Preston Mason of Ormstown stepped into the big ring at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair for his TD Canadian 4-H Dairy Classic debut and walked away a champion.
With the win, 14-year-old Mason’s March yearling, Bonnieglen Moka Anna, became the first Canadienne heifer to be named champion of the coloured breeds section in TD Classic history.
Mason began working with the heifer at the beginning of the year. “We really click together. She knows me and I know her, and I know how to place her. We’re just a really good pair,” he said. The partnership wasn’t on full display during the showmanship competition on November 10 but came together the following day for the conformation class.
“It’s a really big ring,” said Mason. “I just tried to keep my cool, but it is a very anxious and nervous time,” he added, noting the competition was at the highest level in Canada. “When the judge chose me first in my class, I was almost confused because it was my first year going, [and] she’s a Canadienne, which is almost an unknown breed to most people. I was like, ‘holy shoot, he picked me!’.”
The Canadienne dairy breed is descended from cattle imported by French settlers in the 1600s, making it the only dairy cattle breed that is native to North America. Once Canada’s most common breed, the animals are now listed as vulnerable on the Rare Breeds Canada Conservation List.
Mason said he inherited his passion for Canadienne cattle from his mother, Julie, noting she has been working along with other breeders to revive the breed. He credits his supportive parents and his involvement in the Ormstown 4-H club for instilling a sense of confidence in the ring.
He described the atmosphere at The Royal as organized chaos, with early mornings, strict time schedules, cramped spaces, and narrow alleyways. Despite the challenges, he said it was a “really good experience,” thanks in large part to the support from his Quebec South West teammates. “They helped me a lot, and they made the top line for my calf,” he explained, noting he worked with teammate Mathieu Proulx to prepare his heifer on both show days.
Now that the showing season has come to an end, Mason will retire Bonnieglen Moka Anna from 4-H competitions, but she will continue to be shown in open classes next year during the fair circuit. He plans to begin working with a new calf come spring, with hopes of returning to Toronto next fall.