Murray Hunt has been chosen the 2026 winner of the Dairy Cattle Improvement Industry Distinction Award.
Murray held influential leadership positions with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Holstein Canada, the National Advisory Council for Dairy Animal Improvement, the Canadian Milk Recording Board, the Canadian Association of Animal Breeders and the Canadian Dairy Network (now Lactanet Genetics).
He was instrumental in setting up a sire index to help dairy farmers identify bulls that will improve traits they deemed important for individual cows.
He continued contributing to additional traits on the index over his 40-year career.
At Holstein Canada, he modernized the national type classification program, strengthened research partnerships, and helped establish governance.
He took over Huntsdale Holsteins, earning a Master Breeder Shield in 1984.
He also was general manager for an association for Ontario sheep breeders, but sued it for wrongful dismissal. An out-of-court settlement, for which the terms were deemed confidential, was reached in 2015.
