Glencarnock
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
The Hon. James Duncan McGregor,
Brandon, Manitoba
The Glencarnock pure-bred Aberdeen-Angus herd
was the natural result of the arrangement which Mr.
McGregor made with Walter F. C. Gordon-Cumming.
Mr. McGregor was born at Amherstburg, Ontario, in
1860, and came to Western Canada with his father in
1877. He followed his father's business and for many
years his interests were entirely in commercial cattle.
Even after he became interested in the pure-bred
cattle business and owned a great many pure-bred
cattle, his herds were handled largely on a
commercial basis.
From its inception the Glencarnock herd was run on
an extensive scale. Many bulls were raised and were
sold to farmers and ranchers, but during the first ten
years of his breeding operations Mr. McGregor made
little, if any, attempt to add females from other herds or
place the herd on a show basis. During this period,
however, some very large bull deals were handled. On
occasion, fifty bulls were sold in one group.
Brandon, Manitoba
The Glencarnock pure-bred Aberdeen-Angus herd
was the natural result of the arrangement which Mr.
McGregor made with Walter F. C. Gordon-Cumming.
Mr. McGregor was born at Amherstburg, Ontario, in
1860, and came to Western Canada with his father in
1877. He followed his father's business and for many
years his interests were entirely in commercial cattle.
Even after he became interested in the pure-bred
cattle business and owned a great many pure-bred
cattle, his herds were handled largely on a
commercial basis.
From its inception the Glencarnock herd was run on
an extensive scale. Many bulls were raised and were
sold to farmers and ranchers, but during the first ten
years of his breeding operations Mr. McGregor made
little, if any, attempt to add females from other herds or
place the herd on a show basis. During this period,
however, some very large bull deals were handled. On
occasion, fifty bulls were sold in one group.
About eight or nine years after the herd was established, Mr. McGregor went to the Yukon territory for the
Dominion Government (during the Klondyke gold rush) and was absent for approximately four years.
During his absence the herd was maintained in good condition and good bulls were used, but no
attempt was made to extend its operations.
The real rise of Glencarnock as one of Canada's great breeding establishments dates from the time that
the good bull Prince of Benton -828-, bred by Clement Stephenson, by Albion (6525) and out of Pride of
Aberdeen 96th (22523), was secured from the old country. Shortly after Mr. McGregor returned from the
Klondyke in the early years of this century, he arranged with James Bowman of Guelph, Ontario, to go to
the old country and secure an outstanding bull for their joint use. The importation of Prince of Benton
-828- in 1902 was the result. About the same time Mr. McGregor commenced to buy quite a number of
females in the United States. He did not buy many show cattle, but selected good breeding cows which,
in many cases, were purchased at moderate prices. The foundations were then laid for the development
which followed within a short time. One of the valuable cows purchased at this time was Rubicon
Mignonne 12th, from which the McGregor Mignonnes were developed.
THE FIRST GLENCARNOCK IMPORTATION
In 1909 Mr. McGregor and his son Hilton visited Scotland and selected ten head for the Glencarnock herd
at Brandon. The cattle arrived in Canada in March, 1910. From the herd of the Dowager Countess of
Seafield, Cullen, Banffshire, Scotland, he secured Edith Erica (46100) (afterwards a first prize winner at
Chicago), Erica's Effort (46101), and Our Pretty Rose (4457), the latter a Rose of Westertown that was a
prominent winner in the old country.
From Alexander Strachan, Wester Fowlis, Alford, Aberdeenshire, he secured Eniteo (46218), an Erica by
Enjoiner and Bonnie Bouquet 6th (44542), a Miss Burgess by Erotic (25582). This cow was the
foundress of the Miss Burgess family in the. McGregor herd, and has been a very important factor in
determining the prices of much of the Glencarnock stock. She was a good producer. From the Earl of
Roseberry he secured three head, including Erica of Dalmeny 2nd (44420) and Esteril of Dalmeny
(46067), both by the great bull Ebbero (20399).
Probably the most sensational animal imported in this shipment was Violet 3rd of Congash (39314)
from the herd of John McAinsh, Congash, Granton-on-Spey, Morayshire, Scotland. This cow was
awarded first in the cow class at the Highland show before she was brought to Canada. She was shown
extensively and successfully in Canada and was not defeated. At the Chicago International in 1910 she
stood second in the cow class, but two years later she won the class and the senior championship.
THE SECOND GLENCARNOCK IMPORTATION
A second importation was made in 1912, which included five bulls and twelve females. This select group
of cattle did a great deal to establish Glencarnock as one of the leading herds in North America.
The bulls were the six year old Just Jeshurun of Morlich (25823), the two year old Expert of Dalmeny
(30561), the yearling Evreux of Harviestoun (31905), and the bull calf Major of Wester Fowlis (33484) with
his dam Escallonia 2nd of Wester Fowlis. The first mentioned bull was used in the herd for a time, but
died as the result of an accident soon after his arrival in Canada. The second was a good show bull for a
time, but was disposed of to John R. Hume of Souris, Manitoba, who later sold him to Noble Smith of the
same place. Evreux of Harviestoun turned out the best of these bulls. Several of the females sired by him
did well in the McGregor herd, but he did not live long enough after he was sold to the United States to
give much of an account of himself.
The females included: Beauty 36th of Hayston (46348) a first prize two year old at Perth show from the
herd of James Whyte, Hayston, Glamis, Scotland, and Queen Rosie of Cullen (47884) from the Dowager
Countess of Seafield, Cullen, Banffshire, Scotland. Queen Rosie was also a Perth winner, and, when
shown at Chicago in December, 1912, stood first in the two year old class. She was a good breeder and
produced regularly until she was fourteen years old. Elandina (49064) from the herd of George R.
Hastilow, Achnagonaln, Granton-on-Spey, Scotland, was the foundress of the Elba Erica family in the
McGregor herd. In the sale held at Brandon, Manitoba, in 1918, she sold for $1,800.00, and her
descendants sold in the sale averaged around $1,500.00.
Norma Gordon of Glenlogie (4913) by the great bull Metaphor (27161) was another good matron in the
lot. She was a very fine breeder and went to the herd owned by the Dominion Government Experimental
Farm at Lacombe, Alberta. She left some daughters at Glencarnock, and a granddaughter, Pride of Good
Hope -30728-, won the female grand champion- ship at Brandon in 1927, for S. S. Carscadden, Virden,
Manitoba, and was sold by him to C. P. Montague Francis, Routledge, Manitoba, for whom she was a
good breeder.
In December, 1912, James D. McGregor exhibited a herd of cattle at the Chicago International show,
headed by Leroy 3rd of Meadowbrook -4625-, an American bred bull. Leroy won the aged bull class and
was awarded the grand champion- ship; Violet 3rd of Congash (39314) was awarded first in the cow
class; Queen Rosie of Cullen (47884) was the first prize two year old heifer; and these three with a
yearling heifer and a heifer calf, won first for graded herd.
For the first time in the history of the great Chicago show a Canadian exhibitor won important prizes in
the Aberdeen-Angus classes. This was an unusual feat, but the winning of the prizes mentioned were
over-shadowed when the home bred two year old steer "Glencarnock Victor" weighing 1,630 pounds,
was awarded the grand championship in the fat steer section of the show. The following year
"Glencarnock Victor 2nd" was awarded the supreme championship in the steer section at Chicago. The
winnings by McGregor's pure-bred cattle followed by the winning of the grand championship for steers
twice in succession, did more than any other incidents in the history of the breed in Canada to direct the
attention of cattlemen in Canada to the Aberdeen-Angus breed.
The Glencarnock cattle were shown extensively from 1908 to 1925, and to a lesser extent thereafter.
During that period they were awarded more prizes than any herd in the country. A large number of good
bulls were developed. Evreux of Harviestoun (31905), imported as a yearling in 1912, developed into a
great bull. As a four year old in 1915 he was unbeaten in the show ring, although some would consider
him rather big. At the top of his form he weighed 2,500 pounds. He was sold in 1916 to C. D. & E. F.
Caldwell, Burlington brook -4625- and out of Pride of Cherokee 19th -4005-. Both sire and dam were
secured by Mr. McGregor in the United States. This bull sired more calves in the Glencarnock herd than
any other sire.
A large number of the males were used as breeding bulls, and many of the females were added to the
breeding herd. Blackcap McGregor -12813- out of Blackcap McHenry 100th -4988-, was an outstanding
son of Edward of Glencarnock, and he followed his famous father as chief stock bull. When Blackcap
McGregor died in 1921, Mr. McGregor went to the United States and purchased the two year old Blackcap
Revolution -27530- by Earl Marshall -18154- and out of Blackcap McHenry 104th -21273-, for $4,100.00.
He was a great show bull and an even greater sire. He was never defeated in Canada, and in 1923 he
was awarded the grand championship at the Chicago International show, and was sold for $15,000.00
to H. O. Harrison of Woodland, California, who was then laying the foundation of a herd. He was used
with great success, and it may be safely said that Blackcap Revolution exerted as great an influence on
the breed in North America as any other bull in the past twenty-five years. He was followed at
Glencarnock by a son, Edward Glencarnock -31940-, and he in turn was followed by Earl Eric of
Glencarnock 3rd -42868-, as chief stock bull.
In July, 1918, Mr. McGregor sold about 125 head of cattle at Brandon, Manitoba, by public auction. The
entire offering averaged $792.00 a head. Elandina (49064) and her descendants were the feature of the
sale averaging as they did over $1,500.00 a head. In 1920 he sold a few head in Chicago in a joint sale
to which three other breeders contributed cattle. At that time he sold Elba of Glencarnock -10846- to
Hamilton Brothers, Good Hope, Illinois, U.S.A., for $3,975.00. In July 1920 he sold a number of cattle in a
joint sale at Brandon, Manitoba, where one of his Missies descended from Missie 3rd of Glenconglass
(13735), realized $1,600.00.
In the main, however, Mr. McGregor sold his cattle by private treaty. Between 1912 and 1920 he sold
hundreds of pure-bred Aberdeen-Angus cattle in Western Canada and a few in other places on the North
American continent. Between December 1923 when Blackcap Revolution was awarded the grand
championship at the Chicago International, and December 1927, he sold approximately $150,000.00
worth of cattle to United States buyers.
During his entire career as a breeder, Mr. McGregor was deeply interested in steer production and was a
great believer in the value of the show yard. He was mainly responsible for the establishment of The
Manitoba Winter Fair and Fat Stock Show at Brandon, Manitoba. From 1907 until 1927 he exhibited
steers at that show in great numbers. He won many grand championships and many lesser prizes. He
presented a handsome silver shield to the show to be awarded annually to the exhibitor of the grand
champion fat animal. The McGregor Shield is still the most coveted award at Brandon and the name of
the donor is inscribed on several of the smaller shields, one of which is attached each year to the panel
on which the shield is mounted, to indicate the name of the winner. His outstanding achievement as an
exhibitor of steers was the winning of the supreme award at Chicago in 1912, and again in 1913. That
feat has not been duplicated by any other exhibitor.
The Glencarnock herd was almost sold out in 1932, but a few cattle were maintained for a short time
thereafter. Mr. McGregor's youngest son, Kenneth, retained a number of the best breeding females and
later established a large herd at the Gwenmawr Stock Farm, Brandon, Manitoba, where the blood of the
Glencarnock cattle is still carrying on.
During a long and active life Mr. McGregor interested himself in many public enterprises and helped to
institute many undertakings for the improvement of agricultural conditions. In 1929 his services in the
public interest were recognized by the Government of Canada by his appointment to the position of
Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba, a position which he occupied until the end of 1934. He died in March,
1935.
Crawford, F. W., Aberdeen-Angus Cattle in Canada, 1944. pp 20-26
In 1928 James D. McGregor sent a shipment of about twenty head to Australia, mostly to the New South
Wales Government. This shipment was followed by one or two smaller consignments to Australia and
one to New Zealand. [Crawford 1944, page 112]