Joel Phoenix of Dappleview Holsteins, Cannington, Ontario, received the 2024 Curtis Clark Achievement Award at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Ontario, on
November 8th. Phoenix is the 36th recipient of this national award established by the Alberta Holstein Association in 1988 to honour the late Curtis Clark of Acme Holsteins, a respected Alberta Holstein breeder, cowman and showman.
Joel Phoenix’s love for the dairy cattle business is boundless. Highly regarded among his peers for his work ethic, talent, professionalism, and tireless promotion of the industry, 42-year-old Phoenix has spent his entire life immersed in his passion for dairy cattle. A member of the well- known Phoenix family in Ontario County, Joel is the son of Jim and Cathy Phoenix. Growing up, he was a 4-H member for 12 years and Champion Showman at the 2000 Scotiabank Hays Classic (now TD Canadian 4-H Dairy Classic) at the Royal. Always willing to help others in his 4-H club, Joel continued to offer his knowledge to young people as a 4-H leader for several years. It was while in 4-H that Phoenix honed his skills to a level which enabled him to become a world-renowned cattle fitter. For more than 15 years, Phoenix travelled the world as a professional dairy cattle fitter working with many great people and animals at shows and sales. Along the way, he has encouraged other farms to exhibit their animals at shows, often caring for these animals in his own showstring and/or assisting these exhibitors. At the shows, Phoenix is known for his readiness to always help others and for his sportsmanship, never having a negative word after a defeat, nor being boastful when he achieves success.
Phoenix has a great eye and ability for finding, developing, owning, marketing and exhibiting top quality show animals, many of whom have gone on to be All-Canadian and All-American nominees and winners for he and his partners or their new owners. In the past, Phoenix has sourced and been involved in the early careers of such famous cows as Robrook Goldwyn Cameron (EX-95-USA), 2013 Royal Grand Champion and three-time All-Canadian and All-American; Lovhill Goldwyn Katrysha (EX-96-USA-13*), two-time All-American and once All-Canadian who was 2015 World Dairy Expo Grand Champion and 2014 Royal Winter Fair and World Dairy Expo Reserve Grand Champion; Cache-Valley Lheros 2331-ET (EX-96-3E-USA), All-Canadian 4-Year-Old in 2014 and unanimous All-Canadian and All-American 5-Year-Old in 2015; and Oakfield GC Darby-ET (EX-95), All-American and Reserve All-Canadian 5-Year-Old in 2019 who was Reserve Grand Champion at the Royal and World Dairy Expo that year. Phoenix has partnered in many show winning young heifers too like Claircrest Fever Tiki, All-Canadian and All-American Junior Calf in 2014 and All-Canadian Junior Yearling in 2015; Leachland Gold Medal (EX-90-USA), Reserve All-Canadian Junior Yearling in 2011; and Ridge-Field Atlanta (VG-88), 2017 Reserve All-Canadian Intermediate Yearling. In 2024, he was a partner in the Ontario Spring Discovery Show Grand Champion, Double-G Chief Gold (VG-89).
An Official Holstein Canada Judge, Phoenix has judged at shows across Canada and internationally. He was Associate Judge at the Royal Winter Fair’s National Holstein Show in 2019 and Associate Judge at World Dairy Expo’s Holstein Shows in Wisconsin in both 2011 and 2018. In addition, he has judged at the Supreme Show in Quebec, Alberta Dairy Congress, Atlantic Dairy Championship Show, the Western Canadian Classic Dairy Youth Show, Wisconsin Championship Show, New South Wales (Australia) State Show, and Mexico’s National Holstein and Jersey Shows. Phoenix was the inaugural winner of the Andrea Crowe Memorial Award at the Royal Winter Fair in 2013 and won the Klussendorf-MacKenzie Award at World Dairy Expo in 2022.
Joel and his wife Jessica, a professional equestrian athlete who is a three-time Olympian and member of the Canadian Equestrian team, are the parents of two children, Jacob, 14, and Jordan, 9. Together they own Phoenix Equestrian & Holsteins, a 100-acre farm where they focus on breeding and merchandising elite show animals and genetics, along with having a 50-cow beef herd plus 75 yearlings that they pasture feed and finish, a hay sales business, and operate an equestrian training facility. While their herd of 25 Registered Holstein milk cows are housed at other nearby farms like Phoenixholm, Dappledale and Trent Valley, the Phoenixes are in the process of building a new barn so they can maintain 10-15 cows, plus heifers, at their own farm. Joel is also a part-time Sales Representative for Blondin Sires.
A modest, personable and astute cowman, Joel Phoenix has been a wonderful ambassador and promotor of Canadian Holsteins and the dairy industry. He is humbled to have received the Clark Award, saying, “It is an unbelievable honour to be recognized with the people who have won this award in the past.”
The Curtis Clark Achievement Award is presented annually at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair to a Canadian dairy cattle exhibitor respected for their ability, sportsmanship and dedication. The winner is chosen by former recipients of the award. Joel Phoenix received a gold belt buckle as a personal keepsake of this honour. His name will also be engraved on the distinctive Clark trophy that bears a bronzed version of Curtis Clark’s hat.
For more information contact Bonnie Cooper, Secretary, Curtis Clark Achievement Award Committee, becooper2010@gmail.com or 416-579-6572. Photo courtesty of Ella Wright.
