Fur Institute of Canada and Canadian Seal Products sponsor up-and-coming Quebec bull rider Benjamin Shaw

OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 7, 2026--

As rodeo and Western culture continue to grow in popularity across Canada, the Fur Institute of Canada and its Canadian Seal Products initiative are sponsoring Quebec bull rider Benjamin Shaw for the remainder of his 2026 season. The partnership will help cover competition, training and travel expenses while introducing rodeo audiences to Canada’s fur and sealing sectors.

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Originally from Gaspésie and now based in Montreal, Shaw, 24, came to bull riding after pursuing demanding, high-adrenaline challenges and serving as an infantry soldier in the Canadian Armed Forces. Drawn to the sport’s intensity and constant demand for improvement, he gained recognition in 2025 by winning the Jackpot at Ranch Gagnon and BullMania in Sorel-Tracy.

This season, Shaw is competing at rodeos across Quebec and Ontario as he continues refining his technique, gaining experience and establishing himself on the Canadian rodeo circuit.

His next scheduled competition is at the Expo de Lotbinière’s Rodéo de Saint-Agapit, where a draw will determine whether he competes on Friday, August 7, or Saturday, August 8, as well as the bull he will ride. He is also scheduled to appear at the Festival du Cochon de Sainte-Perpétue on August 21 and 22 and the Festival Western d’Inverness from September 3 to 6.

The partnership will provide the Fur Institute of Canada and Canadian Seal Products with visibility at rodeos, Western festivals and agricultural fairs. Their branding will appear on Shaw’s competition vest and trailer and in photos, videos and social media content documenting his training, travel and experiences on the rodeo circuit.

At selected events, the organizations will host information booths where attendees can learn about Canada’s fur and sealing sectors and the uses of Canadian seal products. Displays may include seal oil, pet food and clothing, along with information about the people, communities and traditions behind them.

“Rodeos, agricultural fairs and Western festivals are a fixture of rural communities, much like Canada’s fur and sealing sectors,” said Doug Chiasson, Executive Director of the Fur Institute of Canada. “Benjamin brings determination, discipline and perseverance to his sport. We are proud to support a young Quebec athlete as he builds his career and helps us introduce new audiences to Canadian fur and seal products.”

“Having the support and trust of the Fur Institute of Canada and Canadian Seal Products makes a meaningful difference as I continue competing and developing as an athlete,” said Shaw. “Rodeo has a long history in Canada, and so do the fur and sealing sectors, so this is a great opportunity to bring these two parts of our heritage together.”

The partnership will also include promotional appearances, social media content and on-site activities featuring Shaw at selected events throughout the season.

For more information on the Fur Institute of Canada, visit fur.ca, the Canadian Seal Products website at canadiansealproducts.com, and to follow Benjamin on Instagram: @benjjjshaw

About the Fur Institute of Canada / Canadian Seal Products

The Fur Institute of Canada is the national voice for the fur sector, including the seal industry, through the Seals & Sealing Network (SSN). SSN brings together Canada’s sealing industry harvesters, processors, manufacturers, retailers, and Indigenous peoples to promote and market high-quality and sustainable Canadian Seal Products (seal oil, seal meat, seal fur) through its Canadian Seal Products and Proudly Indigenous Crafts & Designs brands.

About Benjamin Shaw

Benjamin Shaw is a 24-year-old bull rider from Gaspésie who is now based in Montreal. Competing at rodeos throughout Quebec and Ontario, he is focused on continuing his athletic development, improving his competitive performance and building a long-term career within Canadian bull riding.

Benjamin Shaw mounting the bull in the bucking chute at the Expo agricole de Saint-Hyacinthe on July 29, 2026.

Benjamin Shaw competing in the bull riding event while sporting the Fur Institute of Canada and Canadian Seal Products logos at the Expo agricole de Saint-Hyacinthe on July 29, 2026.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate overwhelmingly approved a punishing Russian sanctions package Friday, the result of a year-long campaign by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham to reinforce U.S. support for Ukraine and try to force President Vladimir Putin’s hand as the grinding war drags on.

The bipartisan legislation, which passed the Senate 86-11, would penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports seeking to deprive Putin of revenues fueling the war. It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Capitol hours after Graham’s funeral, met with senators from both parties and watched from the gallery as the Senate took the first procedural votes last week on the sweeping legislation.

“Today, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine — and Putin is watching from Moscow,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who had worked with the late South Carolina senator on the package.

“I would like to think Lindsey Graham is watching, too,” he said. “Today we say to the people of Ukraine: You are not alone. And today we say to Vladimir Putin: You will not conquer Ukraine.”

The sweeping show of force from the Senate is the most substantial move yet during President Donald Trump’s second term to shift the dynamic of the more than four-year war, which has now churned longer than World War I. Congress has struggled to ensure U.S. funding and munitions flows to Ukraine, but Trump has given a nod to the sanctions package, putting pressure for the House to take it up for a vote and send it to the White House for his signature.

Graham and Blumenthal had announced a deal with the White House on the sanctions legislation on July 10 after more than a year of negotiations with the White House. Graham, who had just returned from Ukraine, died suddenly the next day, likely from an aortic tear.

The bipartisan package that carries Graham’s name allows the president to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, including China and India. It provides exceptions for countries that import less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and are taking steps to reduce those imports.

The legislation also includes sanctions on Putin, senior Russian political and military leaders, Russian financial institutions and Russian energy projects. It would expand U.S. sanctions to target older, reflagged oil tankers that Russia uses to circumvent existing U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and energy revenues.

Democrats and some Republicans have been wary of giving Trump broad authority to slap tariffs on imports that have spiked prices for goods, worried about inflation and high costs of living for Americans. Those voting against the final package were mostly progressive Democrats.

The negotiated bill also includes waiver authority for the president, allowing the White House to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that the waiver is in the national interest.

Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., who was appointed by the state’s governor to fill her brother’s seat, said he was determined to bring an end to the Ukraine war, and she was honored to carry on his work. “This legislation hits Putin where it hurts,” she said.

FILE - Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., introduces Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, during a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing on the nomination Lunday for Commandant of the Coast Guard, Nov. 19, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)