Martin Duclos
2010
Martin, you worked many years full of remarkable accomplishments for Ayrshire Quebec. The Elite Sale, exhibits at the Royale and Madison, Judges Conference and visits of the « troupeaux collaborateurs » are the main tasks that you took over brilliantly. You had the good fortune to work with many people and got to know some well when selecting for the Elite Sale, namely Dane that didn’t know fruits and vegetables and Karine who only eats Subway! And what about big André who relaxed the atmosphere with his famous jokes and statements! But seriously, the Elite Sale is the task on which you spent the most time and energy and you should be proud the results. You contributed to the evolution of the group of animals available for the Sale year after year, which in turn contributed to its great success. Vicky, Joy, Shakira, Mercedes and many others have been celebrities at the Sale. It’s also important to note your significant donation to the CHUS.
Your passion and talent to make animals look their best at shows made your reputation. You initiated and transmitted your passion for shows to many youths, Marylène Gemme, Marilyn and Pascale Daoust, Jérome Simard, Frédéric Marcoux and Philippe Laroche are a few examples. The exhibits at Toronto and Madison are accomplishments where one couldn’t count the hours nor evaluate the level of stress involved in those long weeks. You regularly had the opportunity to look after the All-Canadian and All-American contests. Pasta, Andrea, Buttercup, Brenda 3, Riesling, Valentine, Victoire and Marina are only a few of the cows you prepared. The breeders had great confidence in you and never hesitated to entrust you with their great quality animals; the great number animals that you have had in your exhibits confirm this. You also participated actively in the promotion of herds such as Lolisé, Du Petit Pont, Claudale and Kildare.
You were always synonymous of perseverance and intensity and Paul Labrie has an anecdote that he will never forget. It was at the AGM on the Island when you played hockey and despite the Island team’s dominated, you wouldn’t give up even when all your team was dead tired. You always put in heart and soul for the Ayrshire breed and it’s obvious that the breed and the breeders evolved from your numerous advices.
The breeders and your friends in the breed have a lot of respect for you and the previous winners of the Ayrshire Award of Merit – Alex McCaig, Richard Lagacé, Neil Kittle, Michel Boudreault, Marcellin Therrien, Mario Lacerte, Christopher Studer, André Richard, Loraine Yersin, Dave and Bonnie Bergeron, Normand Boswall, Grant Roy, Philippe Marcoux and Marie-Hélène Labrie – chose you as the recipient of the Award of Merit 2010 for all the good work that you’ve accomplished.