Observations

[Warren Allison]

Looks like it's a lot smaller than when I was going in the early 90's, I believe if I remember right there were at least 13 breeds represented. Among those were Charolais, the reason we went, and there were also Limousin, Gelbviehs, Beefalo, and possibly Santa Gertrudis. I know that at one point Santa Gertrudis were a breed shown at our KY State Fair held at the same facility.
Not to dredge up the old conversation but it does seem to fit. This is what happens when one breed and one hide color comes to prominence, other breeds and the genetic integrity of other breeds is lost or altered.

Schedule • Kentucky Farm Bureau Beef Expo

Yeah, I would have figured there is more Charolais in KY than red poll, or shorthorn, or Black Hereford, and wondered why there wasn't a Char sale or show. I guess the president and other officers of some state breed associations just don't want to put in the time and effort to be a presence in an event like this. Not to mention the money it costs to do it right.

 

[Ky hills]

Yeah, I would have figured there is more Charolais in KY than red poll, or shorthorn, or Black Hereford, and wondered why there wasn't a Char sale or show. I guess the president and other officers of some state breed associations just don't want to put in the time and effort to be a presence in an event like this. Not to mention the money it costs to do it right.

I was very surprised that there were no Charolais either. Reality is there aren't hardly any registered herds of Charolais left around here and this was once strong Charolais country. It probably has a lot more to do with lack of available and willing participation from the few breeders that are left than with the state associations. This used to be a pretty big deal and the sales consultants and auctioneers that worked within the breed no doubt miss the business, but I most of them are probably retired by now too.
I kind of looked around a little for a Charolais bull recently, only one fairly local longtime breeder that I know of left.
He's having a sale of his bulls at a stockyards in April and I hope to have a bull by then so that's out. The breeders that I came up around are pretty much out of the registered bull selling end of it and running commercial crosses now.
I'm not sure what's going on with Red Poll, they used to be a part of it then weren't and now evidently they are back in. Used to be a Dr here in the county that had sone Red Polls years ago, lately I only know of one person with a Red Poll bull, and I believe it got killed by lightning a year or two ago.
The Santa Gertrudis breed has a show and sale each year in July at the Western KY college of Agriculture facility. They have several breeders in western KY and evidently some younger families involved that have children showing cattle. That sale draws breeders from a few different states.
With the drop in numbers of people raising cattle period and the drop in breed representation it's a different looking picture than when I was active in going to shows and sales.