Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Bullvine
Podcast. I'm your host, Bella, joined as always
by my co -host, Douglas. Today's episode is particularly
meaningful as it marks two years since we lost
one of the most influential figures in our dairy
community, Michael Patrick Heath. That's right,
Bella. It's hard to believe it's been two years
already. Michael was just a day shy of his 59th
birthday when that tragic farm accident occurred
at his family's Spring Valley Jersey farm in
Maryland. Born on March 24, 1964 in Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania, Michael packed more passion and
influence into his 58 years than most could in
several lifetimes one. For our listeners who
might not have had the privilege of knowing Michael
personally, You're in for a treat today as we
explore the incredible legacy he left behind.
And for those who did know him, well, I think
you'll enjoy reminiscing about a man whose impact
on our industry simply cannot be overstated.
We'll be discussing Michael's extraordinary contributions
as a fitter, showman, sales manager and judge.
We'll talk about his generous mentorship, his
passion for the industry and how his legacy continues
through the Michael Heath Overall Fitter Award.
So grab your morning coffee, settle in at the
milking parlor, or tune in during your farm chores,
wherever you're listening from, as we remember
the remarkable Michael Heath and his enduring
legacy in the dairy industry. Bella, trying to
describe Michael Heath's role in the dairy industry
is like trying to fit a square peg in a round
hole. It just doesn't work, because the man simply
couldn't be contained to one area of expertise.
You're absolutely right, Douglas. Michael wore
so many hats in our industry that it sometimes
made your head spin. He excelled as a fitter,
showman, sales manager, judge, and mentor, redefining
excellence in each of these roles one. What always
struck me about Michael was how he transformed
cattle fitting into an art form. He could turn
good cows into great ones with those skilled
hands and patient approach. His techniques became
the gold standard that everyone veterans and
rookies alike tried to emulate one. That's so
true. And what's interesting is that while his
fitting skills first put him on the map, they
were just the beginning of what made Michael
special. He brought an almost artistic sensibility
to fitting. It wasn't just about winning for
him, though he certainly did plenty of that.
I remember Michael often saying, with that sideways
grin of his, if you're going to do it, why not
do it right? He believed presentation was about
showing respect. Respect for the animal, respect
for the breeder, and respect for the entire industry
won. His sales management abilities were equally
impressive. Michael had this uncanny sixth sense
about matching the right animal with the right
buyer. He could walk into a barn, glance at a
heifer, and immediately know who would want her
and why one. I've witnessed him work a sales
event, and it was something to behold. He'd have
the entire crowd energized, laughing, and engaged.
Buyers who came with no intention of purchasing
would end up raising their bidding cards because
Michael made them see the potential right in
front of them won. What made him such a force
in advancing dairy breeds was his understanding
of both the science of genetics and the very
human preferences of individual breeders. It
wasn't just about transactions for Michael. Sales
were celebrations. opportunities to strengthen
the community bonds that make our industry unique
one. Douglas, have you ever seen someone who
just belongs in the show ring? That was Michael
Heath to a T. The man collected championship
ribbons the way some people collect stamps. Absolutely.
Show rings across North America and beyond became
his second home. And it wasn't luck that got
him there time after time. It was skill and knowledge
that few could match one. What always amazed
me about Michael was his memory. The man was
like a walking, talking cattle database. He didn't
just know animals. He knew their grandmothers,
great -grandmothers, and distant cousins twice
removed. Impressed. I heard he could recite five
generations of a heifer's pedigree at a sale
without even glancing at the catalog. And not
as a party trick, but because that knowledge
helped him develop exceptional cow families and
influential bulls. He had this remarkable ability
to spot promising traits that most of us would
walk right past, identifying future champions
while they were still awkward youngsters. That's
a rare gift in our industry. And when Michael
stepped into the ring as a judge, something magical
happened. The entire barn would hold its breath.
His judging passport had more stamps than most
people's regular passports. Canada, Brazil, Australia,
Mexico, Switzerland, the list goes on. But it
wasn't just where he judged, but how he judged,
that made him special. He turned technical evaluation
into theater. He'd have spectators hanging on
his every word with his creative explanations
and dramatic championship announcements. Remember
his famous bing, bang, boom speech at World Dairy
Expo? People still talk about it. Only Michael
could make the detailed assessment of dairy cattle's
structural traits sound like the most exciting
story you'd ever heard. If there's one thing
that truly set Michael apart, it was his generosity
with knowledge. I've never met anyone so willing
to share everything they knew with others. I've
heard it said that Michael never met a stranger,
just friends he hadn't made yet. And boy, did
he make a lot of them. He had this incredible
gift for connecting with people, especially young
people just finding their way in the industry
one. Got a question about fitting? Michael would
drop everything to show you his technique. Struggling
with selecting your next herd sire? He'd pull
up a chair and talk genetics with you for hours.
Need someone to believe in you when you're having
doubts? That was Michael too. What struck me
most about his mentorship was how personal it
felt. He didn't have a one -size -fits -all approach.
Instead, he'd take the time to understand what
made you tick, your goals, and your strengths.
Then he'd tailor his guidance specifically for
you. I can't tell you how many young dairy enthusiasts
have told me, Michael was the first person who
saw what I could become. That's a powerful legacy
to leave behind. I love the story about his worn
yellow legal pad that he kept with him everywhere.
He'd randomly stop at farms he was passing, farms
where he didn't know a soul, just to look at
their cattle. He'd jot down notes about animals
that caught his eye, regardless of breed. And
through these spontaneous visits, he turned strangers
into lifelong friends. That was the Michael Heath
effect, making meaningful connections wherever
he went. His impact went beyond casual advice,
too. Michael often partnered with promising young
exhibitors who couldn't afford top -quality show
animals. These partnerships gave kids opportunities
they'd never have had otherwise, chances to raise
and show exceptional animals while learning directly
from one of the best in the business. Many of
today's leading dairy professionals got their
start because Michael Heath decided to take a
chance on them. That kind of investment in the
next generation That's what helps an industry
thrive long term. One of Michael's closest friends
said something that really stuck with me after
his passing. He's never actually worked a day
in his life. Every single day of his life, he
has done exactly what he loves, and he died doing
what he loved. That's profound, isn't it? How
many of us can say that about our lives? Michael
never viewed what he did as work. It was simply
who he was. The barn wasn't his office. It was
his playground. The show ring wasn't his job.
It was his stage. The cattle weren't his business.
They were his passion. In a world where so many
people count the minutes until retirement, Michael
gave us a different model. Find what lights you
up inside and build your life around it. His
success wasn't measured in bank accounts or trophies,
though he earned plenty of the latter. It came
from the alignment between who he was and what
he did every day. Knowing that even on his last
day, he was immersed in what brought him joy
is profoundly comforting. I wasn't surprised
to learn that Michael was an organ donor. Even
in death, he found a way to give to others. That
final act of generosity, allowing parts of himself
to live on in others who needed them, was perfectly
Michael. It wasn't just a box checked on a driver's
license form. It was the culmination of a lifetime
spent freely giving of himself, his knowledge,
his time, his encouragement, and his friendship.
Sometimes I think about the strangers out there
walking around with Michael's gifts inside them.
I wonder if they somehow feel his enthusiasm
for life and generous spirit. I like to think
they do. It's remarkable how quickly the dairy
community rallies around its own. After Michael's
tragic accident in March 2023, friends and family
barely had time to process their grief before
they started asking, how do we make sure his
legacy lives on? The answer came in the form
of the Michael Heath Overall Fitter Award. Could
there be a more perfect tribute? Fitting was
where Michael first made his mark after all.
Establishing this award at World Dairy Expo,
dairy's biggest stage, just felt right. The Expo
had been home to many of Michael's most significant
moments, his most memorable championships, and
his famous Bing Bang Boom speech. It's where
his presence had loomed largest for decades.
I was at the 2023 Expo when Savannah Crack from
Quebec received the first ever Michael Heath
Overall Fitter Award. Talk about emotions. Along
with the $500 prize came this powerful moment
of recognition that linked a promising young
fitter to the legendary Michael Heath. For 2024,
they've expanded the award significantly. The
winner now receives $1 ,000, a beautiful commemorative
plaque, and, this is the part that gets me, their
name inscribed on a permanent award displayed
at World Dairy Expo headquarters. That permanence
matters, doesn't it? Decades from now, young
fitters who never had the chance to meet Michael
will see that plaque. ask about the man behind
the name, and hear stories about his extraordinary
contributions to our industry. That's how the
best legacies work. They keep inspiring new generations
to reach for excellence. The Michael Heath Overall
Fitter Award isn't just a trophy or check. At
its heart, it's about carrying forward what Michael
stood for, excellence in craft and the spirit
of generosity and community that made him so
beloved. Shuna watching the award presentation,
I'm struck by how it encourages precisely the
qualities that made Michael special. Sure, it
rewards technical skill, those meticulous fitting
techniques that transform good animals into great
ones. But it also celebrates Michael's hallmarks,
mentorship and community building. The award
especially highlights young competitors, which
feels so right. when you remember how much time
Michael devoted to developing the next generation
of dairy enthusiasts. Sometimes the best way
to understand someone's impact is through the
words of those who knew them best. The tributes
that poured in after Michael's passing paint
a picture more vivid than any formal biography.
Nathan Thomas of Triple T Holsteins and Jerseys,
who worked alongside Michael for years, put it
beautifully when he called Michael the kind of
friend who comes along once in a lifetime. He
wrote, Your knowledge and eye for cattle were
unparalleled and reflected on their shared adventures.
We had the honor of owning some great ones with
you and putting together first -class sales.
What struck me in Nathan's remembrance was his
observation that farmers and breeders all over
the world sought Michael's opinions on cattle.
Think about that. From small family farms to
massive operations across continents, People
valued what Michael had to say. I loved photographer
Sybil Fisher's perspective too. It's hard to
think of anyone in this current industry that
had more drive and passion for cattle than Michael,
she noted. Fisher pointed out something I've
thought about often. Nobody visited more herds
in a year and saw more potential in cattle and
people than MPH did. One. That's an important
insight. Michael didn't just evaluate animals.
He saw potential in people. He could spot promise
in a shy teenager at their first cattle show
just as quickly as he could identify a future
champion heifer in a group of calves. What stays
with me most about Michael, and I hear this from
practically everyone who knew him, was his remarkable
ability to connect with people from all walks
of life. It didn't matter if you were a renowned
breeder with generations of champions or a nervous
kid at your first 4 -H show. Michael treated
you with the same genuine interest and respect
one. He'd remember your name. He'd ask about
that heifer you were so proud of last year. He'd
follow up on the breeding recommendation he'd
made six months earlier. These weren't just professional
courtesies. They reflected who Michael truly
was. He cared. That universal approachability
broke down barriers in an industry that can sometimes
feel hierarchical. He was simultaneously a friend.
colleague, and mentor to people of all ages and
experience levels. Heps. I still catch myself
looking for him at dairy events. I'm not alone
in that. One longtime industry observer put it
perfectly. I haven't been to a dairy cattle event
that I didn't still expect to see him come around
the corner with his head tilted to one side,
pointing a finger in the air, and talking with
a friend about the good one he'd seen. Can't
you picture that? That slight head tilt, the
enthusiastic finger point, the animated conversation
about some promising animal he'd spotted. The
void his absence created is undeniable. But here's
the thing about people like Michael. Their influence
outlives them. Every time someone applies a fitting
technique he taught them, every time a young
fitter remembers his encouragement and decides
to stick with it when things get tough, Every
time a breeder makes a mating decision influenced
by his philosophy, Michael's legacy grows. Formal
tributes like the overall Fitter Award matter
enormously. But equally important are these countless
informal moments when his wisdom and example
continue to shape our industry's future. That's
a different kind of immortality. Two years. It
seems both like yesterday and forever since we
lost Michael Heath. I find myself reflecting
not just on what he accomplished, though that
list is extraordinary, but on how he accomplished
it with that unmistakable blend of expertise,
passion, and generosity that was uniquely his.
Michael Heath's name lives on through the Michael
Heath Overall Fitter Award, but his true legacy
is in the form of people, the countless individuals
whose lives and careers took shape under his
influence. Michael's fingerprints are everywhere
in our dairy world. from industry veterans to
that kid who just showed her first heifer. Yix.
What strikes me most about Michael's story is
how it reminds us that a meaningful legacy isn't
built through accomplishments alone. The ribbons
fade. The sale prices get forgotten. The records
eventually get broken. But the relationships
formed, the knowledge shared, the moments of
inspiration that change someone's direction,
those endure. Remember what his friend said?
He died doing what he loved. There's profound
wisdom in that observation. Michael lived authentically,
aligned with his passions and was generous with
his gifts. In a world that often pushes us toward
what's profitable rather than what's purposeful,
his example stands as a powerful alternative.
As our dairy community continues to evolve, facing
new challenges, embracing new technologies and
adapting to changing markets, the principles
Michael embodied offer a sort of compass. Technical
expertise matters enormously, yes, but Michael
showed us that expertise has the greatest impact
when paired with genuine passion and generous
mentorship. So, as we remember Michael Heath
two years after his passing, let's honor not
just what he contributed to our industry, but
how he contributed it, with his whole heart,
his extraordinary mind, and that unwavering commitment
to excellence that inspired everyone around him.
And the best tribute we can offer isn't just
remembering him. It's living a little more like
him. Thanks for joining us today on the Bullvine
Podcast. I'm Bella. And I'm Douglas. Until next
time, keep pursuing excellence in your herds
and generosity in your hearts. See you down the
road.