Herb Henderson of Hendercroft Holsteins, Ashton, Ontario, was presented with the 2025 Curtis Clark Achievement Award at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto,
ON, on November 14th. Henderson is the 37th winner of this highly regarded 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.
Herb Henderson, 62, is a humble man whose passion for good cows and showing is seldom equalled. His parents had a grade/crossbred herd in the 1970s. When he was 16, Herb started borrowing purebred Holstein calves from fellow Eastern Ontario breeders like Sandy Crest Holsteins for his 4-H project, thus beginning the farm’s transition to purebred Holsteins. Herb took over the family farm in 1986, the third generation to operate this farm which has now been in his family for 105 years. In 2001, Henderson became one of Canada’s youngest breeders at the time to achieve a Holstein Canada Master Breeder award. Today, Hendercroft Holsteins has earned international acclaim as one of Canada’s most consistent breeding and show herds.
At the heart of Henderson’s success has been the cow family of Hendercroft Lheros Gumball (EX-96-6E-36*) who produced 22 Excellent daughters, 17 of these Multiple Excellent. 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 in 2018, Bazooka in 2020, and Gummybear in 2025. Gumball and Bazooka were Canada’s first Excellent-96 Holstein dam and daughter duo and both were Grand Champion at the Eastern Ontario/Western Quebec (EO/WQ) Championship Show. Gummybear, who was owned in partnership with Kingsway Farms, Trentward Farms and Matthew Forestell of Ontario, was All-Canadian Longtime Production Cow in 2023. In 2024, a granddaughter and great-granddaughter of Gumball, Hendercroft Lambda Bananasplit and Hendercroft Unix Fuzzy (EX-93), were Junior Champion and Grand Champion, respectively, at the EO/WQ Championship Show.
Another family that has produced numerous generations of show winners for Henderson, and the new owners to whom they have been merchandised, is that of Hendercroft Outside Speranza (VG-89) who was Reserve Grand Champion at the EO/WQ Championship Show in 2004. Speranza’s show winning great-granddaughter, Hendercroft Atwood Harmony (EX-94-2*), is the grandam of Perrinridge Master Haddie (VG-87-1yr) who was Intermediate Champion and Reserve Grand Champion at this year’s Autumn Opportunity Show.
A longtime exhibitor at local and major shows, Henderson loves being on the halter of an animal in the showring. Hendercroft Holsteins has been Premier Breeder 15X and Premier Exhibitor 6X at the EO/WQ Championship Show. In 2023, they were Premier Breeder and Exhibitor at Ontario Summer Show and runner-up for Premier Breeder at the Royal Winter Fair National Holstein Show. Hendercroft has earned multiple All-Canadian and All-Ontario Holstein nominations and Herb is particularly proud of his many 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.
Henderson has bred over 100 Excellent cows, 166 to the end of 2024. The current herd, which is 99% homebred, includes 14 Multiple Excellent, 8 Excellent, 40 Very Good and 18 Good Plus cows.
Henderson is not only one of Canada’s foremost Holstein breeders, but also a dedicated farmer, family man, and volunteer within his community. Herb and his wife Darlene have three children – Courtney, Chad and Brett. The couple currently farm with their son Chad and milk 60 cows in their tie-stall barn near Ottawa. Herb is an Official Judge and has judged many shows in Ontario and Quebec. He is a member of Holstein Ontario’s Judges Committee, and a former 4-H leader and broomball coach. He is an impactful mentor to many young show people and breeders.
Overwhelmed with emotion upon learning of his selection as the winner of this year’s Clark Award, Henderson feels honoured to be joining such an eminent group of previous Clark winners, people he has always looked up to. “I never thought I would win this award. It is amazing,” he says.
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. In addition to having his name engraved on the distinctive Clark trophy that bears a bronzed version of Curtis Clark’s hat, Herb Henderson received a gold belt buckle as a personal keepsake of this award.
