Local Simmental breeders inducted into CSA’s Hall of Fame

By Julie Druker

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Becky Parker, 15, of Yarker, a member of the Frontenac 4H Club with Rockridge Tamara, the Orser's Simmental heifer who won Grand Championship Confirmation at the Kingston Fall Fair.

Lorne and Linda Orser were “speechless” when they were inducted into the Canadian Simmental Association’s Hall of Fame earlier this month while attending Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.

The national award was presented to the Orsers at the fair “in recognition of their dedication and commitment to the Canadian Simmental”.

They are only the second inductees into the association’s Hall of Fame, which celebrated its 40-year anniversary at the Toronto fair.

The Orsers, who have been breeding their Simmentals for close to 4 decades now on their farm on the Bellrock Road, were nominated by the Ottawa Valley Simmental Club (OVSC) and are among the Ottawa Club’s first founding members.

Simmentals first arrived in Canada in 1967 from Europe and are now a very popular breed, the second largest in North America. They are dual purpose animals primarily bred for beef.

The couple’s involvement with the breed has been long and active. The Orsers first purchased Simmental semen in 1969 and had their first calves in 1970. They have been breeding, showing, selling, and winning awards for their herd all over Ontario ever since.

In 1976 the Orsers had the first full-blooded Simmental animal in Frontenac County. In the early 1990s the Orsers, along with eight other members of the OVSC, came together and purchased a Simmental bull from France.

Lorne Orser has been a leader of the Frontenac 4H Club for 25 years, an Ontario director for the Provincial Simmental Club and also a director of the Ottawa Valley Simmental Club as well.

Lorne continues to judge shows in Eastern Ontario and Quebec.

The Orsers both have other full-time jobs. Linda works at the BMO in Kingston and Lorne works at Bettschen Construction in Odessa, so raising and tending to their herd is done during their off hours. Needless to say they are a very busy couple.

It is an obvious labour of love and Linda adds, “If Lorne had his way, he’d definitely be doing it full time.”

Congratulations to the Orsers and their thanks go out to all of their fellow breeders and friends who have supported them over the years.