day farm management duties Sheldon also is an ag retailer for Norheim Ranching. 

Ella is also very busy with her livestock photography and graphic design company.  She is one of the most respected dairy photographers in the world and has travelled extensively globally providing on farm photography services to breeders and at many major Livestock Shows. 

Kenray has built a solid long-term business and would offer tips to new breeders such as: don’t sell anything you wouldn’t keep, stay in contact with your customers, do research, don’t follow fads, and trust your gut.   For many years Kenray offered their bulls by private treaty and select females in consignment sales.  Additionally, they were involved in a couple of bull sales with Moose Creek as well as Levi Jackson.  They have many long-term customers throughout western Canada and into the U.S.  Most of their commercial customers are second to third generation and have done business with Kenray for many years. For the last few years their bull marketing has switched to an online sale typically held the first week in April.  Kenray has had online female sales for many years and has even successfully marketed F1 heifers on twitter when twitter was in its infancy.  As leaders in innovation and new ideas in marketing Kenray partnered with Wraz Red Angus and formed the Pride of the Prairies Female Sale in 2016.  This year will mark a special year for them as on December 11 they will offer up the mature cow herd (“D-Z’s”).  The Kenray cowherd foundation are deep ribbed, good footed, good uddered cows that have to work hard.  They typically graze as long as they can and often stay in the field up to a week before calving.

The Kyles really enjoy cow tours and their Texas-like hospitality is second to none.  The most influential sires of their program are Dynamo 6Y, Mar Mac Indicator 30Z, as well as SSS Staunch 64Y and a milestone was the export of Dynamo 6Y to Argentina in 1994.  The most influential cow families to their program are the Lana, Rosa, Baroness and Thelma cow families.

Sadly, on March 24 Donelda passed away at the age of 69. November 6th, 2021 would have marked Ray and Donelda’s 50th wedding anniversary. Donelda grew up on a mixed farm just south of Carlyle. Her major ranch roles over the years was in the paperwork; registering the cattle, lending a hand where needed and trying to make sure the boys stayed out of trouble.  She had a very keen eye for cattle and selected some of the top cow families.  Donelda made many friends at all the cattle shows/sales and was always ready for a laugh.  She loved family time and spending time with her four grandchildren. 

This fall Kenray Ranch was very pleased and excited to make history at the 49th Annual Red Round-up, selling their Merit Cattle Co. Red-carrier partnership heifer, Kenray Merit Freyja 36H as the high-seller to Meadow Creek. They look forward to where Freyja will take them!

Kenray Ranch is a true family operation as they work and make decisions as a family.  They love getting out and supporting agriculture events and meeting new people.  Oliver just attended his first Canadian Junior Angus Showdown and judging by the pictures and dialogue it will be the start of many youth events to come. The future looks bright for Kenray Ranch and the Kyle family.

Congratulations! Being named the 2021 Breeder of the Year is a reward well deserved.

Commercial Producer of the Year

Nominations for the Saskatchewan Commercial Producer of the Year are accepted from the membership until August 15th each year and are decided on by the board in the fall. The winner is presented with their award at an event of their choice and they are featured as the cover article of the Spring issue of the Angus Edge newsletter.

L to R: SAA Directors Dale Easton, Brennan Schachtel, and Michelle Potapinski (President), presenting Trent
Macnab with the award and Mitch Stuart
L to R: SAA Directors Dale Easton, Brennan Schachtel, and Michelle Potapinski (President), presenting Trent Macnab with the award and Mitch Stuart

2021 Commercial Producer of the Year: Maple Ridge Ranch, Mervin, SK

Integrity, perseverance, and innovation is at the heart of Maple Ridge Ranch.  Located east of the small town of Mervin in North West Saskatchewan, the Macnab family has been a mainstay in the community since 1906.  They were one of the first families to settle in the Daysville School District.

Agriculture has always been the primary passion of the Macnab family.  Every family member has farmed or ranched in some capacity since they moved to the area.  The brothers (Gary, Glen and Greg) were one of the first to grow Roundup Ready Canola.  They were also early adopters of swath grazing, using the practice in the early nineties.  The cow herd at the time was predominantly Hereford based.  Over the years, several management practices were changed.  Calving was moved to later spring calving with the cow herd moving to an Angus base.

Gary and Bonny were married in 1982 and bought their existing farm from Gratton Shier in 1985.  They have three kids, Trent (1985), Michael (1988) and Rebecca (1991).  

Michael, Joelene and Atli live close to the main ranch.  Michael works full time as an oilfield operator and works on the ranch on days off.  Joelene works for a local insurance agent and they recently had their first child Atli. 

After college, Trent worked for BHP Billiton at the Ekati diamond mine in North West Territories as a geologist.  After five years, Trent decided to ranch full time and in 2013 Trent and Kacie were married.  Kacie is a high school teacher in near by Glaslyn. Trent and Kacie, along with Charlotte, June and Redford recently purchased a farm from Trent’s aunt a few miles away from the main ranch. This yard was originally one of the first major cattle operations in the area which was developed by Adam Ferrari.  A portion of the cow herd is managed here throughout the year.

Rebecca, Garret, Ransom and Ada live in Tutleford and stop in and help regularly.

At the heart of Macnab’s business plan is maximizing the amount of grazing days throughout the year.  While it takes proper grazing management and planning, the genetic base of the herd has allowed them to shrink days on feed. Cows and calves are wintered on swath grazing through December and January.  Trent says “it lowers the workload and allows more time for family”.  Home raised calves are preconditioned then weaned in late January.

Cows begin calving on April 25th, with the expectation that every cow will be able to calve, nurse and raise a calf on their own.  Bred heifers are no exception, they calve with the main cow herd.   To quote Gary “since we started using Angus bulls, a lot of our problems went away”. The herd is split into three groups at calving at three different locations, with 100 cows in each group. 

In 2016 the family made the switch from selling calves off the cow to marketing yearling steers and heifers the following September.  Trent says “The decision to move to marketing yearlings was driven by moving back calving dates, managing pasture efficiently and streamlining business decisions”.

Angus based steers are purchased from a few local ranchers in the fall to add to their own.  They are purchased in December, processed and lightly backgrounded until mid April, at which time they are put on stockpiled grass. In May, they are sent to Fairholme community pasture, where Trent is a board member.  Yearlings are typically sold online in September.  Last fall Trent advertised a group of steers that they were selling on social media.  An Ontario feedlot manager contacted Trent for details and a few days later they were sold online and heading to that Ontario buyer. 

Black Angus bulls are purchased from local seedstock producers that fit the management and goals of their operation.  More emphasis is placed on functionality of purchased bulls rather than numbers.

Trent partnered with Mark McNinch in 2015 to form McMac Ranching. They specialize in marketing cover crop seed blends through Union Forage.  Trent and Mark use the same blends that they market on their own operations.  The blends have helped with their extended grazing goals while still ensuring maximum feed quality going into late fall.

When not raising kids, cattle and crops the family keeps busy with team roping, hockey and cross country skiing.  The Macnab family has a team roping arena that annually hosts the Midwest Roping Association.  Trent also coaches U7 hockey in Turtleford. 

The Macnab family are great promoters of the cattle industry and continue to lead in innovative strategies for beef production.   If you have met any of the family, you will know why they are held in such high regard in the community. 

Congratulations to the Macnabs on being named Commercial Producer of the Year!

Saskatchewan Honourary President

The Honourary President is elected by the membership during the Annual General Meeting. The title of Honourary President is given for recognition without the usual requirements, duties, and privileges that formally go along with the role of the president. An award is presented to the recipient at a venue of their choice and they are recognized in The Angus Edge newsletter.

Michelle Potapinski, SAA President, Suzanne, Clint and Alexi
Michelle Potapinski, SAA President, Suzanne, Clint and Alexi

2021 Honourary President: Clint Smith, Breed Creek Ranch - Mankota, SK

A note from Clint - Thank you, it is very humbling to have been nominated as the honorary president of the Saskatchewan Angus Association for 2021.

Suzanne, myself and our three kids Éric, Luc and Alexi run Breed Creek Ranch. The kids represent the 5th generation to work our operation. We are located 20 miles southwest of Mankota, which is just north of the Grasslands National Park.

Although we are no longer a purebred operation like past years, our herd base is centered around the Angus cow. 2021 was a very trying year as it was for many and we have had to downsize our herd considerably. The Angus cow will pull us through and help us to rebuild to pre-drought numbers. 

I really enjoyed my years as a director and president of Saskatchewan Angus Association and all the great people that I had a chance to meet and work with along the way.

Clint Smith 

Congratulations to Clint Smith on being named Honourary President!

Canadian Honourary President

The Honourary President is elected by the membership during the Annual General Meeting. The title of Honourary President is given for recognition without the usual requirements, duties, and privileges that formally go along with the role of the president. A pin is presented to the recipient at the Canadian Angus Association Annual General Meeting and they are recognized in the CAA Annual Report.

Keith and Linda Kaufmann
Keith and Linda Kaufmann

2021 Honourary President: Keith Kaufmann, South View Ranch - Ceylon, SK

Keith Kaufmann resides in the rolling hills of southern Saskatchewan with its wide-open spaces and beautiful countryside. He has been involved in the agriculture industry, mainly the cattle sector, his entire life. Upon graduation in 1971, he took over the family farm and after marrying Linda in 1973, together they expanded the farm to what today is known as South View Ranch. They were blessed with two children, Shane and Stacey.

The Angus cow was definitely their breed of choice with positive attributes in all aspects from the pasture to the plate. The first few years they ran commercial cattle. In 1990 Keith and Shane purchased 10 purebred Red Angus, one that Shane used as a 4-H project. Thus began the Red Angus division. A few years later Black Angus females were added. Today more than 500 Red and Black Angus females roam the hills of South View Ranch. An annual bull sale is held the second Friday in April. Keith is especially proud to have Shane, his wife Alexis and their four children Keaton, Kamrie, Kohen and Korbyn as part of the operation. With the fourth generation showing a keen interest and taking on day-to-day tasks, the future looks bright for South View Ranch.

Keith was always intent on staying on top of what was happening in the cattle industry by attending meetings, seminars and joining committees. He was a director on the Saskatchewan Angus Association Board from 1998 to 2009 as well as a director on the Canadian Angus Association Board from 2002 to 2005 and 2006 to 2009. He also served as the Angus representative on the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association for a number of years.

Community involvement has also been important to Keith. He has been involved with municipal government since 1980 serving as councilor, reeve and is currently deputy reeve. He also sat on the vet board, park board, Agriculture Development and Diversification (ADD) Board and Lions Club. He initiated the idea of a feedlot in the region in 2000. Five years later Border Line Feeders, a 12,000 head community owned feedlot went into operation south of Ceylon.

Keith has met and worked with many outstanding cattlemen and women. He has thoroughly enjoyed his many years promoting the Angus breed. It is very humbling and rewarding when you are recognized for your accomplishments by your peers. In 2009 South View Ranch was awarded Saskatchewan Angus Purebred Breeder of the Year, in 2010 Keith received the Golden Sheaf Award and in 2019 Keith and Linda were one of three recipients for the Saskatchewan Livestock Association Honour Scroll.

Congratulations to Keith Kaufmann on being named Honourary President!

Saskatchewan Angus Heritage Award

Each year the Saskatchewan Angus Association recognizes members for their perseverance, vision and dedication to the development of the Angus breed.

2021 Recipients: John Brown Family, Carlyle, SK and Wes Glennie of Glennie Bros. Angus, Carnduff, SK

SAA Heritage Award - The Brown Family, presented by Michelle Potapinski, SAA President
SAA Heritage Award - Presented by Michelle Potapinski, SAA President, to Wes Glenne