At its congress in Beauce, Holstein Québec presented numerous awards, including the 2025 Coup de Coeur award to Vertdor Dempsey Minou EX-93 5E 24* from Ferme Vert d’Or.
Breeder Roch Hébert of Ferme Rotaly also received the prestigious Jean-Touchette trophy for his judging career.
Serge Morin of Ferme Vert d’Or in Sainte-Hélène-de-Kamouraska said he was confident his favorite cow could stand out among the six exceptional cows in the Coup de Coeur competition. Coup de Coeur is similar to the Heart of the Herd competition for a top cow known for her longevity in other provinces.
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But there was still a little stress given the high level of competition.
“Our cow really ticked all the boxes for the competition,” he said. “She’s well-balanced. She has a beautiful conformation. Good milk production throughout her life. And she passed on her genetics to her daughters.”
Minou produced 10 Excellent daughters. About 20 of her daughters and granddaughters are still in the herd.
“She’s our favorite cow,” said Serge Morin. “She participated in shows until she was nine years old. She’s a truly complete cow.”
A judge’s career honoured
Also from Sainte-Hélène-de-Kamouraska, Roch Hébert was completely surprised by the recognition he received from Holstein Québec. The Jean-Touchette Trophy he was awarded recognizes distinguished judges who have made their mark on the history of Holstein cattle in Quebec.
Roch Hébert explains that he stepped down as a judge and member of the show committee to make room for younger judges. “When you leave the judging committee, you’re often forgotten,” he said.
Roch Hébert started very young in genetics and showing. He founded Ferme Rotaly with his partner, Nathalie, with the goal of participating in shows. He initially bred Ayrshire cattle and judged that breed before making the leap to Holstein. He recounts having to retake Holstein judges’ training because he was too used to Ayrshire.
He is proud of his career as a judge, which has taken him to Europe. With his partner, he has been recognized as a Master Breeder twice, in addition to winning Cow of the Year last year in Canada with Rotaly Goldwyn Allegria.
“I built my judging career with Nathalie because there were only two of us on the farm. When I was off judging, she was working hard on the farm,” he says gratefully.
New award
A new award recognizing member participation was presented: the Club Builder Award. It was awarded to breeder Thierry Jaton of the Sherbrooke Holstein Club. Thierry Jaton is a dairy farmer with his partner, Véronique Guay, at Ferme Provetaz in Compton.
New president
At the Annual General Meeting, Holstein Québec members elected a new president: Stéphane Alary of Ferme Stépido in Luskville.
The Holstein Québec Congress was a great success. The seven farms visited each had between 700 and 1,000 visitors. “I can’t say it’s a record, but we’re very pleased with the turnout,” says Jenny Henchoz of Holstein Québec.
