He may be pursuing his football dreams south of the border these days, but former Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Chris Streveler hasn’t been forgotten.
Streveler, a part of the team’s historic Grey Cup championship last year, became a fan favourite due to both his play on the field and his memorable moves outside of the game — most notably his alcohol-fueled antics at the parade, wearing a fur coat and cowboy hat.
He signed with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals in the off-season, but his legacy has lived on with Bomber fans in some unexpected ways.
Most recently, a Manitoba farmer named a bull after him.
Like the quarterback himself, Tri-N Streveler 971G is a champion — Canada’s highest-priced Charolais bull.
“I’ve been a Bomber fan my entire life and this is by far the best bull we’ve ever raised,” said farmer Jesse Nykoliation, of Kenton, Man., about 20 minutes northeast of Virden.
“I think Streveler is the best quarterback I’ve seen in some time too, eh? It’s only fitting to honour them after winning the Cup after 29 years.”
Living close to the Saskatchewan border in the southwest corner of Manitoba, Nykoliation told 680 CJOB there are a lot of Roughriders fans nearby — so naming the bull after a Bomber is just another way to show his support for blue and gold in enemy territory.
Like his football-playing namesake, Streveler the bull has physically moved on to the U.S., after being sold to a farm in Missouri, but a part of him continues to travel the world.
The bull — a rare red Charolais — is highly desirable among cattle farmers for breeding purposes, so his collected semen continues to sell.
“His genetics are going worldwide here. He’s getting collected to have calves in Canada, USA and Australia, and we’re currently working on a deal to get him into Mexico and South America,” said Nykoliation.
“His genetics are extremely good… Streveler the football player would be proud.”
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