Manitoba AG EX is back in Brandon next week.
The agenda will feature an expanded sheep show, the return of several cattle breed favourites and the popular “Party in the Dirt” concert once things kick off Oct. 29 at the Westoba Agricultural Centre of Excellence, attached to Brandon’s Keystone Centre.
WHY IT MATTERS: Manitoba AG EX is an annual stop for many beef purebred producers before Regina’s Western Canadian Agribition later in the year.
Organizers are excited to welcome back some long-time exhibitors and introduce new breeds.
“The Limousin has come back, and we have an impressive amount of 30 head that will be coming to the show,” said Kristen Laing Breemersch, the event’s manager of operations and acting general manager. “We have the Speckle Park, which is kind of newer into Canada, and they will be showing as well.”
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AG EX debuted its first Speckle Park cattle show back in 2018.
The event markets itself as Manitoba’s largest all-breeds cattle show. Along with livestock competitions such as the Red and Black Angus, Charolais and Hereford shows, the four-day event will feature the Supreme Breed Extravaganza on Oct. 31. The 2025 event also sees the return of the Little Lady Classic, junior show and Jackpot Bull Show.
“We are super proud to be able to hold the Supreme Breed Extravaganza … and the winner of both female and the bull go to Regina to Agribition,” Laing Breemersch said.
The last several years of the show have made space for the sheep industry, with ultrasound and shearing demonstrations and multiple show classes. In the past those have included a junior show, replacement ewe lamb and all-breeds. Last year, the fair added a feature on sheep facial recognition technology.
This year, the Manitoba Sheep Association is again broadening its participation.
“They are expanding their show and doing a market lamb. So, this year, for the first time … they have expanded their sheep show at Manitoba AG EX to include all aspects,” Laing Breemersch said.
Education a key focus for AG EX
Education remains central to the show’s mission, said Simon Atkinson, a board director and one of the sheep organizers.
AG EX typically hosts their MooMania event on one day of the show, opening up a hands-on experience for local students Grades 3 to 5. In the last few years, the fair has had a matching, sheep-focused event under the same premise, dubbed EweMania. Both return again in 2025.
“We believe in education, especially in today’s world, where so many people are now so far removed from agriculture,” he said. “It is really important to actually educate the younger generation about the truth of agriculture and what happens, where food comes from.”
AG EX runs from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1.
