Alberta Holstein Association
Supporting Breeders Since 1935
2025 Curtis Clark Award
2025 CURTIS CLARK AWARD WINNER
Orville Schmidt (left) of Alberta, Chairman of the Curtis Clark Achievement Award Committee, presents the 2025 Curtis Clark Achievement Award at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair to winner Herb Henderson of Hendercroft Holsteins, Ashton, Ont. (Photo by Ella Wright.)
PAST AND PRESENT CLARK WINNERS
Past and present Curtis Clark Achievement Award winners gather for a photo at the 2025 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Ont. From left, front row: Rolly Dubois, Clark Committee Chairman Orville Schmidt, 2025 Clark Award winner Herb Henderson, Brian Sayles, and John Buckley. Back row: Harold Patterson, Larry Bennett, Andrew Vander Meulen, Simon Lalande, Jeff Nurse, Don Chalack, Callum McKinven, Gord Rendle, Ridley Wikkerink, Markus Hehli, Don Schwartz, Joel Phoenix, Marc Comtois and Gerald Coughlin. Jr. (Photo by Ella Wright.)
Herb Henderson Wins 2025 Curtis Clark Achievement Award
Herb Henderson of Hendercroft Holsteins, Ashton, ON, won the 2025 Curtis Clark Achievement Award presented on November 14th at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, ON.
Herb Henderson, 62, is a humble man whose passion for good cows and showing is seldom equalled. Recipient of a Holstein Canada Master Breeder award in 2001, Henderson has bred and developed one of Canada’s most consistent breeding and show herds. A longtime exhibitor at local and major shows, Hendercroft Holsteins has been Premier Breeder 15X and Premier Exhibitor 6X at the Eastern Ontario/Western Quebec (EO/WQ) Championship Show and was runner-up for Premier Breeder at the Royal Winter Fair National Holstein Show in 2023. Hendercroft has earned multiple All-Canadian and All-Ontario Holstein nominations and Herb is particularly proud of his Breeder’s Herd nominations which include Reserve All-Canadian Breeder’s Herd in 2018 and 2023 and All-Ontario Breeder’s Herd in 2023 and 2024. At the heart of Henderson’s success has been the cow family of Hendercroft Lheros Gumball (EX-96-6E-36*) who had 22 Excellent daughters. Gumball and two of her daughters, Hendercroft Fever Bazooka (EX-96-4E-7*) and Hendercroft Winbrok Gummybear (EX-95-4E-4*), have all been finalists for Holstein Canada’s coveted “Cow of the Year” award. Gumball and Bazooka were Canada’s first Excellent-96 Holstein dam and daughter duo and both were Grand Champion at the EO/WQ Championship Show. Gummybear was All-Canadian Longtime Production Cow in 2023. Henderson has bred over 100 Excellent cows (166 to the end of 2024). The current line-up at Hendercroft includes 14 Multiple Excellent, 8 Excellent, 40 Very Good and 18 Good Plus cows. Henderson is an Official Judge and has judged many shows in Ontario and Quebec. He is a member of Holstein Ontario’s Judges Committee, a former 4-H leader and broomball coach, and a mentor to many. Herb and his wife Darlene have three children and currently farm with their son Chad.
Herb Henderson is the 37th winner of the Curtis Clark Achievement Award which recognizes a Canadian dairy cattle exhibitor who is respected for their ability, sportsmanship and dedication. The award was established by the Alberta Holstein Association in 1988 to honour the late Curtis Clark of Acme Holsteins, a noted Alberta Holstein breeder, cowman and showman.
For more information contact Bonnie Cooper, Secretary, Curtis Clark Achievement Award Committee, becooper2010@ gmail.com or 416-579-6572.
