Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy Award Inaugural Winner Announced at WDE - Cowsmo

Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy Award Inaugural Winner Announced at WDE

MADISON, WIS – Alison Gartman of Sheboygan, WI was announced as the inaugural winner of the Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy Award at a reception held Friday night, October 1st at World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI. The award, established by friends and family of the late Mike Hellenbrand, is intended to provide an aspiring and deserving dairy youth with the opportunity to own and develop a calf from a recent World Dairy Expo Grand Champion.

Linda Hellenbrand, wife of Mike Hellenbrand, presented the award to Gartman, and also recognized Natalie Roe of Monticello, WI as the Top Finalist in front of a large group of friends, associates, and planning committee members. The application process requires each applicant to name a mentor and to expound on their plan for housing and developing the award heifer. Both named mentors, Jeff Bleck and Dave Bollig, were also present for the announcement.

Next spring, Gartman will receive a daughter of 2017 International Guernsey Show Grand Champion, Springhill Mentor Jazzy EX-95. With the guidance of her mentor, Jeff Bleck, she will show the heifer at local, state and national shows in 2022, which continues the Hellenbrand legacy of providing the opportunity to motivated dairy youth to work with some of the best-pedigreed heifers in the industry.

“This award was created to perpetuate the lasting legacy that Mike started in motion. Providing a heifer with a great pedigree that stands out in the show ring to a motivated youth that has passion for dairy cattle, with the goal that the pair grow together to their full potential, all being done with the guidance and valuable input from the mentor,” explains Linda Hellenbrand. “Our tagline – Feed Your Passion, Grow Your Potential, Showcase Your Opportunity – defines the essence of the award.”

Mike and Linda Hellenbrand established their City Slickers farm and Hillpoint Partners prefix in the early 2000s and in a few short years, became a prominent operation in the purebred dairy cattle world. Many will recognize Mike from his position on the Executive Board of World Dairy Expo where he used his expertise and experience from the world of finance to help modernize the organization with a view to future growth and financial security in Madison for years to come.

Separate from the HLLA award, the planning committee group also established, along with World Dairy Expo, a trophy in Mike’s name, the “Michael Hellenbrand Memorial Trophy” awarded to the Supreme Champion Heifer of the Junior Show. This was presented to Kenlee Philips of Lingleville, Texas at the 2021 World Dairy Expo Supreme event on October 2, 2021.  Both awards are sponsored by the Michael Hellenbrand Memorial Fund, Inc., established to support youth in the dairy industry.   For more information, go to the website mikehellenbrandlastinglegacy.com.

Linda Hellenbrand
Mentor Jeff Bleck, Alison Gartman, Linda Hellenbrand, Natalie Roe, mentor Dave Bollig
Award winners with Linda Hellenbrand and members of the award planning committee
Dan Basse, Alison Gartman, Marshall Overholt, manager at Springhill Farms who is donating the first award calf

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