2003 Award of merit

2003 ANDRÉ RICHARD

This years Award of Merit winner grew up in the Ayrshire breed. He has a big heart and a generous family who are always willing to host Ayrshire breeders on their travels. You are always welcome to stop in for a meal or to milk your cows on the way to a show. Many youngsters have spent time at the farm to learn a lot about cows and a lot about life.

Our winner has promoted the Ayrshire breed for a long time. He always has a large exhibit at Expo- Quebec to encourage breeders who don't have time to go to the show to be able to exhibit their animals. A few years ago, besides working day and night to get the cows ready for showday he also found time to learn how to do laundry as he had run out of clean shirts. He mastered the washing machine but admitted that he didn't really understand what all the buttons were for!

Our Ayrshire sales wouldn't be the same without his original ringman style. It's hard on the flowers around the sale ring, chairs crash as he jumps and yells and he usually ends up throwing his suit jacket in the air, but it definitely adds excitement to the event. He has recently added "auctioneer" to his list of talents. Again, his style is his own but he gets the bids in and has no trouble keeping everyone's attention.

Always available to work for the Elite National Sale or to organize the Ayrshire Quebec exhibit for the Royal. The word "No" isn't in his vocabulary and he has a way of making everyone from the youngest Ayrshire breeders to the oldest feel "special".

He has a passion for breeding good cows and is extremely knowledgable about the Ayrshire breed. He never criticizes but he'll often has a suggestion or two about the Test Herd or any important Ayrshire activity.

This years Award of Merit winner from Riviere Ouelle Beach, is the one and only Mr. André Richard.