Pierre Boulet of Ferme Pierre Boulet Inc. (prefix Pierstein), Montmagny, QC, has been presented the Curtis Clark Achievement Award for 2022. His selection was announced on November 11th during the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, ON, as the Royal celebrated the 100th year since its inception in 1922. Boulet is the 34th recipient of this award which was established by the Alberta Holstein Branch in 1988 to honour the late Curtis Clark of Acme Holsteins, a respected Alberta Holstein breeder, cowman and showman.
If the word “Passion” had a definition in the Holstein industry, underneath it would be the name Pierre Boulet. Pierre, 52, has been involved with dairy cattle all his life, growing up on his parents’ farm, Ferme Boulet Inc., Saint-Francois, QC. He started going to shows with his family when he was eight years old. At 16, he began buying and selling cattle. In 1993, he established his own Pierstein Holstein herd at Montmagny. That same year, he became an auctioneer and sold his first sale. Today, Pierre and his sister Johanne are partners in Les Encans Boulet Inc., the sales management company established by their father Alfred in 1986. Pierre’s expertise as an auctioneer and sales manager has led him to work and be involved in some of this country’s greatest sales. A man who never slows down, Pierre also operates a commercial dairy cattle business, selling hundreds of animals annually to customers.
In 1999, Pierre Boulet and Simon Lalande of Ferme Blondin, Saint-Placide, QC, created the Alliance Blondin-Pierstein, a partnership that existed until 2005. Together, they earned Premier Exhibitor five consecutive years at the Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show (1999-2003) and showed the Reserve Grand Champion cow in 2003.
Boulet has a keen eye for cattle. He loves the challenge of finding a young cow with potential and developing her to that next level. A talented and enthusiastic cowman and showman, he actively exhibits dairy cattle at local, regional, provincial, national and international shows. The hundreds of banners and awards that fill the Pierstein farm office are a testament to his success. Pierre was just 32 years old when he won the Premier Breeder banner at the Royal Holstein Show in 2002. He was Holstein Premier Exhibitor at the Royal in 2005, 2006 and 2008. At World Dairy Expo’s Holstein Show, he was Premier Exhibitor in 2008 and Premier Breeder in 2010.
The first “breakthrough” show cow for Boulet was Howes BC Sassy (EX-2E-7*), a three-time Royal class winner, Royal Honourable Mention Grand Champion in 1995, and multiple All-Canadian and All-American in the 1990s, whose picture still graces the front of his barn. Soon more famous Holstein show cows would emerge under his ownership like Thrulane James Rose (EX-97-2E-5*), Royal Grand Champion in 2006, 2008 and 2009, twice Royal Supreme Champion, World Dairy Expo Grand and Supreme Champion in 2008, and World Dairy Expo Reserve Grand Champion in 2009; Ms Goldwyn Alana (EX-96-2E-18*), 2015 Royal Reserve Grand Champion; Pierstein Goldwyn Sunshine (EX-96-3E) and Pineland Goldwyn Tidbit (EX-91-8*), Reserve Intermediate Champions at the Royal in 2010 and 2011, respectively; and Beaverbrock Magic Petunia (Ex-96-2E-2*), 2003 and 2005 Royal Reserve Grand Champion. In 2017, Boulet owned the Intermediate Champion at the Royal’s Red & White Holstein Show, Greenlea A Care Red ETS (EX-95-3E). These, and many more animals, have helped Boulet to earn 111 All-Canadian Holstein nominations resulting in 21 All-Canadian, 23 Reserve and 24 Honourable Mention awards. He has had nine Breeder’s Herds nominated for All-Canadian, winning the All-Canadian title in 2003 and Reserve two other times. He has won six All-Canadian, one Reserve and five Honourable Mention awards in the All-Canadian Red & White contest. In addition, he has also earned many All-American and All-Quebec nominations and awards over the years. Boulet has achieved success in other dairy breeds as well, partnering on cows like JL Vincent Sapphira (EX-95-2E), Grand Champion Jersey at Quebec’s Supreme Dairy Show in 2018, and Intense Joel Ome ET (VG-87), Intermediate Champion at this year’s Royal Jersey Show. Other cows he has partnered on include Eloc Biver Rennie (EX-90), Grand Champion Brown Swiss at the Supreme Show and Reserve Intermediate Champion Brown Swiss at World Dairy Expo in 2019; and Musqie Yankee Carabelle (EX-91), Grand Champion Ayrshire at the Supreme Show in 2019.
Boulet’s first Excellent cow was Pierstein Starbuck Lilas (EX-3E-3*) in 2001. He has since bred another 227 Excellent cows. Pierstein is the only herd in Canada to have developed three Excellent-97 Holsteins and the only herd to have had two animals classify Excellent-97 on the same day, achieving that with the earlier mentioned Thrulane James Rose, and Bruynland Storm Kendra (EX-97-3E-2*), another longtime show campaigner for Boulet. His third 97-point cow, the now 16 1/2-year-old Loyalyn Goldwyn June (EX-97-6E-5*), was a Royal class winner three times and named Holstein Canada “Cow of the Year” in 2019. Boulet has also developed an additional five Excellent-96 Holsteins.
Boulet has been an Official Judge since 2005. He has judged major breed shows across Canada, as well as in the United States, Australia, France, Italy, Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia and Mexico. He judged the Royal Holstein Show in 2017 and Royal Jersey Show in 2019, and at World Dairy Expo judged the Holsteins in 2022 and Red & Whites in 2021. He is a member of Holstein Canada’s and Holstein Quebec’s Show & Judging Committees. In 2021, he received the Donald Dubois Showmanship Award at Canada’s National Holstein Show.
Supporting Pierre in all his endeavours are his wife and partner, Katie Coates, and their five children: Carole-Anne, Sarah Maude, Charles, Madison and Katrina. Together as a family, they now manage a Pierstein herd that numbers over 400 animals and also includes Jerseys, Ayrshires and Brown Swiss.
The Curtis Clark Achievement Award is presented at the Royal to a Canadian dairy cattle exhibitor who is respected for his ability, sportsmanship and dedication. Former recipients of the award choose the winner. Pierre Boulet 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, 904 – 12 Rockford Road, North York, ON M2R 3A2; cell: 416-579-6572; home: 416-663-8515; e-mail: becooper2010@gmail.com.
