After a 24-year absence in Canada the World Angus Forum (WAF) returned to cattle country, this time in Calgary and busier than ever.

One thousand purebred Angus cattle, 770 registered delegates from 20 countries, and an army of volunteers descended on Spruce Meadows July 13-16, and Angus was the one thing on everyones mind.

The WAF takes place every four years, alternating between locations in the northern and southern hemispheres. The last time the forum was held in Canada was 1985 in Edmonton.

Doug Reid, owner of Reid Angus with his wife Kate and family, and chairman of the bid committee responsible for bringing WAF to Calgary, said it was an honor to host the event, and that this year they worked hard to draw in more people.

“What we wanted to do was change the demographics,” he said.

Reid said attendees are normally aged 55 to 75, and approximately 400 people usually attend.

This year’s WAF marked the first time that youths from across Canada and the world could fully participate, bringing in a younger crowd. About 800 breeders, buyers, sellers and Angus fans attended this years forum.

“So that’s a big accomplishment,” said Reid.

A unique embryo program was also a first at the WAF, with youths showing off the best Angus that their countries had to offer.

Embryos had to be shipped over from participating countries and implanted in 2007 to be ready for the 2009 show.

The program was a part of allowing international youth to provide living, breathing examples of how their Angus are progressing back home, hopefully generating interest for the cattle on the international market.

John Lee, chairman of the WAF organizing committee, explained that Angus are so popular because they do very well in commercial operations, adapting to climate, geography and different types of feed easily.

Angus are also know for calving ease, milking ability, being naturally polled (no horns), feed conversion, carcass quality, and having a highly marbled meat.

“Certainly in North America they are becoming the predominant breed,” he said.

“They kind of put it all together I guess.”

Lee said there’s two reasons producers attend the forum: genetics and networking.

Genetics play an important role for producers who are always looking for the best genes to produce desirable traits in their beef and breeding cattle.

“Your continually looking for new genetic traits that will compliment what you are trying to do,” Lee said.

“That’s the whole objective, to better and advance their own breeding programs.”

Reid also said Canada has a lot of offer others when it comes to genetics.

“The gene pool of any herd is significant and the genetics that Canada has to offer can be exported anywhere in the world because of our very high health standards.”

The other big important part of the WAF is networking.

Lee said “there was certainly some business done in terms of cattle being sold,” but explained it’s the contacts breeders and buyers make that could pay off big in days, months or years to come.

“It’s what you might do a year or three years down the road because of those contacts you made.”

Whether it’s bull semen and embryos purchased for Angus herds over seas, or two local producers buying and selling breeding stock, Lee said any encounters “that will actually lead to business,” are good things.

Reid said the events success is owed to the over 450 volunteers who donated their time.

“There were lots and lots of unsung hero’s that made the forum work,” he said.

“It takes a tremendous amount of volunteers,” he said, adding that “they gave selflessly of their own time.”

Cochrane producers Hamilton Farms, Reid Angus, and 3 G Ventures all exhibited cattle at the event.

The next WAF will be held in 2013, in New Zealand.

For information on Angus cattle, visit the Alberta Angus Association at www.albertaangus.ca or the Canadian Angus Association at www.cdnangus.ca

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