Issuu

The official magazine of Speckle Park International

2021 | ISSUE 02

specklepark .org

JAD SPECKLE PARK INSIDE FRONT

Table of Contents 4

Chairman’s report/CEO’s message

News

10 Carcase results 18 Performance recording 20 Beef Australia 2021 24 Back in the ring 26 Royal Show results 29 Virtual show results 30 Around the stud sales

Speckle Park cross cattle grain finished across 100 days have been supplied to Greenham’s branded program, Wanderer Barley Fed Beef. Read the story on page 58.

36 Ruby makes her mark 37 School focus 38 Animal selection with Al

Editor

39 Out and about

Kim Woods, Outcross Media

40 Our young guns

Email: kim@outcrossmedia.com.au

Mobile: 0499 77 2860

42 Tips to tying

Art direction and design

43 Spot the difference

Stefan Terlich, OGA Creative Agency

44 Dealing with late calvers

02 60234 266 Advertising

46 Selecting for docility

Speckle Park International

48 Reading a kill sheet

Publisher

50 Single step BREEDPLAN

Phone: 1800 221 271

Speckle Park International Email: info@specklepark.org

51 Around the store sales

Website: www.specklepark.org

54 Speckles in the dairy

Chief Executive Officer

56 Marketing and technical committee reports

Hannah Bourke

57 Across the ditch

Alex Pateman, Chairman

60 Speckles off grass

Gary Reidy, Company Secretary

Board of Directors 2022 Mitch Warrener, Vice Chairman Dean Missingham, Treasurer

61 Semen directory 62 Value adding Speckle beef

Tim Bell, Robbie Clarke, Mark Constable, Sarah Forsyth and Denis Roberts (Directors)

65 SPI Board of Directors

All mail to: PO Box 545, Gunnedah NSW 2380

66 Calendar and advertiser’s index

Cover photo supplied by Jade Baker

The Speckle Park International magazine is published annually by Speckle Park Internationally. Articles appearing in the magazine do not necessarily represent the policies, opinions or views of Speckle Park International.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

SPI message

CEO’s Message

Hello, Welcome to the second issue of the Speckle Park Magazine, the official publication of Speckle Park International. With an article to suit the youngest to the oldest Speckle Park enthusiast in your household, grab a cuppa and dive in! If I had to sum up the last year in one word, it would be change. Change isn’t bad, but it isn’t always comfortable and Speckle Park International has seen a lot of change in recent times. Some changes have been significant including the move from ABRI to PBB, the introduction of a CEO to the Speckle Park International framework, changes to the board, a new logo etc. with other changes smaller but still significant such as agreements with Quantum and the development of a world council.

In the wider beef world, cattle prices have kept climbing with good seasons around much of Australia rewarding many. Speckle Park have been far from immune to this, with records continuing to tumble for both stud and commercial Speckle Park and Speckle Park X. Sale yard support for Speckle Park infused cattle has been strong with reports of steers bringing close to $8/kg out of Tamworth Regional Livestock Exchange. The interest in Speckle Park out of Beef 2021 and the wider commercial sector has been strong and as a breed, this is an area we should continue to focus and push into. Widening the commercial adoption and base of Speckle Park cattle will have benefits for all members. Closer to home, this year we welcomed a robust and enthusiastic Youth Committee to the sub-committee ranks who join both the Marketing and Technical sub-committees. The Youth committee made a real splash at Beef 2021, and have just recently completed a fundraising auction, raising just shy of $19,500 toward their projects in 2021. The marketing committee’s commitment has been unwavering to the project of the second issue of the Speckle Park magazine, and I cannot thank them enough for it. The technical committee welcomed some new members in 2021 and have been hard at work on a series of projects which will be launched in 2022, including the Made to Measure program and a Feedlot Trial. I wish to thank all members of the sub-committees I have had the pleasure of working with

over the last 12 months – the commitment, enthusiasm and ideas are invigorating. I look forward to supporting them in future projects. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has continued to plague us in the background and saw Speckle Park sadly withdraw from the Feature Breed at Sydney Royal for 2021. We have applied for the feature breed for both Sydney and Melbourne Royals and hope to be selected for the coming years. 2022 will see Speckle Park as the feature breed at Toowoomba Royal, with both Armidale (NSW) and Proston (QLD) local agricultural shows choosing to feature Speckle Park at their shows. COVID also saw the postponement of the first Speckle Park Connect Annual National Conference. This event was shaping up to be two days packed with networking, education, farm tours, a black and white gala dinner, and auctions all interspersed with good food and drink. Hopefully we can all get back to face to face activities and can put this event back on the calendar for 2022. No doubt 2022 will continue to see further changes for Speckle Park International and its members, as the breed continues to grow and develop. Change is a part of life and I am confident the changes coming for Speckle Park will be for the betterment of the breed, and its breeders into the future, securing it as a staple in the beef industry. Hannah Bourke Chief Executive Officer Speckle Park International

Chairman’s report What an amazing time to be in the cattle industry with all the young cattle indicators at record heights.

This would be a mammoth achievement in less than 20 years and would certainly cement our place in the beef industry.

On the stud front it has been hard to keep track of the new female record prices tumbling week by week and bull prices staying strong. Speckle Park cattle are penetrating deeper into the mainstream cattle industry, appearing in the local saleyards at every sale. The membership has experienced strong growth with no sign of slowing down. The Speckle herd continues to grow exponentially and with an increasing number of breeders doing flush programs, I can’t see this growth slowing any time soon.

I would like to thank fellow Board members for their time and energy over the past year.

It is not out of the realm of possibility that within the next five years we will see the female herd reaching 10,000 head.

I took over the chair from Derek Hayward. I would like to thank Derek for his time and effort on the Board of SPI. In his seven years on the Board, there were many big changes. It is a big effort for a board member and their family to put in seven years. It has been a pleasure to fill the role as chairman of your SPI. Regards Alex Pateman, Chairman Speckle Park International

MEMBER SERVICES STATS 2021 12 LIFE MEMBERS 34 JUNIOR MEMBERS

DNA ORDERS THUS FAR FOR 2021

235 FULL STUD MEMBERS

512 MEMBERS OF WHICH: IN CANADA

65 COMMERCIAL MEMBERS 166 ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

IN IRELAND

IN AUSTRALIA

IN THE USA

IN QATAR

IN NEW ZEALAND IN SINGAPORE

OF THE 2021 BORN CALVES REGISTERED 629 ARE AI AND 589 ARE BY ET

3384

2900 ANIMALS REGISTERED THUS FAR FOR 2021, COMPARED TO 2939 FOR 2020

734 TRANSFERS OF ANIMALS TO DATE SINCE 1/1/21

HEAD FOR FEMALE INVENTORY 5

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

News

Speckle Park breed on rapid growth trajectory around the world By Kim Woods

It is not only the flashy coat colours of the Speckle Park making people sit up and notice but the explosion in cattle numbers across Australia, New Zealand, the US and Europe as producers embrace the breed. The Speckle Park International society membership has grown to 512 including one member each in the USA, Singapore, Ireland and Qatar, 12 in Canada, 40 in New Zealand and 455 in Australia. It is not only the flashy coat colours of the Speckle Park making people sit up and notice but the explosion in cattle numbers across Australia, New Zealand, the US and Europe as producers embrace the breed. The Speckle Park International society membership has grown to 512 including one member each in the USA, Singapore, Ireland and Qatar, 12 in Canada, 40 in New Zealand and 455 in Australia. The membership comprises 12 life members, 34 juniors, 235 full stud members, 65 commercial and 166 associate members. Animal registrations peaked at 2939 for 2020 with 2900 registrations recorded up until November 2021. A total of 734 transfers of animals have been completed since January 1, 2021. SPI has a female inventory of 3384 head and of the 2021 born calves registered, 629 are AI sired and 589 are the result of embryo transfer programs.

Up until November, a total of 591 DNA orders had been received by SPI for 2021. In 2015, Australian bull sales totalled 81 head to average $4563 and by 2017 this had jumped to 126 sold to average $10,309. Numbers rose steadily to 2020 when 275 bulls were cleared for an average of $8431 – this almost doubled in 2021 when 434 bulls averaged a $11,081. In the stud females, a total of 55 head were sold in 2016 to average $5734. By 2019 this had jumped to 171 females sold to average $7563. In 2021, 370 were sold at double the 2019 average at $15,598. World records for stud cattle were smashed in Australia with a bull topping at $65,000, a weaner heifer at $75,000, PTIC heifer at $70,000, joined cow and calf making $57,000, the highest priced female flush of $32,000 and the highest priced embryos at $5500 per embryo. In the store and prime markets, Speckle Park and Speckle Park infused cattle were in heavy demand from restockers, backgrounders, processors and lot feeders.

News

The breed was able to run a stand-alone commercial sale at Shepparton, Vic, in November for the first time. The national herd rebuild, a return to favourable seasons and strong export market kicked prices nationally to a top of 985c/kg for steer weaners, 878c/kg for heifer weaners, and $2880 for unjoined commercial heifers. Feeder steers topped out at $2585 and heavy grown steers at a whopping $3101. But it was the demand for purebred females and F1 vealer mothers which drove prices for heifers and calves to $4550. Speckle Park International chairman Alex Pateman said the breed’s calving ease, growth, early maturity, carcass traits, meat eating quality, and eye appeal had won favour with commercial beef producers. Mr Pateman said northern Australian herds were using Speckle Park bulls over their Bos indicus females to inject muscling, hybrid vigour, growth rates, fertility and marketability. He said members entering commercial purebred and Speckle Park infused steers and heifers in carcase and feedback trials were quantifying the breed’s value proposition with consistently high scores in average daily weight gain and MSA Index for eating quality. Mr Pateman said the calving ease and carcase traits had proven popular with the dairy industry wanting high value dairy beef calves and F1 vealer mothers to value add. “As with anything worthwhile, building the Speckle Park breed in Australia comes with its challenges,” he said. “We are up against breeds which have stood the test of time, producers know what to expect from them and they have been well marketed.” “As the new kids on the block, it is up to every breeder, large or small, to stay the course by making discerning breeding choices and gathering the data.” “Whether we like it or not, the commercial producer wants the data to justify their choice.” “Working together as a breed to build accurate BREEDPLAN figures for our animals is the way to convince the larger commercial producers that Speckle Park are a sound economical choice.”

We have exciting times ahead in Speckle Park, the world is our oyster. According to the Australian Registered Cattle Breeders Association, Speckle Park International ranked in the top 13 of all breeds in 2020 with 2874 primary registrations (females only) and a total of 3670 registrations. The primary registrations have jumped from 468 in 2011.

Internationally, Premier Cattle Company will host New Zealand’s first Speckle Park female and genetics sale in March 2022 with embryos export qualified for Australia, Canada and USA. Speckle Parks have taken off in every country where they have been introduced but the US has always lacked the genetics and live animals. But, thanks to a budding coalition of breeders, the US now has access to semen, embryos, heifers and bulls. Launched in November was the American Speckle Park Association with board members Robert Harris, president, Ronald Carty Jr, vice president, Cory Ducherer, Keith Kissee, Tina Williams, Bill Hewat and Col Keyser. The Association has partnered with the National Centre for Beef Excellence to handle registrations and the herd book, and the website www.amercianspecklepark.com is live. A second group has also been established, Speckle Park Cattle USA, with a website, www.spcattleusa.com, due to go live soon. Speckle Park was recognised as a pure breed in Brazil in January 2021 followed by the formation of Speckle Park Brazil, the first shipment and implantation of embryos from Australia. In Europe, Lanmore Speckle Park held the first auction of the breed in Ireland in October, attracting interest from home and abroad. The top price was €2200 (AUS$3438) for a heifer and cows topped at €2000 (AUS$3125), embryo packages to €975 (AUS$1523) and implanted embryos to €1400 (AUS$2187).

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

News

Speckle Park spreads its wings to global beef powerhouse

Pregnancy testing the recipients in the ET program.

Speckle Park has been recognised as a pure breed in Brazil, a feat which hasn’t been accomplished since Angus were accepted in the country 35 years ago. The breed is hoping to make inroads into the global beef giant’s 230 million head national herd, which includes 35 million dairy cattle, and inject meat quality, carcase yield, weight gain and hybrid vigour. The opportunity to target the Brazilian cattle industry came along six years ago when, through mutual friends, the Wattle Grove Speckle Park principals Dale and Belinda Humphries met Pedro Demartini, a Brazilian national living in Australia. The Humphries were confident the meat quality and high yields of their Speckle Park genetics would suit the tropical and sub-tropical grass and grain finishing Brazilian environment. Discussions with Mr Demartini and his business partner Ricardo Monteiro resulted in the establishment of Speckle Park Brazil. The pair worked with the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply and the National Association of Breeders Herdbook Collares for more than two years to bring the program to realisation. The recognition was made official with an announcement in Brazil on January 26, 2021, resulting in a flood of inquiry for Australian and Canadian genetics for embryo transfer programs and AI in commercial co-operator herds.

The Speckle Park Brazil implant team.

A separate company, Wattle Grove Speckle Park Brazil has been established and undertaken the first embryo transfer programs this year, working through Austrade.

“When we first started with the breed our ambition was to take Speckle Park to the world – Brazil is the obvious choice, giving us the flexibility to eventually export to countries including Argentina.”

“Six years ago we had a goal of taking Speckle Park to Brazil and after many months, weeks, days, hours, dollars and loads of help from hundreds of people, it has finally become a reality,” Mr Humphries said.

Mr Humphries said stringent Brazilian import protocols limited the intake of Australian genetics.

“It has been a strong team effort with lots of support from many people all over Australia, USA, Brazil and Canada. It will benefit all Speckle Park breeders long term.” Mr Demartini described it as a breakthrough moment for the Speckle Park breed and paid tribute to the Wattle Grove team behind the initiative. “Exciting news indeed. We are pumped to get the first lot of genetics into Brazil,” he said. Speckle Park Brazil and Herdbook Collares are handling the stud registrations and coordinating the importation and licensing of genetics. “It is a slow burn and gaining momentum, but we can’t meet what the demand is already,” Mr Humphries said.

“It could be another six to eight years before a herd is established in Brazil. We are in this for the long run and the benefit of the whole breed.” Four years ago, Wattle Grove exported Speckle Park beef as a trial. “Hybrid vigour, growth and eating quality will be the big things for Brazil – they eat more beef per capita than any other country and the end product on the plate will drive it,” Mr Humphries said. He said the uptake of artificial insemination among the large Brazilian commercial beef herds represented an opportunity for Australian genetics long term. “There are 35 million head of dairy cattle in Brazil. We have done trials in Australia and New Zealand with the dairy cross and it’s going well – we can take that data and information to Brazil. “But it will be 10-15 years away just to be able to supply the numbers. It’s a slow process and an expensive one but exciting times as well.”

News

Promoting Speckles to commercial producers in Northern NSW New and existing cattle producers were introduced to the Speckle Park breed at Casino Primex with a display staged by Sunny Dale Speckle Park. Stud principal and SPI Youth committee member Mikayla Hamilton, Jiggi, NSW, had a busy three days in May at Primex displaying 15 heifers and young bulls, and some fitting service animals to promote the breed in the region. Sparkle Park International contributed banners, booklets and information on Speckle Park Youth, with 80 booklets handed out to interested visitors. “There was a lot of people saying they are going into stud cattle soon or have only just registered their herd, as well as a lot of people introducing Speckle Park into commercial herds,” Mikayla said.

Minnamurra sire quick to win votes worldwide in Sire Shootout A Speckle Park bull showed his class in the virtual 2022 Sire Shootout by placing fourth out of 103 bulls with 180 votes. The competition was run by Australian Community Media and featured $7000 in cash and in-kind prizes. Minnamurra Quicksilver Q2 was exhibited by Dennis Power, Minnamurra Speckle Park, the largest purebred Speckle Park herd in the southern hemisphere. Sired by Redneck JSF Whiskey 4B and out of Minnamurra 300X Unique J73, the March 2019 drop bull is a half-brother to Plunderer P196, the winner of the Sire Shootout People’s Choice Award last year. Quicksilver came through the 2019 drought on his mother, and thereafter on pasture, tipping the scales at just under 900kg compared to the average weight of the Q bull draft at 752kg. His EBVs across the board are in the top one to five per cent of the breed.Viewers from around the world were impressed with the bull’s exceptional structure, meat yield and IMF figures, placing him fourth behind the winning Droughtmaster Cebella Brunswick.

From Mary’s barn to the world stage – the birth of Speckle Park A book has been published by a Canadian author with definitive details, anecdotes, and photographs of the origins of the Speckle Park breed. In the book, The Cow that Jumped over the World, author Christine Pike outlines how the breed was a composite of Shorthorn, Angus, Jersey, Highland and Galloway called the Lindsay Lineback devised by Mary Lindsay. Bill and Eileen Lamont bred the Lindsay Lineback to their own Lamont Black Angus bulls to create the Speckle Park breed. Some Speckle Park steers were solid black, some white and some red and white – they were raised for beef rather than their colour. The newly formed Speckle Park Association staged a display at the 1986 Canadian Western Agribition beginning a run where the breed dominated carcase competitions across the country for the next decade. Mary Lindsay was honoured by the Canadian Highland Cattle Society and her photo hung in the Agriculture Wall of Fame while Bill and Eileen Lamont were given a lifetime achievement award by the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association. They were posthumously inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame in Saskatoon. Today there are more Speckle Park cattle in Australia than Canada.The hard bound cover book is written from the historical perspective of Miss Pike and includes more than 300 photographs. To order a copy write to Christine Pike at Box 97, Waseca, Saskatchewan, Canada. The book retails at CAN$95 plus shipping.

Young Sire a new hero for Holland’s Speckle Park herd 2020 was a milestone year for Ireland with the first Speckle Park pedigree animal to be sold to mainland Europe. Lanmore Hero was the first Irish-bred Speckle Park to be exported to Holland, breaking new ground for the breed. The nine-month-old calf was bred by Patrick Morrison, County Mayo, and sired by Templemichael Artic and bought by Robert Asbroek, who will use the bull as an outcross sire on Speckle Park crossbreds. Most Speckle Park cattle in Holland are commercial stock, the result of semen used on the dairy herd, a market also growing in Ireland. Patrick Morrison has one of the longest established herds of Speckle Park in Ireland having registered the Lanmore prefix in 2009.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Carcase results

Teenagers prove their mettle in steer preparation at EKKA A Speckle Park infused steer came up trumps in the Woolworths Premier Carcase competition at the 2021 Royal Queensland Show. Called Winston, the steer was exhibited by teenagers Hayden Beattie and Gabriella Stokes, Lockyer Valley. The steer won the 260-280kg CW class, followed by champion mediumweight and grand champion carcase.The 271.4kg carcase dressed at 64.96 per cent, had 5mm at the P8, 4mm of fat at the rib, and an eye muscle area of 102sqcm. Both the champion and reserve champion scored 86 points with the winner determined by meat yield percentage. The teenagers were equal winners in the overall led steer jackpot competition. The steer had been bred by Greg and Christine Bell at Kingaroy. The carcase sold to the Breakfast Creek Hotel, Newstead, for $20/kg dressed to return $5428 on a Stocklive online auction. Woolworths was the losing bidder. Hayden works as an apprentice butcher at M & K Butcher Brothers, Lowood, for his father’s business JDH Fitting Service and in his own cattle stud.

Hayden Beattie practices paddock to plate with his own cattle and as an apprentice butcher. Image: M & K Butcher Bros The popular led steer competition was limited to a carcase competition due to COVID-19, with all cattle processed at Nolan Meats, Gympie. The King Street junior champion steer winner was a 225.2kg Speckle Park cross carcase from Scots PGC College. The carcase yielded 62.92 per cent, measured 6mm at the rib and rump, and had a 75sqcm eye muscle area. The school’s Cattle Club, under the guidance of Peter Collett, had put in a huge effort to prepare the steer, with the EKKA the pinnacle event on their show calendar.

Speckle Parks win taste test shoot out in Brisbane

“To win the award for 2021 proved what Speckle Park breeders and enthusiasts knew about the meat quality and eating attributes, so to be recognised by the consumers was brilliant,” she said.

Speckle Park beef tickled the taste buds of diners and emerged triumphant in this year’s Battle of the Breeds at Brisbane’s Norman Hotel.

“Thanks again to JBS, the Norman Hotel and the other breeds involved.”

The taste test shootout was between Speckle Park, Charbray, Brahman and Santa Gertrudis with diners asked to rate four 100gram pieces of sirloin served with traditional sides and sauce. Norman’s Best Breed is the steakhouse’s opportunity each year to focus purely on beef over brand, with the general public assessing the flavour, tenderness and overall liking on a simple score sheet of 1-10. Samples were taken from feeder cattle bred across eastern Australia and fed under a 100-day program at JBS Australia’s Beef City feedlot, Toowoomba.The historic Norman Hotel is one of the city’s biggest and best-known steakhouse pubs with a seating capacity of 550 diners and a meat display cabinet as big as any butchery, turning over close to a tonne of premium steak cuts each week.Fine meat texture, moisture and juiciness were the characteristics which stood out in the Speckle Park sample served at the awards lunch.

Diners were asked to rate the steak on a scale of 1-10.

Todd and Dean Missingham, Dorroughby Speckle Park, and Stacy Warriner, Bethvide Speckle Park, represented the breed at the award’s announcement. “From my experience with what I have supplied to friends and family, and what they have told me about the taste, is that it’s the best meat they have ever tasted,” Dean said. “We do finish all of ours in a small feedlot and make sure they have fat around the tail so they aren’t underdone. “I have one friend who supplies the meat to his friends that have travelled the world and they all say it’s the best they have tasted, so definitely a common theme there, mainly due to the marbling and tenderness.”

Speckle Park International chief executive officer Hannah Bourke said the breed society was excited to be selected by the team at the Norman Hotel and JBS Australia to be included in the 2021 Battle of the Breeds.

Speckle Park breeder Dean Missingham collects the award for Norman’s Best Breed from executive chef Frank Correnti.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Carcase results

Clean sweep for Speckle Park in the Victorian mallee

Murray Van der Drift and judge Luke Spencer with the reserve champion steer, right, and grand champion, left.

Black Diamond Speckle Park’s selection for carcase traits were quantified with a domination of all classes in the 2021 Swan Hill hoof and hook carcase competition. Stud principal Murray Van der Drift exhibited the grand and reserve champion on the hoof and hook, winning all six classes with purebred and infused steers. Live judging was at the Woodward abattoir on October 9 followed by the hook section on October 12. A registered Speckle Park steer was first in his lightweight class on the hoof and grand champion on the hook. Weighing 391kg liveweight, the steer dressed at 221kg with 10mm of fat at the rump, 8mm on the rib, a 75sqcm eye muscle area, MSA Index of 62.69 for a total of 88.05 points. The grand champion hoof and reserve champion on the hook was a Speckle Park/Angus steer with a carcase weight of 349.5kg, 20mm of rump fat, 12mm on the rib, 102sqcm eye muscle area, MSA Index of 67.71 and a total score of 87.94.Black Diamond exhibited five Speckle Park cross steers and the competition drew 34 entries from throughout the region and beyond. “We have been lucky enough to exhibit in the competition since 2017 with great feedback every year and more success, although this is the best so far and will be hard to top,” Murray said.

Andy has the goods on the hook for Rocky High 12

This steer was grand champion on the hoof and reserve champion on the hook.

A Speckle Park steer named Andy met with success in the Central Queensland Carcase Classic 2021 for Rockhampton State High School. Agricultural assistants Andrew Oram and Maddison Watson worked with the students to prepare their steers to win the aggregate champion steer trophy despite COVID restrictions. Andy had an MSA Index of 63.63 points and an eye muscle area of 86sqcm to win the hoof/hook led steer class. The led steer competition is a strand in the schools Cert II rural operations pathway.

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Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Carcase results

Spots n Dots sashed grand champion at elite steer and heifer show An aptly named purebred steer, Spots n Dots, has trumped all comers at the Combined Forces Special Steer and Heifer Show by taking out grand champion.The steer was exhibited by Luke Cox and Emily Kahler, and received the nod from judge Pat McMahon. The show was held at the Pittsworth Showgrounds on August 28 and offered $2500 in cash and prizes plus a grid price of 750c/kg dressed through Farmers Choice Meats. “Spots N Dots has the coolest attitude and is a great example of the perfect cross between Speckle Park and Limousin,” Emily said. “He was bred by Jen-Daview Limousin from Kingaroy and we purchased him from the blue ribbon sale in November last year. “We had our sights set on EKKA for his final show but were devastated when it was cancelled. “However, we were lucky to be able to take him to one last led show at Pittsworth. We were absolutely over the moon to have won grand champion, it was a special moment for us.”

Luke Cox and Emily Kahler with their grand champion steer, Spots N Dots.

The steer went on to compete at the Colin Say & Co Led Beef Extravaganza at Glen Innes. The Combined Forces Special Steer and Heifer Sale has a proven track record of producing champions on the hoof and hook with the grand champion led steers at Stanthorpe, Allora, Clifton and Killarney shows all sourced from the sale. This year’s sale held in March at Kalbar showground included an offering of Speckle Park/Limousin cross calves among the 30 lots. The sale is an initiative of Sowden Speckle Park, Kingaroy, and Neil Goetsch, Goetsch and Sons, Kalbar. Among the lots, red Speckle Park ribbon winner, Cookies & Cream, sold for $2400, a Speckle Park/Limousin cross weaned steer fetched $3500, and a Limousin/ Speckle Park unweaned calf sold for $2850. Steers averaged $2666 and heifers $1887. A Speckle Park steer, Spotted Warrior, was the jackpot winner in the Combined Forces Super Steer Series 2020 for exhibitor Travis Luscombe, who bought the steer out of the inaugural 2020 sale.

The Speckle Park/Limousin grand champion steer, Spots N Dots.

Chumps trumps charity auction at $32,000 for cardiac research A Speckle Park steer called Chumps raised a stellar $32,000 for the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute after being auctioned at the 2021 Sydney Royal Easter Show. The steer was bred by Justin and Amy Dickens, JAD Speckle Parks, Yeoval, NSW and prepared by the St Stanislaus College, Bathurst. “We were approached by a Schute Bell representative last year and asked to donate a purebred steer for this fantastic cause. We are glad we said yes,” Mrs Dickens said. The 18-month-old steer was out of JAD 58Y Unique N4, the dam of the $40,000 Australasian record-priced purebred heifer, JAD L260 Unique Q33 sold at the JAD sale to Tony and Liz Sutcliffe, Toebelle Speckle Park. The 2021 Schute Bell Badgery Lumby charity steer was bought by long-time supporter of the auction Paul and Val Ferry, Hurstville, NSW.Sired by Six Star 82U Royal Flesh 101Y, the steer had been named Chumps by the College students, weighed 688kg liveweight and had a P8 of 11mm and rib fat of 8mm. Chumps was prepared on a pellet ration from Conqueror Milling Company, Cootamundra.

The St Stanislaus College, Bathurst show team, Max Humphries, Alex Clements, Jack Heffernan, Jack Nunan, Virginia van Gend and Jack Morrison with the 2021 Schute Bell charity steer which sold for $32,000. Image courtesy The Land

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Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Carcase results

Speckle Park infused heifer shows her style on hoof and hook A Speckle Park cross heifer was sashed as reserve champion heifer on the hoof at the 5th annual Colin Say and Co Led Beef Extravaganza. Weighing 445kg liveweight, the heifer was exhibited by the Syndicate Show Steers to first place in the led heifer 431-540kg. The Led Beef Extravaganza was held on September 12 at the Glen Innes showgrounds but due to COVID the judging was live streamed.

The heifer went on to win on the hook with 89.9 points. She had a carcase weight of 248.4kg, 55.8 dressing percentage, 10mm of P8 fat, 6mm rib fat, marble score three, 84sqcm eye muscle area, and a MSA Index of 61.54. The entry was also second in the Colin Say $1000 Incentive winner. Glen Innes High School won the class for heavy steers 451-480kg with a Speckle Park cross weighing 468kg.

Specialty steer fitter Travis Luscombe exhibited a Limousin/Speckle Park to second place in the steers 481-510kg. Travis backed up the placing with a second in the competitive 601-680kg class with a Limousin/Speckle Park entry while Luke Cox and Emily Kahler placed third with a Limousin/Speckle Park steer.

Speckle Parks shine on the hook for eating quality A focus on carcase performance and eating quality has paid off for Minnamurra Speckle Park with a win in the prestigious 2021 RNA Paddock to Palate Competition for the sixth year in a row. Minnamurra, Coolah, NSW, competed in the 70-day HGP Trade class to finish with the highest MSA Index score of 61.39 and eating quality award on 342.37 points from their Speckle Park/Angus team. Minnamurra ranked in the top 10 overall on 680 points. The winning steer had an average daily gain of 2.76kg, a carcase weight of 302kg, 51.27 dressing percentage, 9mm of P8 fat, 12mm of rib fat, marble score 4, and an eye muscle area of 90sqcm. Minnamurra Speckle Park/ Angus teams also placed second and third in eating quality in Class 73, the 100-day export class with scores of 339.39 and 336.26 points, with the highest individual index score carcase of the class with an MSA Index of 59.93. The entries were fed at the JBS Australia’s Beef City feedlot and processed at Beef City’s abattoir. Teams comprised seven steers with the best six judged on their scores across feedlot weight gain, carcase and eating quality. The steers were judged on carcase weight, rib and rump fat, fat and meat colour, marbling, lean meat yield, and MSA Index. Minnamurra Pastoral general manager Dennis Power said the steers were out of Te Mania Angus cows and by Speckle Park bulls, and were a cross section of what they produce. “Speckle Park are consistently delivering better carcase to produce better yields and

Spring drop 2020 Speckle Park/Angus weaners in the yards at Minnamurra Pastoral. better profit. The animal with the highest MSA Index is the one with the most profitable cuts,” Mr Power said.

“We are finding in our 100-day grain fed day cattle, they finish with 2-3mm less fat than straight British bred animals.”

Minnamurra also placed fifth and eighth with their pen of three carcases (processed at Teys Australia Wagga) in the grain fed export (300-420kg) class at the National Beef Carcase Competition 2021. The Speckle Park F1 steers had endured drought conditions and competed against 87 teams from around Australia. Minnamurra has selected a team from the spring 2020 drop Speckle Park/ Angus cross steer calves for the NSW Beef Spectacular Feedback Trial at Teys Australia Stockinbingal feedlot. Mr Power said buoyant female prices and demand from crossbred herds in northern Australian for bulls augered well for the breed.

Mr Power said the breed’s push to performance record registered cattle would only increase interest from commercial producers.

“It’s pretty exciting times for the breed at the moment,” he said. “They are crossing with the British breeds particularly well. Speckle Park cattle have a moderate frame and are putting in more muscle, meat eating quality and marbling. “The carcase competitions have shown the eating quality and tenderness is outstanding.

Dennis Power enters carcase competitions to receive feedback on the Speckle Park cattle.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Performance recording

The realities of performance recording By Paul Guy People become seed stock producers for a wide variety of reasons and these reasons spawn a great variation in management practices as there are different priorities and different goals. Speckle Park breeders are no different. There is tremendous variation in how stud masters choose to run their program, from genetic decisions and nutritional management to health programs and sale platforms. To each his own as they say. What, however, is the result if you change your perspective from what the stud master wants to do, to what benefits the client the most? For me the thing that benefits the client the most is getting what they paid for. If they buy a low birth weight bull it needs to produce low birth weight calves, if they buy a bull to improve marbling it needs to deliver. I think all seed stock producers desire the best outcomes for their clients and would be disappointed if the bull they sold failed to live up to expectations. Performance recording helps you deliver on the promise you make to your clients. Many breeders are not performance recording as they find it too difficult, unnecessary to sell bulls or don’t really believe in it.

The reality of performance recording is that it helps identify the genetic potential of an individual by measuring their own performance and the performance of their progeny against their contemporaries under the same environmental conditions. Predictions are made based on the performance of an animal’s relatives and then as data flows into the system from weight records, scrotal measurements and scan data the estimated breeding values of the individual are refined. The data reveals differences that you might not expect or predict, but they are there. The differences that data reveals can be seen by looking at full siblings. Below are the ranges of 13 full sisters by Spots ’n’ Srpouts Stands Alone 300X out of Upto Specs Tori 10T. All of 13 of these females have been performance recorded and between them have 69 performance recorded progeny. The data reveals the genetic potential of an animal, and the more data inputted the clearer the picture becomes. Without data entry, they would all appear the same for each and every trait, if reliant on mid-parent EBVs which is where the mating predictor lands.

EBV Ranges and percentile bands of the 13 Spots ‘n’ Sprouts Stands Alone 300X and Upto Specs Tori 10T females at Minnamurra Speckle Park.

Trait

Mating Predictor

Lowest

Highest

Gestation Length

+0.2

-0.5 (25%)

+1.1 (90%)

Birth Weight

+1.3

+0.4 (15%)

+2.8 (85%)

200 Day Weight

+15

+9 (85%)

+20 (20%)

400 Day Weight

+20

+13 (85%)

+28 (25%)

600 Day Weight

+30

+19 (85%)

+39 (25%)

Mature Cow Weight

+33

+22 (85%)

+44 (15%)

Milk

+3. (75%)

+5 (25%)

Scrotal Size

+0.2

-0.3 (90%)

+0.4 (30%)

Carcass Weight

+19

+13 (80%)

+26. (15%)

Eye Muscle Area

+0.9

+0.3 (80%)

+1.5 (5%)

Rib Fat

+0.1

-1.6 (99%)

+2.0 (5%)

Rump Fat

+0.1

-2.2 (99%)

+2.7 (5%)

Retail Beef Yield %

+0.3

-1.5 (95%)

+1.6 (1%)

Intramuscular Fat %

-0.2

-0.6. (95%)

+0.7 (5%)

The variation in traits between individuals who share both parents is incredible when the data of siblings is analysed. You may well ask how is this possible? It comes about through the process of genetic variation. Siblings aren’t the same. The variation comes from the genetic lottery known as conception and the mating predictor finds the average. How far above or below this average for a particular trait is what performance recording shows. The more data analysed, the closer we come to revealing the true breeding value of an animal.

Making assumptions on the genetic value of individuals based solely on their forebears and siblings is a dangerous game. Their own performance and the performance of their progeny is far more revealing, and this is not unique to Speckle Park. In the world of thoroughbreds the evidence is stark. The finish line and prize money are easy measures to access. I’m sure you are all aware of the wonderful racemare Black Caviar. The darling of

the Australian turf was undefeated in 25 starts, conquered Royal Ascot and amassed well over seven million dollars in stake money. She has two full siblings, who between them won three races and earned $86,201. Relying on the performance of siblings to understand the genetic value of an individual, is as I said, a very dangerous game. So what does this mean for Speckle Park breeders? It’s simple. If you want to manage it, you need to measure it. Who knows what hidden gems you will uncover. Perhaps you have the Black Caviar of EMA, or the Winx of IMF% lurking in a paddock waiting to take on the world. Set up the scales, call the scanner and let the fun begin. The Breedplan algorithms will make all the calculations to let you know where you stand. And like anything worthwhile, the more you put in the more you get out. But most important of all your clients will be a whole lot closer to achieving their breeding goals as they can identify with greater reliability what they are looking for.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Beef Australia 2021

Speckle Park International on the radar at Australia’s beef industry mecca 2021 proved a milestone for Speckle Park International with the first formal presence at Beef Australia at Rockhampton to showcase the breed to the nation. The Speckle Park marquee was manned by chief executive officer Hannah Bourke, Board members and SPI Youth members, greeting existing and potential breeders. “The site received a large amount of foot traffic, particularly from the commercial breeders curious to know what sets Speckle Park apart from the rest with a lot of discussion around carcase attributes and data,” Hannah said. “Such discussion really buoyed what we know and love about Speckle Park and where our focus in this breed should be in the future to drive further commercial adoption. “We also offered a free commercial membership sign up for the week.” SPI launched its first range of branded trucker caps with 100 caps sold in less than six hours on the first day. With networking a key focus at Beef Australia, Hannah caught up with many industry representatives to propel Speckle Park International further into the commercial sphere, having discussions with AuctionsPlus, JBS Australia, Gallagher, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Elders and more. Hannah said the turn-out of Speckle Park cattle for the led classes was something to be proud of.

Lot 60, AAA Starbank Q6, a heifer by Wattle Grove 10K Traffic Jam G26 sold for $18,500. In the carcase results, Minnamurra Speckle Parks entered steers in the ANZ National Beef Carcase Competition announced at Beef Australia 2021. Two pens of Minnamurra Speckle F1 steers finished fifth and eighth in the grain fed export class. Stud principal Dennis Power said it was a great way to benchmark steers against the other 87 teams entered from all around Australia. The steers had been processed at Teys Australia Wagga, had done it tough during the drought, but Minnamurra’s top team finished on 269.73 points (out of 300), just two points behind the winning team. Coggan Partnership entered purebred Speckle Park steers, milk and two tooth, and averaging 643.5kg liveweight, in the pen of 10 commercial steers, 100 days grain fed and suitable for the export market. Banana Station entered Brahman/Speckle Park steers, two and four tooth, and averaging 600kg liveweight in the pen of 10 grass-fed steers, 520-760kg, HGP free. The Nutrien Livestock Commercial Cattle competition drew over 1600 head and was judged at the Central Queensland Livestock Exchange on May 2, and sold at the Sale of Champions the next day.

“We cannot thank the individual breeders and exhibitors for making the stellar effort to prep and transport cattle to Beef 2021 to represent the breed,” she said. “Speckle Park certainly held their own in the interbreed and supreme groups on the Thursday, and were a testament to all involved. “We were thrilled to see several young paraders and led steers with purebred and infused cattle out in the ring.” Hannah also attended the career conversations evening session where SPI was a sponsor. Students from participating schools had the opportunity to interact with professionals from the agribusiness and beef industries to talk about the many and varied career pathways.

A Speckle Park entry comes under the judge’s eye in the led steers at Beef Australia 2021.

“The Youth members were a standout for SPI. Feedback was glowing and their passion for the breed and promotion was hard to miss,” Hannah said. “The youth committee developed an Instagram frame and carted it all over the grounds, getting photos with various patrons and attendees. They also ran a successful scavenger hunt for the week of Beef. “Overall, the inaugural venture for SPI at Beef 2021 was a success and the planning for 2024 has already begun with fresh ideas about how we can come back to Rockhampton bigger and better.” Success in the ring spilled over into the sale barn for Matt Sowden, Sowden Speckle Park, when Sowden Rumour Hazit R23 was knocked down for $29,000, the sale top at the inaugural Beef Australia 2021 AuctionsPlus stud cattle sale, to Millstream Springs Cattle Company. The eight-month-old homozygous polled heifer was a full sister to Matt’s female calf champion, Sowden Eva TH Diva, and is a foundation heifer for Brett and Mandie Scott, Millstream Springs, Ravenshoe, Qld, alongside their Brangus stud.

Wattle Grove Dust n Smoke P07 was grand champion Speckle Park bull.

Beef Australia 2021

Wattle Grove Dust n Smoke triumphs in ring at Rocky A bull described as athletic and active stormed through the classes at Beef Australia 2021 to take grand champion Speckle Park bull. The rising three-year-old sire, Wattle Grove Dust n Smoke P07 was exhibited by Wattle Grove Speckle Park stud, Oberon, NSW, to senior and grand champion bull. Sired by Wattle Grove Smoke and Mirrors 275 and out of Wattle Grove Star Dust E2, P07 impressed judges Grame Hopf, Murwillumbah, NSW, and associate, Jack Nelson, Jackungah Speckle Park, Pine Lodge, Vic. The judging on May 4 at Rockhampton, Qld, drew 49 entries, with NSW taking home 10 of the 14 major awards. In the calf classes, the Matt Sowden, Sowden Speckle Parks, Kingaroy, exhibited Sowden Eva TH Diva to win the female six and under nine months and calf champion, Sunny Dale stud, Jiggi, NSW, won the female nine and under 12 months with Sunny Dale Rescelle, and the Missingham family, Dorrougby stud, Westbrook, exhibited DPS R17 to win female 12 and under 15 months and reserve champion female. Sowden stud exhibited Sowden Beasty Boy to win the bull six months and under nine months and reserve champion male, while Shaun and Debbie Black, SND Signature stud, Stoneleigh, showed SND Maximum Impact to win the nine and under 12 months class Six Star, Bundanoon, NSW, and Southern Aurora, Berry, NSW, took out the bull 12 and under 15 months class and champion male with Six Sar Southern Aurora Justice R10. Matt Sowden backed up in the junior females to exhibit Wattle Grove M34 Eileen R106 to win the heifer 15 and under 17 months and reserve champion heifer, Panorama Farms, Narrabri, NSW, won the 17 and under 19 months with Panorama 309C Friday Night Effect. Denis and Theresa Roberts, AAA stud, Lockyer Waters, showed AAA Starbank Q6 to heifer 19 months and under 21 months and champion junior female.

Six Star Bojangles Q100 won the bull 15 and under 17 months for Six Star and Aurora, Northern Jack won the 17 and under 19 months for Northern Speckle Park, and Wattle Grove Jagerbomb Q120 was exhibited by Wattle Grove stud, Oberon, NSW, to win bull 19 months and under 21 months and junior champion bull. In reserve was Wattle Grove N58 Tractor Q116 shown by Wattle Grove stud. Mikayla Hamilton and Stacey Warrener, Monument Speckle Park, Jiggi, NSW, exhibited Wattle Grove K7 Kantana to win the cow 30 and under 36 months, and Wattle Grove showed the two-year-old first calf heifer Wattle Grove K7 Louise P644 with an eight-month-old bull calf to win the 36 months and under 48 months class, champion senior and grand champion female. P644 was by Kamarah Eagle K7 and her calf by Wattle Grove Paperboy P503. Wattle Gove Miss Wow N10 won 48 and under 60 months class and reserve champion for Wattle Grove. Pemberton stud, Glenquarry, NSW, exhibited Pemberton Geronimo Q21 to win the bull 24 and under 30 months class, Wattle Grove showed Wattle Grove Dust n Smoke P07 to win the 30 and under 36 months class, and senior champion bull. In reserve was Wattle Grove Player P201. In the exhibitor’s group, Wattle Grove was first, with Sowden second and AAA in third. Sowden won the sire progeny stakes with a team of Spots ‘N’ Sprouts Stand Alone calves and Deeargee stud, Uralla, NSW, the dam progeny stakes with a team of Waratah J7 cattle.

The champion bull and female lead off the breed in the grand parade at Beef Australia 2021.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Beef Australia 2021

Associate judge Jack Nelson, judge Grame Hopf, handler Claudia Humphries, Oberon, NSW and Karen Griffiths, Allora, with the grand champion female and calf.

Judges Jack Nelson and Grame Hopf with handlers Anthony Flint and Tim Eastwell, the reserve champion bull Wattle Grove N58 Tractor Q116 and champion bull Wattle Grove Dust n Smoke P07.

Six Star SAS Justice R10 took out bull calf champion.

Sowden Beasty Boy was reserve champion bull calf.

Eva TH Diva was sashed as champion female calf.

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Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Around the shows

Speckles shine for cattle show team at Sydney Central NSW secondary school, Wellington, met with success at the 2021 Sydney Royal with their purebred Speckle Park entries. The school’s show team claimed equal first in the group of school carcases, with one Speckle Park steer making up their team of three. The same entry scored 88.5 points and placed third in the heavyweight carcase class. The steer was sired by Checkered Leeland, bred by Cayuse Speckle Park, Manilla, NSW, and was snapped up by Woolworths. It had a liveweight of 548kg, a carcase weight of 304.4kg, dressing percentage of 55.5, 10mm on the rib, 11mm on the rump and received maximum points for meat and fat colour. Cayuse and Six Star Speckle Park partner with the school to supply stud animals to the cattle show team, which were able to attend Yeoval, Wellington and Dubbo shows this year.

Meanwhile, the Gympie District Beef Liaison Group and Bundaberg Christian College and Isis District State High School hosted the 2021 Wide Bay Interschool Hoof and Hook competition in September at the Bundaberg Recreational Precinct. Chief judge was Graeme Wicks, Wondai, with classes for junior handlers, herdsman, judges for Years 7-12, and led steers and heifers in light, middle and heavy weight divisions. Bundaberg Christian College were awarded champion school and included in their team was a Speckle Park/Limousin cross steer bred by Matt and Shannon Sowden, Sowden Speckle Park to promote the benefits of the commercial worth of the breed. Maclean High School met with success at the Northern Schools Steer Show at Inverell by taking out the liveweight class (401420kg) with a Speckle cross entry from Ben Simpson, Brooms Head. Another entry from Ben was third in the mediumweight class for the school.

Speckle breeders happy to be back promoting the breed Speckle Park breeders were back in the showrings up and down the eastern seaboard this year after an enforced layoff due to COVID-19 in 2020. Black Diamond 94A Qiuck Sand Q158 took out supreme exhibit at the Euroa Autumn Beef Festival in Victoria for the Black Diamond Speckle Park stud. Quick Sand was sashed junior champion bull and champion British bull while purebred steer Black Diamond Skunk was commercial champion. Black Diamond was first in the pair of bulls, group of three and second in the sire’s progeny. Ewyn Speckle Park took a team of heifers to the Mount Pleasant Spring Beef Exhibition with Ewyn 1B Sassafras R29 taking out junior champion heifer. The event drew more than 100 cattle entries, 19 exhibitors and 12 breeds.

Champion British Bull Black Diamond 94A Quick Sand Q158.

Sassafras R29 also won reserve intermediate champion heifer at the 2021 SA Junior Heifer Expo, exhibited by Emily Edwards. Rose Hill Speckle Park stud had a successful day out at the Mudgee Show in NSW with Rose Hill Reba grand champion all breeds female and Rose Hill Secret’s Out was grand champion all breeds bull. Secret’s Out went on to win supreme beef exhibit. Panorama Farm Speckle Park exhibited at the Armidale Show in NSW before heading to Sydney Royal. Panorama He’s Not Complicated Q25 took out junior and grand champion bull while Panorama Effect Q03 won senior champion bull.

Junior champion heifer Ewyn 1B Sassafras R29.

AAA Speckle Full page advert

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Royal Show results

Cow with the wow factor takes out supreme at Toowoomba A Speckle Park cow with the x-factor wowed the judges at the 2021 Toowoomba Royal Show to be sashed the Malcolm McCosker Supreme stud cattle exhibit.The rising fouryear-old female Wattle Grove Miss Wow N10 was exhibited with her bull calf and impressed the three interbreed judges Tom Nixon, Drillham, Patrick O’Leary, Clifton, and Graham Brown, Windera. Miss Wow was exhibited by the Humphries family, Wattle Grove Speckle Park, Oberon, NSW, and caught the judges’ attention as a stand-out entry in the grand champion interbreed female line-up. She was sired by Codiak Putnam GNK 61Y and out of Wattle Grove 60W Unique G28, while her calf Wattle Grove Life it Up R145 was sired by Wattle Grove Road Block N328. The cow had come through the ranks to win the female 24 months and over class, followed by senior and grand champion female. In reserve to Miss Wow was Nunkeeri Park Lauren exhibited by Pinnacle Park Speckles, The Summit, Qld. Lauren had a seven-month-old bull calf and was a rising six-year-old.

She had been shown for the past consecutive years with four calves on the ground and over 20 embryos in the tank or in recipients.

and grand champion bull with stablemate Wattle Grove Player P201 in reserve senior champion.

The Speckle Park ring drew 24 head from seven studs. The champion heifer calf was AAA Photo Finish R18 shown by AAA Speckle Park, Kingaroy, Qld, with SND Signature Radiant Star in reserve for SND Signature Speckles, Stoneleigh, Qld. Everest 46Y Willow Q20, a daughter of Codiak Eagle GNK 46Y, was sashed as junior champion heifer for Everest Speckle Park, Oakey, and in reserve was Waratah Wendy Q168 shown by SND Signature Speckles.

Heritage Bank Toowoomba Royal Show has announced it is set to host the Speckle Park National Feature show in 2022. In other Queensland show results, Waratah Wendy Q168 was led by Robert Nuttridge to win his division of the junior paraders at the Ipswich Show, and the heifer was reserve champion senior British female. SND Signature Maximum Impact was sashed as reserve champion junior British bull, while SND Signature Radiant Star was reserve champion junior British female.

Sired by Maungahina Kindmans Cove, Everest K247 Riddler R7 was named the champion male calf for Colin and Linda Shields, Oakey, Qld, with AAA Hugelhoff R08 in reserve. Wattle Grove Jagerbomb Q120, by Six Star Rare Commodity, was junior champion bull while AAA Thunderbolt was in reserve.Wattle Grove also tasted success with the Star Bank Lacerta 68L son, Wattle Grove Freedom P646, as senior

At Lowood show, Wendy Q168 was champion senior British female, and SND Signature Maximum Impact champion and grand champion British bull.Maximum Impact was sashed junior and grand champion British bull at Woodford show. Nine-monthold SND Signature Roscoe was junior and grand champion British bull at the Samford show on his first outing.

Wattle Grove Miss Wow N10 was supreme exhibit.

AAA Photo Finish R18 was sashed champion heifer calf.

Everest K247 Riddler R7 was named the champion male calf.

Everest 46Y Willow Q20 was junior champion heifer.

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Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Royal Show results

Thunderbolt powers through judging to supreme exhibit at Sydney In just his second outing, Pemberton Thunderbolt Q65 scooped the pool at the 2021 Royal Sydney Show with junior and grand champion Speckle Park bull and supreme exhibit. Exhibited by Taleah Bell, Pemberton Speckle Park, Glenquarry, NSW, Thunderbolt Q65 went on to place in the top seven in the interbreed and top five in the pairs with Hanging Rock Heather P01.In recognition of the achievement, Taleah received a congratulatory letter from NSW Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall. “To see producers like you acknowledged in this way gives me great belief in the future of agriculture and farming in NSW,” Minister Marshall said. Thunderbolt had his first outing at Moss Vale Show to win junior and grand champion British bull. The 17-month-old bull was

by Outback Joey 25D and out of Notta 101YPhoto Finish 12A and boasted a 1.45kg daily gain, 12mm at the rump, 8mm on the rib, a 114sqcm eye muscle and weighed 758kg. Shorthorn breeder and judge Peter Falls, Finley, NSW, had 48 entries to appraise at Sydney. In reserve to Thunderbolt for the junior championship was Six Star Aurora Justice R10 exhibited Six Star, Bundanoon, NSW, and Southern Aurora studs, Berry, NSW. Alex Pateman and Natalie Merz, Rose Hill Speckle Park, Kandos, NSW, exhibited the senior champion bull, Rose Hill Secret’s Out and in reserve was Hillview Cliff exhibited by Robert and Leanne Bendeich, Hillview Speckle Park, Leconfield, NSW. Senior and grand champion female Hanging Rock Heather P101 was shown with her seven-month-old calf, Hanging Rock Hyacinth, sired by Maungahina Northern Star and exhibited by John and Anne Ellis, Hanging Rock Speckle Park, Victoria.

The three-year-old was sired by Fish Creek Farm Thunderstruck L1 and out of AAA Lavender L28, and had previously been sashed grand champion at the 2019 Adelaide Royal and supreme exhibit at Melbourne Royal. She finished her show career on a high, placing top three in the female interbreed and second in the Urquhart Trophy, the first time the breed had done so. Reserve senior champion female was MH Pure Temptation P01 exhibited by Nigel and Samantha Noble, Hollko Speckle Park, Lacmalac, NSW. The junior champion female was 19-monthold heifer Jackungah Koda Q17 exhibited by Jack Nelson, Jackungah Speckle Park, Pine Lodge, Vic. In reserve was Epic Amy’s Girl R8 exhibited by SE Carrison and M K Woollett, Epic Speckle Park, Penola, SA. Hanging Rock stud was the most successful exhibitor and won the breeders group.

Junior and Grand champion bull Pemberton Thunderbolt Q65.

Speckle Park judging at Sydney Royal 2022.

Hanging Rock Heather P101, senior and grand champion female.

The supreme exhibit Pemberton Thunderbolt Q65 with RAS steward Stuart Davies, judge Peter Falls, sponsor Shannon Lawlor, handler Erin Grylls, owner Tim and Kristen Bell, Minister Adam Marshall and Sienna and Jayde Grylls.

Virtual Show results

Road Block emerges as supreme in inaugural virtual show Black Stump 01B Road Block R12 stamped his dominance in the line-up at the first Speckle Park Virtual Show in October by being sashed supreme champion exhibit. The 14-month-old bull was exhibited by Black Stump Speckle Park and grabbed the attention of online judge Jack Laurie, Breeder Genetics. “Overall, I was impressed with the depth and volume across the individuals, putting out what the Speckle Park breed is known for consistently strong topped cattle with a lot of performance and volume,” Mr Laurie said. He said Road Block had an overall balanced phenotype with sire appeal and body length, awarding the bull champion and grand champion male. “He is second to none with the testicular development, free moving, exhibits plenty of strength along the top and spine and he will be a bull we will see a lot of.”

Grand champion female went to five-year-old Wellerlou Speckle Park with EBH M32 after winning the class female 24 months and older. “This female represents an overall functional cow – beautiful on the move and beautiful through the front end, there is so much power and overall performance behind this female,” Mr Laurie said. “She has overall depth of body and capacity and is holding herself beautifully through the hip and pins.”

The winners were: Female 24 months and older: EBH M32 Female 20 and under 24 months: ERS Q8 Female 16 and under 20 months: WYN R29 Female 12 and under 16 months: WEL R31 Female under 12 months: WGS S101 Male: 24 months and over: WGS Q116 Male 20 months and under 24 months: WGS Q120 Male 16 to 20 months: BLK R3 Male 12 and under 16 months: BLK R12 Male under 12 months: WSP R56

Champion female was Kamarah Majestic M32 exhibited by Wellerlou. There was just seven votes in it but the winner of the People’s Choice award was Ewyn 1B Sassafras R29 exhibited by Ewyn Speckle Park stud. The virtual show encouraged members to get out with their cattle during COVID lockdown, with $250 awarded to the supreme exhibit. Winner of the People’s Choice award, Ewyn 1B Sassafras R29.

Home of the Sassafras family

Ewyn 61Y Sassafras P45 Putnam x Legacy Sassafras 97Y

Ewyn 1B Sassafras R29 Zeppelin x Ewyn Sassafras P15

Reserve Junior Champion Female 2021 SA Junior Heifer Expo 1st Heifer 14-18 months

Junior Champion

Mt Pleasant Spring Royal Beef Expo 2021 Thank you and congratulations to Emily Edwards of Wattle Lee for preparing and showing R29 at the Heifer Expo!

Vaughn Johnston | P: 0408 304 526 David Kerber | P: 0400 726 294 E: davidkerber@bigpond.com

Balhannah, SA

Enquiries Welcom

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Stud sale results

Speckle Park stud sale highlights for Australia and New Zealand BLACK DIAMOND, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER SALE, ECHUCA, VIC Bulls: | Offered: 29 | Sold: 29 Top price: $12,000 | Ave: $6851 Females: | Offered: 14 | Sold: 14 Top price: $16,000 | Ave: $8964 The top price bull, Lot 4 Black Diamond J17 Quick Fix Q511 was bought for $12,000 by Queensland-based Jamie Crawford, Glenvillan Pastoral. Jamie also selected another five bulls.

Ridge R11 was bought by North Queensland graziers Tom and Karen Murphy, Seaforth, for adding fertility, carcase and temperament to their Bos indicus herd. The homozygous polled Adelson Kelly Q12 topped the heifer market at $28,000, selling to Ivery Downs Cattle Co, Colinton.Weighing 534kg, the 24-month-old daughter of Notta Romeo 64R was in calf to Mount Eccles Adam P11. Semen lots averaged $377 a straw, topping at $525 for two packages of five straws from Wolf Lake Field Ready 52F. Shadow Speckles, Gin Gin, paid $350 a straw for a charity lot, with proceeds going to Qld Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre.

Records were also set for the highest priced female flush at $32,000 (Hanging Rock Heather P01) and the highest priced embryos at $5500 per embryo (AAA Lavender L28V x Spots ‘N’ Sprouts Stands Alone) presented by Hanging Rock stud.

Jackungah Nellie N09

Dorrougby Ridge R11

CASINO ALL BREEDS BULL SALE, CASINO, NSW

Top Price: $225 | Ave: $178/straw

Bulls: | Offered: 2 | Sold: 2 Ave: $8000 Donations at the sale were given to three local charities, Windara Casino, Casino. Rescue Squad and Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

DORROUGHBY/PINNACLE PARK/BETH VIDE/ADELSON, WESTBROOK, QLD

JACKUNGAH BLUE PRINT OPPORTUNITY SALE, PINE LODGE, VIC Bulls: | Offered: 11 | Sold: 11 Top price: $18,000 | Ave: $11,500

Bulls: | Offered: 26 | Sold: 26

Females: | Offered: 26 | Sold: 26

Top price: $30,000 | Ave: $14,846

Top price: $57,000 | Ave: $18,807

Heifers: | Offered: 13 | Sold: 13 Top price: $28,000 | Ave: $16,462 Commercial Brahman and Droughtmaster breeder snapped up the top price bull, Dorroughby Ridge R11, for $30,000. Sired by Underhill All Out 1D, the 17-monthold bull weighed 670kg and scanned with a 113sqcm eye muscle area and fats of 9 and 13mm.

Adelson Kelly Q12

A joined cow and calf set a new breed world record of $57,000 at the Blue Print Multivendor Opportunity sale. Sired by Codiak Eagle GNK 46Y, Jackungah Nellie N09 was joined to Canadian sire INC Breaking News 63F and had a bull calf at foot. She was bought by Gavin Lang, Mansfield, while Jackungah Nova N05 sold for $40,000 to Andrew Donnan, Willangie, Vic.

Grossing $1.19 million, the sale set a new Australasian record for a purebred registered Speckle Park heifer at $40,000 for JAD L260 Unique Q33 bought by Tony and Liz Sutcliffe, Toebelle Speckle Park, Duns Creek, NSW.Stud bulls topped at $34,000 twice – JAD Quaintly Q66 sold to Ivery Downs Cattle Co, Colinton, Qld, and JAD Qualified Q95 sold to the James family, Lucindale, SA. A total of 12 commercial bulls averaged $11,500, 21 PTIC F2/F3 commercial heifers sold to $5000 and averaged $4313, and three PTIC recipients sold to $10,000 and averaged $8667.

Amy and Justin Dickens with their top price female JAD L260 Unique Q33. Image Emily H Photography

Stud sale results

KAMARAH, MINDARRA, WA Top price: $11,000 | Ave: $6619

MAUNGAHINA SPECKLE PARK YEARLING BULL SALE, MASTERTON, NZ

Females: | Offered: 18 | Sold: 18

Bulls: | Offered: 20 | Sold: 20

Bulls: | Offered: 27 | Sold: 21

Top price: $18,000 | Ave: $8944 Embryo packages: | Offered: 35 | Sold: 16 | Top price: $1200 | Ave: $1150 Semen packages: | Offered: 80 | Sold: 80 | Top price: $115 | Ave: $96.25 The 15-month-old heifer Kamarah Rhae R326 sold for $18,000 to Andrew Van der Drift, Black Diamond Speckle Park, Marcorna, Vic, bidding online at the inaugural Kamarah Speckles sale. Sired by Lauaki L275 and out of Kamarah Necklace N11, the stylish heifer had BREEDPLAN EBVs of 0.9kg for birthweight, +13, +25 and +29 for 200-, 400- and 600-day growth, +6 for milk and +21 for carcase weight. The top priced bull, Kamarah Ryan R307, a 17-month-old white son of Minnamura Marlin M4, was purchased by Doug Brown and Cany Hudson, Moonyoonooka, WA.

Top price: $8,000 | Ave: $4410 The top price bull, Maungahina R234, was sired by Minnamurra Montezuma M25 and out of Maungahina Mau N240. With a birthweight of 38kg, the bull offered outcross genetics and suitability for heifers.

Maungahina R234

MINNAMURRA, COOLAH, NSW Bulls: | Offered: 59 | Sold: 59 Top price: $56,000 | Ave: $14,881 Wattle Grove Speckle Park, Oberon, NSW, outlaid $56,000 for their new sire at the Minnamurra sale and set a new breed record price for a yearling bull.

The team at Kamarah Speckle Park

The 17-month-old sale topper Minnamurra Rastus R51 was a homozygous polled son of Minnamurra Knighthawk N112, weighed 728kg and ranked in the top five per cent of the breed for 400-day weight, rib and rump fat, scrotal size and mature cow weight. He was in the top 10 per cent for carcase weight, intramuscular fat and 600-day weight. The tropical bulls offered were the first in a line of Bos indicus-infused Speckle Park commercial bulls suited for northern Australia.

Minnamurra Rastus R51

In the stellar sale grossing $878,000, 22 rising two-year-old bulls sold to $28,000 for an average of $18,000, 33 yearling bulls topped at $56,000 and averaged $13,818, and four tropically adapted bulls topped at $8000 and averaged $6500. Mount Jack Coconut

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Stud sale results

OAKEY CREEK, MANILLA, NSW Bulls: | Offered: 23 | Sold: 23

SOUTHERN SUCCESS SPECKLE PARK SALE, SHEPPARTON, VIC

Top price: $16,000 | Ave: $10,996

Bulls: | Offered: 34 | Sold: 33

Heifers: | Offered: 10 | Sold: 10 Top price: $12,500 | Ave: $7600 Semen package: | Offered: 3 | Sold: 3 Top price: $2300 | Ave: $926/straw Embryo package: | Offered: 4 | Sold: 4 Top price: $1700 | Ave: $1633 The inaugural sale for Oakey Creek resulted in two bulls selling for the top price of $16,000. Both sired by Legacy Revere 110D, Oakey Creek S Pegasus Q1 and Oakey Creek S. Colby Q3 sold to Celamaba Speckle Park Stud, Deepwater.A total of 15 commercial heifers were sold for an average of $2833.

PREMIER CATTLE COMPANY, CAMBRIDGE, NEW ZEALAND

Q498 was sired by Wattle Grove The Sugar Man and out of Three Way Gracelands M27.

All Out 1D and out of Starbank 300X Janette H2. R3 weighed 568kg, had a raw EMA of 123sqcm, 11mm on the rump, 9mm on the rib and an IMF of 6.1. Reserve champion at Sydney and an April 2020 drop daughter of Spots and Sprouts Stand Alone, Epic Amy’s Girl R8 sold for the top female price to Davena Speckle Park.

Blue Spark Starlight P01

Bulls: | Offered: 19 | Sold: 19

Sold: 98 | Ave: $175

Top price: $24,000 | Ave: $5150 Premier N306 Magnus R4 was the highest selling bull of all breeds and the top price Speckle Park bull in New Zealand’s 2021 spring yearling sales. The bull sold to Lagoon Speckle Park, Australia. R4 was sired by Maungahina Neon and out of Codiak Amanda GNK 42Y, and ranked top five per cent for milk and top 35 per cent for birthweight.

They were Minnamurra, Waratah and Three Way blood and sold on account of ENG Ag Pty Ltd, Loomberah. City Group, Yass, outlaid the top price in the bulls for 15-monthold Ebbwvale M2 Renegade offered by Ebbwvale Speckle Park, Woodlands.

The equal top price bull Keiross The Sugar Man Q49 was sold by Keiross Speckle Park KRS to Kurralea Stud, Ariah Park, NSW.

The bull weighed 836kg, had a raw eye muscle scan of 126sqcm, 7mm on the rump and 6mm on the rib, with a 4.9 IMF. A place getter at Sydney Royal, Epic Run Out R3 was sold by Epic Speckle Park, Penola, SA, to Black Diamond Speckle Park, Davena Speckle Park, Euroa, and Jackungah Speckle Park, Pine Lodge, Vic. R3 was by Underhill Oakey Creek S Pegasus Q1

Blue Spark Starlight P01, a three-year-old daughter of SPKNZ Extreme E27 and out of Bunderra 68L Star Bank D5, sold with a five-month-old heifer calf and rejoined, to Toebelle Speckle Park, Duns Creek, for $51,000. Prior to the stud offering, a commercial female sale resulted in first calf Speckle Park heifers making to $3900.

Epic Amy’s Girl R8 sold for $40,000.

Three Way claimed a world record on October 14 with a sale high of $70,000 for Three Way Gracelands Q21 was set when sold to Kellanne Cattle Co, Newham, Vic. The PTIC 26-month-old was sired by Spots ‘N’ Sprouts Stands Alone. A total of 18 PTIC recipient females were offered and sold to average $8555.

Three Way Gracelands Q21 and vendor Damien Sotter

Stud sale results

WARATAH SPECKLE PARK, GUYRA, NSW

WATTLE GROVE SPECKLE PARK, OBERON, NSW

WATTLE GROVE - ROCKIN’ AT ROCKY BULL SALE

Bulls: | Offered: 37 | Sold: 34

2021 Genetics Sale via Elite Livestock Auctions

Bulls: | Offered: 27 | Sold: 27

Top price: $15,000 | Ave: $9441

Embryo packages: | Offered: 44

Top price: $45,000 | Ave: $13,038

Sale topper Waratah Q183 was knocked down for $15,000 to an online buyer from New Farm, Queensland. The 21-month-old bull was sired by Upto Ulysses 25U, weighed 746kg and was ranked in the top 10 per cent of the breed for scrotal size, 200-, 400- and 600-day weights, and mature cow weight. The Turnam family also offered 150 semen straws (lots of 10) and sold them to a top of $100 a straw and average of $73/straw.

Waratah Q183

The Beef Australia 2021 grand champion Speckle Park bull, Wattle Grove Dust N Smoke P07 sold to Speckle Park Brazil for a sale high of $45,000 to Speckle Park Brazil through Elders agent Lincoln McKinlay. The 34-month-old bull weighed 978kg with raw scans of 15mm at the rump, 10mm at the rib, and an eye muscle area of 141sqcm.

The team at Wattle Grove

Wattle Grove Dust N Smoke

MPC PLUNDERER P196

Winners of RNA Paddock to Plate Carcase Awards every year 2016 to 2021 Winners of The Land’s Sire Shootout People’s Choice Award 2020 Pure Bred Herd of 350 Breeding Cows 100 Pure Bred Bulls for Sale each Year Annual Sale September

BETTER CARCASES BETTER YIELDS FOR BETTER PROFITS

Minnamurra Speckle Park “Mount Mill”, 1170 Coolah Creek Rd, Coolah. NSW Dennis Power 0427 734 254 | www.minnamurra.com.au

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Ave: $4250

Bids fly at the Twilight sale. Image Studstocksales.com

Wattle Grove’s final sale of the year culminated in a world record for a Speckle Park female of $75,000 for Wattle Grove P503 Cara S101, purchased by Ivery Downs Cattle Co, Colinton, Qld.

The nine-month-old female was the first daughter of the $68,000 world record top price bull Wattle Grove Paperboy P503 and was out of Wattle Grove Cara P752.Wattle Grove N58 Tractor Q116 sold for $30,000 to Gotcha Speckle Park, Dumaresq Island while Wattle Grove Galaxy R110 also made $30,000 to a buyer through Elders Taree. Commercial females averaged $4586 for the 36 sold, with a top of $6250 paid for a pen of six commercial Speckle Park/Angus cows PTIC to Speckle Park bulls sold to Toebelle Speckle Park, Duns Creek.

Wattle Grove P503 Cara S101

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Youth

Speckle Park Youth up there with the best at Sydney and Rocky With only two major shows able to go ahead in a year of COVID cancellations, it has been a challenge for SPI Youth to showcase their animals and skills in the showring. However, Sydney Royal Easter Show and Beef Australia 2021 were well supported by Speckle Park breeders and our youth excelled. Looking around the sheds at Sydney, you could be forgiven thinking it was a youth show with so many young breeders exhibiting their own animals or helping other studs. After such a long break from the showring, there was plenty of excitement and tension as breeders lined up to have their animals judged by the highly regarded Peter Falls. Of the 10 broad ribbons on offer, four went to Youth members with Taleah Bell, Pemberton Speckle Park, taking out junior and grand champion bull and best exhibit with her bull Pemberton Thunderbolt Q65. Junior champion female was Jackungah Koda Q17 exhibited by Jack Nelson, Jackungah Speckle Park. Reserve senior champion was MH Pure Temptation exhibited by Mia Hourn, MH Speckle Park while Wellington High School prepared and exhibited for Six Star-Southern Aurora taking out reserve junior champion bull. This in no way takes away from the contribution of the full members in attendance. In fact, it is the strength of their foundation and continued commitment to the breed that has allowed our youth to shine. SPI Youth success continued in the RAS Youth Show with Angela McGrath achieving third in junior judging. Wellington High student Jorja Lousick also took out the heifer fitting challenge. St Stanislaus College, Bathurst, prepared and exhibited two purebred Speckle Park steers purchased by Schute Bell from JAD Speckle Park and Black Diamond Speckle Park.One steer was selected as the Victor Chang Foundation Memorial steer and raised $32,000 for the foundation. Long-time supporter of SPI Youth, John Ellis, Hanging Rock Speckle Park, commented on the great group of youth at the show. “Every one of them contributed to the success of the show. Their work ethic and responsibility now only to their own studs but to the breed is to be commended,” he said.

An Instagram board was used to promote the youth program and Speckle Park at Beef Australia 2021.

Young Speckle Park breeder Matt Black, M&M Fitting Service, competing at Beef Australia 2021.

Beef Australia 2021 Beef Australia is an industry event occurring every three years in Rockhampton, Qld, showcasing beef cattle and all aspects of the industry. Speckle Park was first exhibited at Beef Australia in 2012 with a handful of cattle. Numbers have steadily increased at each event to this year Speckle Park being represented by 20 studs from NSW, Queensland and Victoria. A total of 60 entries were judged with Wattle Grove Speckle Park, Oberon, NSW, taking out grand champion bull and grand champion female.SPI Youth were well represented both in the junior events and on judging day. Long-time junior member of SPI, Jack Nelson had the privilege of assisting Graeme Hopf in the judging ring. Jack has been a member of SPI since its creation and a strong advocate for youth programs in Speckle Park.SPI Youth sub-committee members Charlie Sutherland and Sophie Worth spent the week at Beef Australia ensuring everyone on site knew about SPI Youth. Armed with an Instagram board and a winning attitude, they tirelessly worked the grounds promoting the youth program and Speckle Park. The SPI Youth Sub-committee is committed to the promotion of the breed and its youth members. The committee aims to encourage youth participation, deliver educational information and develop skills and knowledge within the Speckle Park community.The committee was overwhelmed with the results of the fundraiser – a big thankyou to all the underbidders and successful purchasers, plus all the businesses for their generous donations. A total of $19,745 was raised for the development of the Speckle Park Youth program. The 2022 Speckle Park Youth calendar is now available – it is full of amazing photos and artworks created by young Speckle Park enthusiast.All money raised will go back into the development of the Speckle Park Young Breeders program. The committee thanks Peter Wright and Rhonda Keogh of Central Commercial Printers for putting together the calendar.Members look forward to bringing you more Youth success stories and invite readers to email us at youth@specklepark.org with your Speckle Park successes, stories and photos.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Youth

Young Gun profile: Ruby Canning Tell us a little bit about yourself (photography business, family farm etc). My name is Ruby Canning and I’m the photographer behind Mavstar Photography, specialising in livestock and rural family photography. I offer on-farm portrait sessions, and fine art prints. I have recently graduated from the University of New England with a Bachelor of Business (major in marketing). Along with my family we own and operate Mavstar Simmentals. I am employed full time by Outcross Agri-services, an Australian precision livestock management company. Mavstar Simmentals was established in 2001 based on genetics from my grandparents’ stud, Maverick Simmentals. Annually we sell seedstock and show our cattle throughout southern Australia. My experience as a livestock breeder informs my photographic work: I have unique insights into exactly what kind of images livestock producers need in order to obtain an outstanding result in the marketplace. My upbringing on the land allows me to understand the beauty of a lifestyle that has hardship, challenges and many blessings intertwined. My photographs capture a moment in time, which reflects a timeless memory. In addition to my involvement within the Simmental breed I am an active Angus Youth Member, and I am part of their Youth Consultative Committee. Angus Australia has provided me with endless opportunities over the years which I will forever be grateful for.

How did you get into judging cattle? Did you compete in junior judging competitions?

Have you had the chance to judge any Speckle Park cattle? If so where and what were they like? I have judged Speckle Parks at Bathurst Royal when I was judging there with my Mum & Dad in 2016. Whilst I love my Simmentals, I admire all breeds for their attributes and their ability to contribute to our Australian Beef Industry. I haven’t judged too many Speckle Parks, but I have photographed many!

Do you think judging has helped you personally with confidence and/or increased your confidence in selecting animals? Yes, most certainly! Growing up, I would always spend hours on end with family out in the paddock picking our next show team or deciding which cows to include in our Artificial Insemination and Embryo programs. As my knowledge grew and my confidence increased, I began to judge cattle on what I believed their contribution would be to our Australian beef industry, or within a specific breeding program. If you have knowledge of the industry, and what contributes to a successful breeding program I believe it increases confidence when judging cattle.

What are your goals for the future?

I have grown up in the beef industry, and I always been passionate about breeding outstanding cattle. Naturally I followed in my parents and my Pa’s footsteps of judging cattle. I began competing in junior judging competitions when I was eight-years-old, I competed at many youth shows, agricultural shows and at multiple Angus Youth Roundups. When I won Champion Sub Intermediate Judge and Herdsperson at the 2012 Angus Roundup where my steers also won Champion & Reserve Steer, that was the kickoff of my judging career. That year I was the Associate Judge at the Red Angus National Show and Sale, Melbourne Royal Show (Simmentals) and at Geelong Royal Show. 2012 was a big year, filled with opportunities but it was also the same year my beloved Pa passed away.

I adore our Simmental cattle, and a goal of mine is to continue running and expanding our family stud Mavstar Simmentals, along with growing my photography business.I would love to get back overseas at some stage again! Ideally back to Canada and America to see family and to continue to diversify our cattle genetics. Continue to volunteer and give back to organisations and committees that have helped me get to where I am today, such as Angus Youth.

From 2012 onwards, I gained many Associate Judge positions alongside my Dad in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. I always love judging with my Dad, it is so special. As time went on, I was invited to be an over judge at shows across Australia, and I took on each one with gratitude. I believe it is an honour to be asked to judge cattle anywhere. My proudest accolade recently was judging at Beef Australia alongside my Dad this year. We judged the Fleckvieh breed, it was an honour to judge at such a prestigious event with Dad.

1. Be yourself well presented and be content with your animal – Whenever I judge junior paraders competitions I always love seeing kids being themselves, having fun and enjoying the time in the ring. I am so glad I enjoyed the time I had competing in paraders and junior judging competitions, because I am nearly 25, and that time has certainly flown! Being content with your animal is important I believe, go in relaxed and calm, and you’re setting yourself up for success.

What’s your favourite memory of a junior event?

Ruby Canning has always had a passion for rural livestock and family photography. Images Mavstar Photography

I grew up showing cattle with my family, and I shared a special bond with my grandfather Peter Schembri (Principal of Maverick Simmentals). For many years I attended the Melbourne Stud Beef Handlers Camp with him, we always took a team of heifers. Pa was an instructor there. I remember one demonstration involved him teaching kids how to make halters out of nothing but bailing twine. He would show them the plaiting pattern, how to create the loops and then put together a fully functional halter. He used to get me to help, I always loved that. No matter which show, or event I was at, my favourite memories are always with my Pa. Before Pa’s passing one of the last things we did together was make a halter out of bailing twine, I still have cherish it today. In 2016 I was awarded National Champion Beef Cattle Parader, this will always be a beloved memory of mine also.

What would be your best 3 hot tips when participating in junior events whether it’s paraders or judging?

2. Showmanship – Paraders to me is so much more than leading an animal around the ring. Be courteous of the people in front of you, and behind you in the ring. It is not just about yourself, it is about your animal, how you maintain your presence and display showmanship. Be kind to other competitors because you never know you may need their help one day. 3. You can learn something from everyone – Say hello and talk to everyone and ask for help if you are unsure on something. My final bit of wisdom would be when going into any situation (or class) be positive, and confident within yourself. Know the value of hard work and be appreciative of the people that have helped you get to where you are.

Youth

Speckles add sparkle to the Walcha show team When did your school get Speckle Parks? Our school first got four PTIC heifers with two bull calves and two heifer calves at foot in 2018. We also bought a bull. They were all Specklines – their dams are Lowline Angus and their sires are purebred Speckle Parks. They have a moderate frame along with a high yielding carcase.

Do you believe agricultural programs would benefit from having Speckle Parks? The Speckles have added value to our agricultural program by adding a line of stock that are easy for the students to work with, do well on the feeding regime we can offer, are suitable size for the students and add some colour and sparkle to our show team.

Walcha Central School show team members with their Specklines, Abbey Mackaway, Charlotte Mooney and Sophie Worth

What successes have you had with the Speckle Parks at your school? We have had many successes at our local agricultural shows with our Speckline cows. Our Speckle heifer, Tuity Fruity and her cracking heifer calf received champion in a mixed class of carcase animals and females. To top it off, Cookies N Cream and Wagon Wheel, two of our other Speckline cows, received reserve champion and third respectively in the same class. Jodie Provost, Agricultural teacher Walcha Central School

Monto School agriculture teacher Toby Workey and students Kiralee Streeter, Sophie McLaughlan, Emily Zumbansen, Riley Thomsen and Danika Smith with steers at Beef Australia 2021.

Teagan Thomsen leading her Speckle Park steer, Oreo.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Youth

Key Considerations for Cattle Assesment By Alastair Rayner, principal, Rayner Ag

Alastair Rayner

I assess cattle for three key attributes. The first is they must be structurally sound. When I talk about structure I am referring to the skeletal system of the animal, as well as other physical traits. So first off, I look at the way the animal walks. If an animal can place its feet in line with each other with no overstepping by the hind feet, then I start to feel the structure of the legs, hips and shoulders are acceptable. I then look at how the animal stands, and the angle of the shoulders, the way it stands with its hind feet and legs in a normal standing position. It’s then I have a chance to decide if the animal is standing too low on its hind feet, or too high. Both are a result of legs that are either curved or too straight, and it’s something I may not have noticed when I was watching it walk. I also want to see if the hocks are bowed outwards or inwards. What I really want to determine is how sound is the animal’s feet legs and shoulders? Can it walk a long distance each day to graze and water, and will it be able to carry the weight of its body without causing it to have sore joints that could lead to swelling, lameness or arthritis?

These traits are important for the longevity of animals within your herd and contribute directly to your overall profitability. If you have cows that can conceive, calve and wean a calf every year that is the first part of profit. The second is to have cows that can do this up to 10-years-old. As part of my structural assessment for females, I look closely at teats and the udder to make sure the quarters are all even and the teats are well shaped to support a calf sucking. I also want to see all four teats can be used and not left un-milked as this can contribute to mastitis, which is painful for the cow and will result in lower productivity. With both bulls and females, I look at eyes and mouths. You need to check there are no injuries or inflammations around their eyes. Teeth need to be sound. Additionally, with bulls consider the sheath and testicles. If possible, put him in the crush and with the et gate shut, so you can’t be kicked. Check both testicles and make sure there are no swelling or unusual bumps, or the testes are not soft and spongy. If they are, your bull may be sub-fertile, and you should avoid using him. Look at his sheath and penis and make sure there is no swelling, unusual appearances, or damage. Again, if there is, your bull may not want to join cows, and he shouldn’t be used.

When I’m happy with structure I look for the traits that add to productivity and profitability. We are breeding cattle to produce red meat so I will always select for muscle. I look at the shape of the animals, the width, depth and length of each animal to determine its overall muscle volume. You can have muscle in females, and it won’t reduce fertility, so I select for it. I also think about the maturity pattern and frame size. Large frame later maturity females will naturally require more feed to achieve their body requirements for maintenance, let alone for reproduction and growth. Remember you can only grow so much pasture or put out so many supplements. If you want your animals to do well, you need to feed them properly. Large frame later maturity animals may mean you run less numbers in your herd, and so may impact on the total number of kilograms of beef your produce each year. Whenever I assess cattle, temperament is my other key trait. I like cattle to have a quiet temperament. Aggressive or overly excitable cattle are both dangerous and less productive due to the impact temperament has on eating quality. Ideally, my preferred animals are those that are structurally sound, well grown, well-muscled females. I prefer them to be moderate maturity and of a quiet temperament.

Youth

Out and about at Shows and on the Farm

Scotty Purcell, Bonkonia Speckle Park, at the Sydney Royal Show.

Abbey Mackaway and Mia Ross, Walcha Central School, competed in the junior paraders at Walcha Show.

Claudia Humphries, Youth Committee member at Armidale. Show.

Hugo and Maxi Humphries, Wattle Grove Speckle Park, at the WGS Rockhampton bull sale.

Angela McGrath, Southern Cross Speckle Park, at Sydney Royal Show.

Allie Missingham of Dorroughby Speckle Park.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Youth

Meet our rising young guns in Speckle Park youth

Henry Humphries Will Clark

Harley Warrener

Age:12

Age:15

Where are you from?

Oberon, NSW

Culverden, North Canterbury, New Zealand

Toowoomba, Qld

What is your favourite thing about Speckle Park cattle? Their colour and their curiosity

Who is your favourite Speckle Park sire/dam and why? My favourite sire is Wattle Grove Wally N141 because he is so cuddly. My favourite dam is Wattle Grove Bliss L221 because she reminds me of my mum.

What is your favourite thing about Speckle Park cattle? I love seeing the different genetics and how the calves grow out and develop which I enjoy the most. They are also good to work with.

Have you attended any youth cattle events and shows in New Zealand? If so, what did you enjoy most about them? I enjoy going to the Christchurch Show, it is the largest show in NZ and has a good cattle section. It is great to see all the different breeds as well as the Speckle Parks.

What is your favourite thing about Speckle Park cattle? What first caught my attention was the coat colour on a “beef shaped” beast rather than a dairy cow. I really like the way the look in the paddock, great flat backed cattle with length and depth. I also love their temperament. I know my parents are picky with which cattle they have around us kids. We all love being able to work the cattle easily and be able to enjoy being around them.

What was your first favourite Speckle Park bull? When we went to Scone for the first time, I remember seeing Hanging Rock Hugo and I thought he was amazing. It was great to get up close and work with some great Speckle Park cattle there. I learnt a lot.

Youth

Taleah Bell

Troy Hepburn

Emily Edwards

Age: 17

Age: 18

Age: 22

Where are you from?

Southern Highlands, NSW

Lismore NSW

Kingston, SA

What is your favourite thing about Speckle Park cattle?

I love how different they are to every other breed. They are unique and not one is the same. I also love their quiet nature. It makes them such a lovely breed to be around.

My favourite thing about the Speckle Park breed is its ability to produce outstanding calves all year round and the meat quality it has to offer.

Why did you start breeding Speckle Park?

Who is your favourite Speckle Park bull/cow in your own herd?

It’s beneath the pattern that attracts me the most – the Speckle Park carcase quality and doability is second to none. Seeing the hybrid vigour achieved within Speckle Park infused cattle is enough to keep anyone coming back.

It was my parents who got me involved in Speckle Park cattle when they purchased a share of a stud herd. After a few years of breeding cattle, I decided that I loved it so much and wanted to have a stud of my own. So, only a couple of years ago I finally got my own stud, Pemberton Speckle Park. I’m very grateful to my parents for getting me started and involved in the breed.

My favourite animal in my herd is Rosehill Never Alone – she is an amazingly well- structured cow which has produced phenomenal calves that have gone on and done really well in the shows.

Where would you like to see your stud in two year’s time? In two year’s time I would like to see our female herd number increased through the selection of both new and proven genetics, whilst also continuing to produce quality bulls for the stud and commercial market. It is important to me to start with the best and aim to breed them better.

What’s your greatest achievement as a young cattle breeder? My greatest achievement as a young cattle breeder was to get involved with an industry that supports so many. Working with a range of studs as well as beef producers has allowed me to really solidify my knowledge.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition 42

Youth

How to tie your Speckle Park animal correctly and safely By Sophie Worth Getting your Speckle Park calf used to being tied up is as important as the time you spend feeding and grooming the animal to have it show-ready. Halter breaking and handling is important for your animal’s safety and your own. Allow your animal to settle into new surroundings for a few days before trying to halter break and work with your animal in a solid yard. It’s best if an adult or older youth helps during this process to keep young children safe. Tie the animal up for a few hours at a time, making sure not to leave the animal unattended until it learns to stand quietly. While the animal is tied, try to use a brush or comb so it will get used to you brushing or rubbing the hair. Once your calf has learnt to stand and lay down while being tied up you will be ready for the show. Follow these steps to tie your calf correctly and safely with a slip knot. The knot will hold securely if the calf pulls against it but will allow the handler to quickly untie the animal.

STEP 1

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Youth

Speckle Park word maze How many of the below words can you find?

Spot the difference Look hard at the photos to the left of Speckle Park cattle, how many of the 13 differences you can spot? Photo supplied by Ruby Canning of Mavstar Photography

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Technical news

Bringing back the late calver

The return to oestrus of late calvers is the key to early conceptions, tightening calving distribution and driving weaner weights in a beef production system.

Late calving females can be a major source of reproductive wastage in Australian beef herds, contributing to economic losses, lower weaning weights and heifers unable to reach mating weights. The 365-day reproduction cycle relies on a cow calving, reproductive tract involution, return to oestrus and conception within 84 days. Coupled with this, within a progressive, profitable cow herd, calves fall in a concentrated calving distribution, aligned with a seasonal pasture availability and prioritizing farm labour resources to breeder management. Minimising the time from calving to resumption of oestrus and maximising the opportunity to conceive is the key to advancing the conceptions of late calvers and bringing them back into season with the rest of the cow herd. Selection pressure for fertility is a must; reducing the incidence of the cows drifting out of season. Select cows capable of conceiving within two mating cycles and bringing a live weaner every year. Energy availability greater than requirements for all other physiological requirements is the main driver for return to oestrus. ‒ Relative to the dry cow ◦ a lactating cow requires 1.5 x energy for maintenance ◦ a growing, lactating first calf heifer requires 2.2 x energy for maintenance. ‒ The most economic way to maximise energy availability during this time is to calve cows in body condition score (BCS) 3.5 (1= too thin; 5=obese), they have body reserves for use when there is a deficit in provision of energy. ‒ When BCS may appear inadequate, if high quality feed is on offer – over and above that required for growth and maintenance – adequate energy can be redirected to the reproductive process. Early post calving hormone treatment has been shown to advance conception date. Late calvers can be selected for an AI program to commence synchronisation as early as 14 days post calving followed by exposure to a cover bull for two cycles.

This method will not necessarily maximise conceptions to the AI round, however owing to early hormone treatment and oestrous synchronization will maximise conceptions earlier in the joining period. Treated cows will result in an earlier average conception date compared with an untreated mob.

A twelve-week pregnancy test using ultrasound can diagnose conceptions to the AI round, nine-week pregnancies to the first cycle with the bull and six-week pregnancies to the second cycle with the bull. Management of the late calvers with this program offers control to the producer, aids in nutritional management from calving to joining of this group and gives choice for retention or cull at the pregnancy test muster. To maximise conceptions, frozen semen must be good quality and bulls must be fertile and in working order. There is no time for lost opportunities for conceptions. Ultrasound scanning and measurement of follicles at AI can provide valuable information on every cow, giving choice around what value semen to use and whether to AI at all, serving to reduce semen wastage. Health events at calving including dystocia’s, infections, inflammation, metabolic disorders and acute nutritional disorders must be diagnosed early and managed well. Management of genetic selection, heifer growth prior to joining and during gestation, sound breeder nutrition will reduce the incidence of these events. Cows falling into this group will be difficult to advance conception date and may require culling from the herd. Return to oestrus of late calvers is the key to early conceptions, tightening calving distribution and driving weaner weights in a beef production system. Late calvers fail to join and drop out of the system, late calves have fewer growing days to weaning, lighter weights at weaning and heifers have less days to reach mating weight. Good management and identifying opportunities to avoid the late calver or to advance the conception date will maintain a 365-day reproductive cycle and allow a concentrated calving distribution. For more information on this topic or any other repro questions, call the Repro360 Helpline on 1300 163 056 or visit repro360.com.au - Article provided by Repro360

Technical news

Tips for running a successful artificial breeding program By Dr Sophia Edwards Many Speckle Park breeders have already conducted an artificial breeing program. Whether you are new to artificial breeding or are well experienced, here are some tips to help along the way. Most veterinarians or technicians will supply a protocol for you to follow on the timing and dosage of treatments for synchronisation. The timing and correct dosage is important to reach an optimal result. Whether it be Fixed Time AI or ET activities, the best success is often achieved when females are on a rising plane of nutrition. Cows or heifers that are fat or well-conditioned surprisingly do not always deliver a good result. The ideal state is for heifers and cows to be in a forward store condition and in a rising plane of nutrition leading into their reproductive program. Avoid pastures with legume content such as clovers and lucerne; this can be associated with disruption to the hormonal cycle. If supplementary feeding is required, a cereal hay diet is ideal. Place your artificial reproduction activities in your calendar and take some time to be a quality assurance officer. Although artificial reproduction programs are easy to implement if the program is followed, if any one of the steps of the program fails, it will often result in poor performance.

Ensure that steps to avoid disasters are implemented. For example, ensure that semen to be used in the protocol is of acceptable quality. Make sure all staff are well informed of activities and read the instruction labels.Although some good conception rates are quoted, and some of these rates are achievable, do your maths with the conservative average given your environment and cattle. One good method for calculating what is possible in your herd with artificial reproduction is to critically assess your current reproduction rates. While a 90 per cent pregnancy rate seems high, if a breeder joins for six months, their conception rate per cycle may not be that good compared to a breeder that has an 80 per cent pregnancy rate and joins for 12 weeks. If your herd has high innate fertility, it is expected your artificial reproduction rates will be good given all other factors are under best practice management. For more information and resources visit: www.repro360.com.au

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Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Technical news

Steps to scoring your cattle for docility Docility EBVs are estimates of genetic differences

How do I record docility scores?

between animals in temperament. Docility EBVs are

Docility EBVs are calculated from temperament scores recorded on animals when they are between 60 and 400 days of age. The recommended time of scoring is at weaning or shortly afterwards. As an animal’s temperament relates strongly to previous handling experiences (positive and/or negative) and handling frequency, it is best to record docility scores before too much human interaction has occurred. Scoring docility at weaning has the additional advantage of minimising variation in handling between animals to be scored. Animals can be scored for temperament using either a yard or crush test.

calculated from docility scores recorded on animals when the animals are between 60 and 400 days of age. Why should docility be recorded? Docility in cattle is the way the animals behave when being handled by humans or put in an unusual environment such as being separated from the mob in a small yard. What we define as poor docility is a survival trait in the wild - fear of anything unusual and the desire to escape. In domesticated cattle it is exhibited as flightiness. Importantly, docility is a highly heritable trait and can be improved genetically. Docility EBVs can assist beef producers to identify those animals with poor temperament, allowing them to be removed from breeding programs. More docile animals (that is, better temperament) can lead to improved ease of handling and safety for beef producer

Yard Test: The calves are individually put into a small square yard and the handler should attempt to hold the animal in one corner for ~30 seconds. Crush Test: The calves are put up a race and individually held in the crush for ~30 seconds. When using either test, the behaviour of animals should be observed and scored using the following criteria.

Learn more about Recording Docility Scores here

Technical news

What considerations should be made when recording docility scores for BREEDPLAN? ‒ There needs to be some variation in the scores for them to be used effectively by the BREEDPLAN analysis. That is, scoring all animals in a group with a docility score of 1 will not identify any genetic differences in docility. ‒ BREEDPLAN can accept half scores if animals exhibit behaviour which is intermediate to the above scores. ‒ Animals should be assigned a different management group if they have had a different level of handling prior to scoring. ‒ The method of scoring used (that is, crush or yard) should be specified when submitting the docility scores. ‒ When recording docility, it is important that both a consistent scoring method is used and the same person scores all animals that are being assessed on that particular day.

How do I submit docility scores? Docility scores should be submitted directly to your BREEDPLAN processing centre using any of the following methods: ‒ The BREEDPLAN paper performance recording forms (forms can be requested by contacting staff at your BREEDPLAN processing centre). ‒ The BREEDPLAN compatible Microsoft Excel template (available to download in the Help Centre on the BREEDPLAN website). ‒ A BREEDPLAN compatible herd recording computer program. ‒ The web services area offered on some Breed Society/Association websites. Please see the Methods of Submitting Data to BREEDPLAN tip sheet, available in the Help Centre on the BREEDPLAN website for further information. For more information regarding how to record docility scores or Docility EBVs in general, please contact staff at your BREEDPLAN processing centre. Information provided by Southern Beef Technology Services

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Technical news

How to interpret that feedback sheet from the abattoir By Alison Bates

The degree of muscling or positively affects the dressing percentage and yield of a carcase. It can take an expert eye to distinguish between muscle and fat in live cattle.

You have sent some animals to the abattoir and in return they have sent you some money and a Producer Feedback report. It’s obvious what some of the information means. Some of it is more difficult to understand. How do you interpret what it all means? The first place you can look is the Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) website. There is information here embedded within the More Beef from Pastures program, but if you just want to understand the numbers in your Feedback report you will have to wade through a lot of valuable context to get there. A Google search for Form 3.7.1 Producer Feedback Reports will get you to a useful glossary quickly. Although the definitions are standard, the details in the Producer Feedback report will vary between Abattoirs.

A standard report for an animal you’ve sent for slaughter will have less detail than the sort of report that would be produced for a carcase competition. As there is variation in reporting between different abattoirs. Let’s start with a very basic report. The first carcase, a bull, had a Hot Weight of 375.9 kilograms. The Hot Weight is also known as Hot Standard Carcase Weight (HSCW). This is the weight of the carcase after the head, organs and hide etc. have been removed but before the carcase has been chilled. Where a single value is given the HSCW is calculated from the side assessed by an MSA (Meat Standards Australia) Grader. The two sides may not weigh the same and in some reports a weight is given for each side. The sex of the animal B (Bull) F(Female) S(Steer) is indicated in the next column. Next, we see the muscle shape score which represents the assessment of the muscling of the animal.

Technical news The grade used for this score runs from A (heavily muscled) through to E (Lightly muscled). The degree of muscling or positively affects the dressing percentage and yield of a carcase. It can take an expert eye to distinguish between muscle and fat in live cattle. The dentition (Dent or DNT) indicates the number of permanent incisors which have erupted as an indication of age. The age at which permanent incisors erupt can vary depending on the breed and nutrition of the cattle, but a rough indication would have two permanent incisors at around 18 months of age, four at 24-36 months, six at 30-42 months and eight permanent incisors, as shown in the example about indicates the animals are over three years old. Ossification is a better indication of the maturity of an animal and thus of the impact of age on the eating quality of a carcase but is often not reported in a basic Kill Sheet. Ossification (Oss) is scored from 100-590 and measures the cartilage which has changed to bone in the spine from the tail forward. A higher score indicates a better quality for eating. Dentition remains as a key reporting characteristic as it is required data by many countries for export. The fat depth measurement is taken at the P8 rump site which is located between the hip and the tail.

Drawing an imaginary line forward from the pin bone and down from the high point (high sacral vertebrae) of the rump will give you an idea of the location. A fat depth of less than 3mm may impact the eating quality of the meat.The Cents per Kilogram of Hot Weight gives you the rate you are being paid for your animal. This amount will vary with supply and demand, from company to company and on a range of other identifiable factors. You can contact a few local abattoirs before you consign an animal to compare the price they are offering at the most basic level. Processors also issue pricing grids which outline their requirements and give prices for carcases which meet their specifications.You might use these grids to decide which of your animals you will sell to a processor and which you will keep until they are closer to meeting the desired grid specifications. A much larger range of grading assessments are carried out on carcases to meet the grid specifications for the various markets a processer may be supplying, for example meat colour, fat colour, rib fat, marbling, pH and eye muscle area. For more detailed information on MSA (Meat Standards Australia), the MLA website (www.mla.com.au) is a great place to start.

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Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Technical news

Improving the decision making process with Single Step BREEDPLAN By Nick Endres

Single-Step BREEDPLAN should be of interest to buyers and sellers looking for improved EBV accuracy for rising two-year-old sale animals.

Calving and joining times for many seedstock producers is both exciting and challenging. In the case of the latter, the wait between dam/sire selections to a final product means it can take years to know whether you’re on the right track. There are many ways to improve the decision-making process and one of those increasingly relied upon by Speckle Park breeders is the incorporation of EBVs. As the old adage goes, ‘if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it’. EBVs are only as good as the data that goes into them and as a relatively new breed society there is still some way to go. More studs are contributing towards BREEDPLAN which is a step in the right direction to firm up commercial relevance as well as opening the breed to a wider range of buyers. The more data contributed to BREEDPLAN, the better the accuracy and so the more it can be relied upon for decision making. Traditional BREEDPLAN analysis combines pedigree and performance data of both an animal and its relatives to calculate EBVs. Single-Step BREEDPLAN is an evolution of traditional BREEDPLAN which builds on this approach by incorporating genomic (DNA) information into the analysis. Could Single-Step BREEDPLAN be a catalyst to increase the rate of BREEDPLAN adoption by SPI members? To date there are five breed societies that have moved to Single-Step BREEDPLAN including Brahman (April 2017), Hereford (November 2017), Angus (December 2017), Wagyu (April 2018) and Santa Gertrudis (March 2021). These breed societies all have in common large reference populations of animals and a strong commercial focus.

There are several reasons why Single-Step BREEDPLAN could be of particular interest and benefit to Speckle Park breeders. The major benefit of Single-Step BREEDPLAN is better information on animals at a younger age. DNA samples can be taken soon after birth, meaning breeders can make earlier and more informed breeding decisions which can lead to increased rates of genetic gain. In the case of Speckle Park, many seedstock producers run extensive ET programs leading to several full ET siblings being produced in a single calf drop.

Between 2018and 2020, calves produced by ET exceeded both natural service and AI combined. Under traditional BREEDPLAN, full ET siblings share the same mid-parent EBVs until performance and scan data can be recorded which is generally done as rising two-year-olds. By incorporating genomic information, Single-Step BREEDPLAN can show relative performance differences between full ET siblings and improve EBV accuracy at a much earlier age. Single-Step BREEDPLAN should be of interest to buyers and sellers looking for improved EBV accuracy for rising two-year-old sale animals. The path to SingleStep BREEDPLAN for Speckle Park would follow a different route to the breed societies listed above. Single-Step BREEDPLAN requires a reference population of several thousand animals that have both genotype and phenotype information recorded. The reference population also needs to be representative of the entire population. Other breed societies have faced challenges adopting Single-Step BREEDPLAN due to insufficient genotyping. Speckle Park however are less likely to encounter similar issues with 50K SNP profiles required to register animals born after January 1, 2018. Instead, the challenge facing Speckle Park is insufficient phenotype data caused by lower levels of performance recording and take up of BREEDPLAN. While breed numbers are growing fast enough to achieve a reference population in the foreseeable future, the data shows that insufficient performance recording is currently occurring. For animals born in 2018, approximately 30 per cent were fully performance recorded which is why BREEDPLAN adoption remains a key area of focus for Speckle Park International. The Speckle Park Technical Committee are working with SBTS and AGBU to understand the feasibility and roadmap to adopt Single-Step BREEDPLAN, however, in the meantime it will require more members to record and submit performance data on their herds to make this a possibility.

Around the sales

Speckles Parks sizzle in a red hot store and prime market By Kim Woods

C and J Henry, Wandoan, sold a line of 96 Speckle Park/Droughtmaster yearling steers, 352kg and 12 to 15 months for $2130 or 604c/kg

Prices for store and prime Speckle Park and Speckle Park infused cattle reached dizzying heights as record after record was smashed in an extraordinary year for the cattle industry. A national herd rebuild, return to favourable seasons and strong export market kicked along prices for commercial cattle. Purebred and Speckle Park infused steer weaners topped at 985c/kg or $2150 per head in physical and online markets, while purebred and crossbred weaner heifers topped at $2405 or 878c/kg.

A grown Speckle Park/Friesian heifer, 24 months and 605kg, made $2650 while yearling Speckle Park cross heifers, 15 to 18 months, topped at $2800. Weaner Speckle Park/Angus heifers, 284-388kg, sold for $2000-$2200. In the steer pens, a grown Speckle Park/Friesian steer, 540kg, made 425c/kg or $2300, a yearling F1 steers, 460kg, made 467c/kg or $2150, weaner crossbred steers, 10 to 11 months, made 545c/kg or $2150.

Unjoined commercial heifers finished at $2880 or 960c/kg and yearling steers $2150 or 643c/kg. Feeder steers topped out at $2585 or 603c/ kg, and heavy grown steers at $3101.

R Malcolm and A McDonald sold F1 weaner steers, six to seven months and 303kg, for $2000 or 660c/kg, and their tops, weighing 342kg, made $2140 or 625c/kg.

Unjoined grown heifers finished at $2800 and PTIC heifers sold to $3620, while unjoined cows topped at $2700.

Topping the yarding on a cents per kilogram basis was C and J Dietrich with F1 steer weaners, six months, at 688c/kg or $1240. They also topped the weaner heifers with Speckle Park/Friesians, six months and 198kg, at $1320 or 666c/kg.

Unjoined heifers with calves sold to a stellar $4550, cows and calves to $4500 and joined cows with calves to $4460. A highlight of the store sales was the Shepparton Special Speckle Park Store Sale on November 5 where prices hit $4500 for cows and calves.

The sale was hosted by Mulcahy Nelson Livestock and grossed $560,665 and averaged $2674 with cattle selling to Victoria, NSW and South Australia.

Topping the cow and calf offering was six Speckle Park/Angus heifers, two years and 545kg, with calves, sold by Black Diamond Speckle Park, Macorna. Their seconds sold for $4300.

The breed hit the headlines in June 2021 when a line of unjoined purebred heifers weighing 364kg and 14 to 15 months, were sold by a Tasmanian vendor for $4875 to a NSW buyer.

Older Speckle Park cross cows, five to seven years, with calves, sold to $3550 while a five-year-old unjoined Speckle Park cow, 525kg, made $2700.

Born in a four-week period across February and March of 2020, these heifers were registered and offered by Elders Tasmania on behalf of J and V Argent, Elliot. Continued page 52

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Around the sales From page 51 They were out of Roscrea and Gin Gin cows and sired by River Hill, High Low and JAD bulls using AI. In Victorian markets, Bloomfield Speckle Park Stud, Bayles, sold Speckle Park/Friesian cross heifers, unjoined, 447kg and 26 months, with calves for $3460. At Mortlake, T and J Anderson, Terang, sold purebred heavy steers, 620kg, for 460c/kg or $2852 and Cairnhill Beef sold steers, 215kg, for 660c/kg or $1420 at Euroa. Ian Haines, Lockington, sold Speckle Park/Holstein Friesian heifers, unjoined, 23-25 months and 396kg, with calves, for $3120. Koramo Park, Naring, sold Speckle Park/Angus/Friesian steers, 228kg, for 608c/kg or $1390. Koyuga Speckle Park, Tongala, sold Speckle Park/Friesian weaned steers, 296kg, for 542c/kg or $1610. J and N Smith, Leitchville, sold a line of 24 weaned Speckle Park/Angus heifers, 339kg, for 589c/ kg or $2000. Almost breaking the sound barrier was Speckle Park/Friesian mixed sex calves from G and A Meyland, Numurkah, at an incredible 985c/ kg or $1105, and with a liveweight of 112kg. Speckle Park/Angus cross feeder steers, 344kg and 12 to 18 months, were sold by J and N Smith, Leitchville, for 572c/kg or $1970. Brendan Mahncke was all smiles at the Western Victorian Livestock Exchange when his Speckle Park steers grown steers were sold by Nutrien Ag Solutions Warrnambool for a 477c/kg to return $3101. Also at WVLX, R and S Smith topped the run with a Speckle Park steer making 475c/kg or $3078. Unjoined purebred heifers, 295kg and 12 to 14 months, were sold by the McGillivray family, Gunbower, for $1910 or 645c/kg. Weaned Speckle Park/Angus heifers, 234kg and 10 to 12 months, made 773c/kg or $1815 for Hawthorne Grange, Warragul, while the Weidenbach family, Wahring, sold Speckle Park/Shorthorn joined cows, 356kg and three years, and their calves for $3180. Speckle Park/Limousin feeder steers, 359kg and 12 to 14 months, fetched $2020 or 562c/kg for S O’Donoghue, Dingee, and Mike Sorraghan, Dhurringile, sold Speckle Park/Friesian mixed sex calves, 114kg, for 806c/kg or $920. Unjoined cows, two to four years and 385kg, with calves made $3100 for Mt Hope, Tallarook while Van der drift and Sons, Derrinallum, sold Speckle Park/Angus feeder steers, 428kg, 16-18 months, for $2585 or 603c/kg.

HF Richardson Livestock sold on behalf of Woodlands Pastoral, Bullarook, steers at Western Victoria Livestock Exchange for 552c/ kg to return $2670 in October. PTIC heifers offered by Uppatrak Pastoral, Killawarra, weighed 489kg and aged 22-24 months, sold for $3250. R Wellington, Cobram, returned $1900 or 621c/kg for unweaned heifers, 305kg, six to eight months while Sladin Pty Ltd, Flynn, sold weaned Speckle Park/black baldy heifers, 324kg, for $2100 or 647c/kg. At Pakenham store sale, D and R Scott, Stoney Creek, topped the sale with Angus heifers and Speckle Park calves, three to four-weeks-old, at $4550. In the Warrnambool store market, a pen of Speckle Park/Friesian cross steers sold by A and C Neville, Warrnambool, for $2227 or 550c/kg. Danzuille Speckles dispersed a pen of purebred cows with calves for $3600 at Shepparton store sale. Nerrena, Gippsland, returned $3670 for Angus heifers, 2-2.5 years and 437kg, with Speckle Park cross calves. Speckle Park/Angus cross feeder steers, 413kg and 12 to 19 months, finished at $2310 or 558c/kg for York Bay Pty Ltd, Gunbower. Myrtlevale, Kardella South, sold Speckle Park/Friesian heifers, 311kg and 12 to 13 months, for $1800 or 577c/kg. S and P Rea, Panmure, sold Speckle Park/Friesian backgrounder heifers, 200kg and six to seven months, for $1470. Heading north into NSW, JCD Pastoral, North Star, received 606c/ kg or $1950 for unweaned Speckle Park/Angus heifers, 321kg while M and H Stewart, Armidale, returned $3880 or 912c/kg for Speckle Park/Angus unjoined heifers, 425kg, and calves. Scanlon Family Trust, Southern Tablelands, sold station mated cows, four to five years and 539kg, with calves for $4460. W Woldhuis, Purlewaugh, sold unweaned Speckle Park/Angus heifers, 322kg and seven to nine months, for $2405 or 754c/kg. Daniel Attard, Oberon, sold unjoined heifers, 336kg, 10-12 months, for 695c/kg or $2340, and D and A Moxey, Yarrowitch, sold Speckle Park/Angus backgrounder steers, 312kg, 14-15 months, for $2010 or 643c/kg. Purebred weaner steers returned $1550 for Daniel and Sarah McCormack, Dungog, when they sold at the Dungog store sale. Wilgabar Partnership, Walgett, sold PTIC Speckle Park/Angus heifers, 466kg and 24-25 months, for $3220. Wilgabar also sold weaned heifers, Speckle Park/F2, 303kg and 10 months, for $1825 or 600c/kg and the steer portion, 343kg, for $1905 or 554c/kg. Glengarry Binalong Pty Ltd, Binalong, sold unjoined yearling heifers, Speckle Park/Angus and 371kg, for $2220 or 597c/kg. Minnamurra Speckle Parks, Oberon, processed crossbred cows at HW Greenham, Moe, with 50 head F1 cows averaging $2288 with a dressing percentage of 54. All graded MSA with an average MSA Index of 54.14 (up to 60.55) after being transported 1100km. A and L Rutter, Tumut, sold 462kg first calf Angus heifers with their Speckle Park calves for $3890. Stockbridge Australia, Armidale, returned $3160 on Speckle Park/Angus PTIC heifers, 419kg and 1517 months. Station mated Speckle Park/Angus cows, 493kg and five to six years, and their calves, fetched $3780 for Chris and Karri Noonan, Bathurst. Kicking off the New Year in January, the Wesley family, Hillston, returned $4125 for purebred cows, 650kg, four years and PTIC, with purebred calves, 300kg.

Scanlon Family Trust, Southern Tablelands, sold station mated cows, four to five years and 539kg, with calves for $4460.

Ron Potter Farms Pty Ltd, Hillston, sold unjoined Speckle Park/Angus heifers, 454kg and 15-17 months, EU accredited, for $2160. Chris and Karri Noonan, Bathurst, returned $3780 for station mated Speckle Park/Angus cows, 493kg and five to six years, with calves.

Around the sales Allenview Park, Beaudesert, sold purebred heifers, 299kg and 12 to 14 months, for $2880 or 960c/kg and younger heifers, 206kg and eight to nine months, for $1810 or 878c/kg. Marion Simmonds, Tara, received $1180 or 594c/kg for Speckle Park/Angus/Brahman weaned heifers, 198kg and six to 11 months. In South Australia, SAM Property Trust, Myponga, sold PTIC purebred heifers, 363kg, 15-17 months, for $3020, the seconds at 385kg, 1518 months, for $2920 and the thirds, weighing 353kg, for $2900. Santa Gertrudis cows with one to two-month-old Speckle Park calves topped the Naracoorte store market in September on $3200 for the Wilson family, Western Flat, selling to John Chay and Co, Millicent.

I Selwood, Orange, returned $4140 for Angus heifers, 24-26 months, with Speckle Park cross calves by JAD bulls when sold online in October. G and K Dwyer, Mount David, made $1555 or 657c/kg when they sold Speckle Park/Angus weaned heifers, 236kg, and eight to 12 months. Franco Herefords, Casino, sold Speckle Park/Hereford station mated cows, 490kg, and 2.5-4 years, with calves, for $3680, and PTIC F1 cows, 535kg, for $2600. Vale Grazing, Wellington Vale, sold weaned Speckle Park/Angus steers, 271kg, for $1840 or 677c/kg and the heifer portion, 271kg, for $1930 or 711c/kg. D Hemsley, Gilgandra, sold Speckle Park/ Shorthorn cross yearling heifers, 261kg and 10 to 13 months, for $1760 or 673c/kg. Waratah Speckle Park, Guyra, sold Speckle Park/Angus heifers, 369kg, 24-25 months, for $2500 or 677c/kg. I Selwood, Orange, returned $4140 for Angus heifers, 24-26 months, with Speckle Park cross calves by commercial JAD bulls when sold online in October. Kerringle Pastoral Co, Dunedoo, sold Speckle Park/Angus cross heifers, PTIC, 480kg and 20-24 months, for $3250. Station mated Angus/Speckle Park cows, 717kg and four to six years, with calves made $4325 for S and D Eagleton, Mudgee, while their PTIC F1 cows, 734kg and four to six years, returned $3225. Moore and Frost, Coolah, returned $1800 or 704c/kg for Speckle Park/Angus weaned heifers, 255kg and six to 11 months. Araluen Partnership, Bingara, sold first calf Droughtmaster heifers, 30-33 months and 465kg, with Minnamurra and Wattle Grove blood calves, for $4150. Speckle Park/Angus heifers, weighing 419kg, 15 to 17 months, and joined to Angus bulls, made $3160 for vendor Stockbridge Australia Pty Ltd.

Speckle Park F2 backgrounder steers, 315kg and eight to nine months, finished on $1850 or 585c/kg for Lucas Farm Asset Management Pty Ltd, Balhannah. The heifer portion, 279kg, made $2000 or 715c/kg. R and M Pearson, Kongorong, sold unjoined Speckle Park/Friesian heifers, 550kg and 22 to 26 months, with calves, for $3560. Ryecroft, Inman Valley, returned $3260 for PTIC Speckle Park/Friesian heifers, 502kg, 18-20 months and joined to Angus bulls. Purebred vealer steers, 197kg, fetched 655c/kg or $1290 when sold by Kamarah Pty Ltd, Wannamal, at Boyanup in WA. The heifer portion, 137kg, made 680c/kg or $935. At Muchea, Kamarah sold grown steers, 488kg, for 468c/kg or $2288, and a heifer, 326kg, for 438c/kg or $1427. In Tasmania, A Faulkner, Scottsdale, sold Speckle Park/Angus heifer weaners, 298kg, for 502c/kg or $1500 while DRG Agriculture, Flinders Island, returned $2050 or 431c/kg for Speckle Park/Angus heifers, 475kg and 36 months. Unjoined purebred future breeders from Tasmania topped at a whopping $4875 in June on AuctionsPlus when the heifers weighing 364kg drew opening bids of $4100 and the successful buyer was from central western NSW. The autumn 2020 drop heifers were purebred and registered, and offered by Elders Tasmania on behalf of J and V Argent, Elliot with the price $650 above reserve. The vendor bred heifers were by Roscrea and Gin Gin cows and sired by River Hill, High Low and JAD bulls using artificial insemination. Backgrounder Speckle Park/Friesian heifers, 174kg, returned $1360 or 778c/kg for Glendale-MEB Investments, Launceston when sold in October. Stoneybanks Speckle Park, Elizabeth Town, sold Speckle Park/Angus heifers, 316kg and 12 to 13 months, for $2020 or 638c/kg, and PTIC F2 heifers, 431kg and 24 to 25 months, for $2475.

P and S Livingstone, Manildra, sold a draft for 43 Speckle Park F2 PTIC heifers, 26-28 months and 483kg, joined to Bowan Park bulls to a top of $3620. In Queensland, C and J Henry, Wandoan, sold crossbred heifers, 207kg, at Dalby for 657c/kg or $1361, and a line of 96 Speckle Park/Droughtmaster yearling steers, 352kg and 12 to 15 months for $2130 or 604c/kg. Shane Muller, Maroon, sold purebred weaners, six months, for $1190 at Scenic Rim. Milk tooth purebred steers from Crownthorpe made 460c/kg or $2116 at Biggenden, and milk tooth stees from Tiaro returned 460c/ kg or $1955. Marion Simmonds, Tara, sold Speckle Park/Angus/ Brahman weaned heifers, 198kg, for $1180 or 594c/kg. Granite Belt Steel and Hail Netting Supplies, Stanthorpe, returned $1450 or 701c/kg on Speckle Park/Angus weaned heifers, 206kg. Their steer portion, 215kg, made $1500 or 696c/kg. Craig Horsfield, Wivenhoe Pocket, sold eight to nine-month-old Speckle Park heifers for $1700 at Laidley.

Black Diamond Speckle Parks topped the commercial section of the Southern Success Speckle Park sale with F1 cows and calves for $4500.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

In the dairy

Strong demand for Speckle dairy cross as vealer mothers and calves

With increasing amounts of female sexed semen available, the Speckle Park is proving a good fit for the Australian dairy industry. Thomas Genetics and Livestock principal Aaron Thomas, of Warragul, Vic, said dairy farmers are joining their lesser animals to beef for a more marketable calf. “With the beef market doing as well as it is at the moment, a beef cross calf is more valuable than a dairy calf,” Mr Thomas said. He said although the Speckle Park cross dairy female lacked udder composition as a milker, she made an ideal vealer mother. “The Speckles calving ease and the fact they are polled are the two main factors dairy farmers ask about them,” he said. “Their hybrid vigour, eye appeal with the coat colours and their temperament are other factors. “There is a strong market for Speckle Park cross dairy steer calves and vealer mothers. “The colours catch the eye first and then there is the realisation they make a good cross. “You can have a fine boned dairy cow calve to a Speckle bull and get a nice solid calf.”

“They make a great cross with the structure and milk capability of the dairy cow combined with the hybrid vigour, growth and thick beefiness of the Speckle Park. “We haven’t put any through the dairy yet as we use them in the beef program, but we do intend to give them a whirl in the dairy.” Mr Orgill likes the Speckles low birthweights, calving ease, early maturity, good growth, marketability, eating quality and calf vigour at birth. “The calves are up on their feet quickly and take to the feeders easily. There is a strong market for the calves and I have orders before they are born for as much or more than Friesian heifers,” he said. “People like the eye appeal, hardiness, temperament and muscle. “We have seen a massive passion for the Speckle Park breed as well as the Speckle Park cross in hobby farmers around the Gippsland area.” The following dairy farmers contributed their experiences with Speckle Parks in their breeding systems:

Victorian dairy farmer Phil Orgill milks 500 Holstein Friesian/Jersey cross cows at Yarragon and is a half owner in Baw Baw Speckle Park with Carly and James Mayes. “We aim to breed easy calving bulls with good growth rates to sell on as seedstock and we also collect some for AI programs in my dairy herd,” Mr Orgill said. He uses sexed Holstein semen in the cows but any female not holding to the first AI receives a Speckle Park straw. “I also try to join my heifers with a mix of Holstein or Speckle Park bulls. We grow out our heifers separately to the dairy so we can use them as recipients in the beef program. They make great recipient animals. “The bull calves are sold at five to seven days old mostly through private sale.” Mr Orgill believes Speckle Park dairy cross animals have a wider place in the dairy industry.

A Jersey and her Speckle Cross calf photographed by Carrie Ralson.

In the dairy “Easier to rear and grow out well. A good base to start my beef herd!” - Carrie Ralston, Vic “Speckles have been a fun twist in our dairy x beef breeding schedule. They are tough, quick growing calves that have been super to rear and have grown out brilliantly.” - Gemma Otton, Candelo, NSW “I love them! The Friesian gives them stature but they maintain beefiness.” - Hannah Bland, Foster, Vic “They make a perfect cross. They are strong, great doing calves, easy to rear, very friendly, full of personality and we love them.” - Janine Clark, Nerrena East, Vic “Very friendly and great to put over heifers as they are easy calving.” - Kelly Perry, Nambrok, Vic “We love them as a beef/dairy cross.” - Kerrie Anderson, Drouin, Vic

Speckle cross dairy calves photographed by Gemma Otton.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Committee reports

Feedlot trial, performance data tools and education resources on agenda This year saw the addition of Jared Littlefield, Phil Collis and Nick Endres to the Speckle Park International technical sub-committee and farewelled Paul Guy and Matt Webber. We thank Paul for his enthusiastic time as chair of the technical sub-committee. The Technical sub-committee has been busy working on a series of projects including the Made to Measure program, the design of a feedlot trial, tools to assist in the recording and submission of performance data, supporting the Gonadal Hypoplasia trail and education resources for members. Made to Measure is in the process of being set up and is aimed at recognizing animals that have been performance recorded, relevant to their age. Animals will receive the Made to Measure stamp against their pedigree profile and will allow breeders and buyers to identify fully performance recorded animals with ease. We anticipate the roll out of the Made to Measure program in early 2022. The Gonadal Hypoplasia (GH) trail continues to be undertaken with Dr Jon Beever from the University of Tennessee. Due to the limited prior research into this recessive condition, and that it is noted to be of incomplete penetrance, the development of a DNA test has taken longer than anticipated.

We thank everyone who has submitted samples to support this research, and should anyone with to be involved in the trial, they are encouraged to contact the SPI office via info@specklepark.org Keep an eye out in the coming months for an expression of interest to participate in a feedlot trial and other key developments out of the Technical Sub-Committee

Marketing Report: The Marketing Sub-committee has met each month to discuss and action ways to promote the Speckle Park breed throughout the beef community. The annual magazine is the major project for the Marketing subcommittee and takes up a considerable amount of time. Members have been busy coming up with content ideas, contacting advertisers and developing stories. With several members stepping off the Marketing Sub-Committee this year due to personal commitments, CEO Hannah Bourke got in contact with Kim Woods, Outcross Media, and OGA Creative Agency to assist in the creation of this publication. We thank them for helping us with this magazine. We hope there is something for everyone in here and look forward to bringing you the new format in 2022, in the way of a bi-annual magazine to fall in line with the major sale seasons.

ILROnline streamlines herd record management in real-time This year has seen SPI adopt a new online registration system called ILROnline for members. ILROnline allows members, via their personalized login, to register animals, manage female inventory, submit performance recording data, run reports, transfer animals, and even review why animals aren’t yet registered.

If the animal is noting it doesn’t qualify to its sire, members can then arrange to submit a DNA request to check against other suitable sires.

Interacting directly with the SPI database, ILROnline provides members a more efficient way to submit and manage their herd records in real-time.

There is no DNA functionality within ILROnline, so members will need to continue submit DNA request via the forms found on www.specklepark.org/forms

Once registrations are submitted via ILROnline, members can then submit their DNA submission request forms to finalise the registrations. Upon receipt of the DNA results to SPI, your animals will be registered by the team in the office.

To date, this has only been rolled out to a small number of members as we have put it through its paces and iron out any bugs. Members will be granted access to ILROnline in the coming months. SPI members should keep an eye on their emails for their personalized invitation to ILROnline or email info@specklepark.org to have their access set up

Possibly the most helpful tool in ILROnline is the ability to check the list of “Pending Animals” – these are animals that have not been registered for any number of reasons.

Via the “Pending Animals” list, you can see exactly why the animal is not registered and make appropriate moves to register the animal. For example, if the animal is missing their DOB, members can edit the animal’s details and add a DOB.

New Zealand news

Strengthening ties between Aussie and Kiwi breeders Relations between Australian and New Zealand breeders were strengthened with a visit to the Land of the Long White Cloud by SPI chief executive officer Hannah Bourke in June. Hannah said a momentary easing in COVID restrictions had enabled the visit for a face-to-face catch-up with the team at Performance Beef Breeders (PBB). “By this stage we had been with PBB for seven months and all communication had been via phone, email and zoom, and I am a true believer that nothing is as efficient or effective as a face to face,” she said. Hannah spent two days at Palmerston North, the home base of the PBB team, providing her with a much greater understanding of the dynamics and ability to refine internal processes. “This will make it more efficient for both SPI and PBB, and by extension for our members,” she said. Hannah attended the Maugahina Speckle Park sale at Masterton and was taken by New Zealand board member Sarah Forsyth and her husband Martyn to a butcher selling dry aged Speckle Park infused beef. The butcher shop also features a giant mural of a Speckle Park bull on a wall. “The Maugahina sale presented the opportunity to meet a number of New Zealand Speckle Park members, and so it turned out, a few Aussie faces too. We hope to arrange some forums for Speckle Park breeders in New Zealand in the coming year,” Hannah said.

Hanna Bourke with a Speckle Park mural in a NZ butcher shop.

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Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Speckles on grain

Speckles Parks hit the specs when it comes to grain finishing By Kim Woods

Demand has outstripped supply when it comes to grain fed Speckle Park cross cattle for value added beef brands and from processors. Northeast Victorian stock agent Sam Nelson and his son Jack have been grain finishing F1 Speckle Park steers and heifers on a 100-day barleybased ration for two years, and cannot keep up with the demand. Sam is principal of Mulcahy Nelson Livestock, Shepparton, and was impressed by the Speckle Park calves coming through the Shepparton saleyards 13 years ago. He bought a line of Angus/Friesian cows with Speckle Park cross calves with the aim to grain finish the calves for the domestic market. “We weaned these calves and put them in the feeder with our other cattle and they performed exceptionally well,” Sam said. Jack was so impressed with the feedlot performance he went on to establish a seedstock herd, Jackungah, on the family property at Pine Lodge. Sam runs the commercial herd of 150 Angus breeders joined to Speckle Park bulls with the steers and heifers targeted at a 100-day grainfed program. The cows are rotated around grazing cereals, ryegrass, oat and shaftal clover pastures and joined to JAD, Minnamurra and Jackungah bulls. Sam likes to select bulls on muscle and maturity pattern, and structural soundness. The calves are yard weaned at five to six months of age or 220-260kg onto silage and then backgrounded on pasture at another holding at Euroa until 300-340kg. Jack leases a 800-head capacity feedlot and custom feeds the calves for 90-100 days to supply Greenham’s branded program, Wanderer Barley Fed Beef. Specifications for the brand include free range, certified humane, marble score 2-3 and 4+ and natural state hanging method for the carcase (hip hung). The cattle are fed a ration of 64 per cent barley, canola, oaten straw, Molafoss, lime, and cotton seed at 15-16kg per day per head. All grain is sourced in the Goulburn valley, with half the barley locked in on a forward contract and the rest bought on the open market. Pre-feedlot entry, the cattle are vaccinated with Bovilis IBR + MH against Bovine Respiratory Disease, treated for liver fluke, drenched, injected with vitamin B12 and placed on a starter ration for up to a month.

There has been high demand for Speckle Park cross steers and cull heifers for grain fed programs.

“On their curfew weight, those cattle dressed at 352kg, yielded 61 per cent with an average MSA Index of 63.54 at Hardwicks,” Sam said. He describes the Speckle Park over a British bred female as “magical”. “We do retain some F1 females to sell as unjoined heifers up to $2550. “Supply and seasonal conditions are having the largest impact on prices – it’s rare to see all the eastern seaboard so good and that is putting incredible pressure on the cattle market. “Large cattle areas were decimated through the drought – that’s what is controlling the cattle prices. “I believe the beef market is at its top end and there is not a lot more room in it. “What we have learnt feeding cattle and as my time as an agent, the premium prices from direct sales or branded products from farmer to abattoir will become more and more attractive. “The processors are finding it a lot easier to sell a branded product involving traceability.”

“We are paid a base rate for marbling and a bonus for a higher marbling score – our best line on feed for 90 days averaged marble score 2.2,” Sam said.

Sam conceded they are struggling to source enough Speckle Park cross cattle to feed in a red-hot store market although they were initially paying a premium.

“The crossbred steers finish 10-15 days quicker than the other cattle – the conversion rate is what attracted us to the breed.”

“We want to buy weaner steers but they are making more than we can pay for them to put them on feed,” he said.

In February, JSN Livestock turned off a run of 61 100-day grain fed Speckle Park steers and heifers at Shepparton saleyards to a top of 471c/kg. The steers averaged 444kg and made 471c/kg while 33 head averaged 464kg and 458c/kg.

“Our numbers are down considerably – we have a client who would normally custom feed 1500 Angus and Speckle Park/ Angus cattle but virtually has none and we normally feed 500600 at a time but are down to 200 head.

Speckles on grain

“We will ramp up after Christmas again but at the moment the margin is not there.” Jack Nelson said commercial demand was back by positive carcase data and feedback. “Ultimately the commercial market is what leads the stud enterprises and to offer bulls and females to build herd numbers throughout Australia is what we are about,” Jack said. “They are not a massive animal but are yielding well and finishing quickly in our feedlots- the more efficient an animal finishes the more profit there is. “That’s why they are growing so quickly and it is a great wave to be on. “When you have Speckle/Friesian calves making $400-$500 it is good to see and that will really drive the breed forward.” Sam Nelson admits seeing the breed grow from his vantage on the auctioneer’s catwalk has been “exciting”. “We are seeing the breed being used widely in this area over dairy cows as a back-up bull for calving ease and eye appeal. “They are liking the consistent and uniform product – I am seeing those dairy beef calves come through the market week after week and bringing better prices over the other crossbred calves.” The father and son are expanding their feedlot operation in 2022 and will be sourcing Speckle Park steers and heifers for grain finishing.

JSN Livestock sold 100 day grainfed Speckle Park steers and heifers at Shepparton to top of 471c/kg in February.

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Speckles off grass

Speckles perform well off grass in Lardner Park steer trial By Kim Woods Speckle Park producers are encouraged to enter cattle to gain valuable carcase feedback and quantify the breed’s superiority off grass in the nation’s only grassfed steer trial. The Victorian based Lardner Park steer trial was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 but went ahead in 2021 and with interest sought for the 2022 trial. Entries arrived on June 29, and weighed on July 6, August 10, September 14, October 19 and November 29 before being processed by JBS Australia on behalf of Coles. A carcase demonstration and awards day will be held on February 1, 2022. At the second weigh-in, data was captured by a TWR-5 Weigh Scale, data collector and EID tag reader on condition score and health treatments, including batch, expiry and withholding period. Each steer carries a Ceres ear tag which uses GPS tracking for activity monitoring and real-time alerts. The 86 head weighed 256-464kg or an average of 259kg and an average daily weight gain of 1.06kg at the August 10 weigh. In September, the steers weighed an average 390kg and had an average liveweight gain of 1.09kg. In October the steers weighed an average of 435kg with an average daily gain of 1.28kg.

These Speckle Park/Angus steers enjoyed excellent spring pastures in Gippsland for the 2021 Lardner Park Trial. Photo Anthony Willems In 2017, Hollingrove won the highest carcase score as a pair with two Speckle Park/Angus cross steers.

The data collected will be used by Monash University, Meat and Livestock Australia and JBS Australia to showcase breed benchmarks. Speckle Park infused entries this year are from Bruce Williams, Hollingrove stud, Warragul, Vic, and Andrew Nicholl, Langmore Farm, Fish Creek, Vic.

As a breed, Bruce Williams believes Speckle Park need to focus on its grass finishing ability and encouraged more producers to enter the trial to quantify the breed’s traits. Bruce and his wife Debbie were early adopters of Speckle Park after reading about their calving ease and have since been impressed by their docility.

At the second weigh, the Hollingrove Speckle Park/Angus cross steers weighed 339 and 355kg and after the second weigh had an average daily gain of 0.83 and 0.86kg respectively. The Langmore Farm Speckle Park/ Speckle Park/Angus entries weighed 379kg and 328kg.

After more than 12 years of breeding, they have a small registered herd of purebreds and use Speckle Park bulls over commercial Angus, Angus/Friesian and Speckle Park cross females. The cattle dovetail with a Warmblood horse stud.

At the third weigh in September, the Hollingrove steers weighed 398 and 405 with an average daily gain of 0.86 and 0.50kg respectively. Their overall daily gain was 0.84 and 0.71kg. The Langmore Farm steers weighed 411kg and 348kg.

The steers are sold at 350kg liveweight to backgrounders supplying Greenhams, the heifer weaners are sold to restockers and purebred bulls to local dairy farmers to value add their dairy cross calves. Bruce has used natural fertilisers and trace elements on his pastures and believes the quality of the steers has improved.

At the fourth weigh in October, the Hollingrove steers weighed 446 and 450kg with average daily gains of 1.37 and 1.29kg. The Langmore Farm steers weighed 431kg and 383kg with an overall daily gain of 0.78 and 0.79kg respectively. A third Langmore Speckle Park/Speckle Park/Angus steer was 463kg with an average daily gain of 1.34kg and overall daily gain of 1.21kg.

‘If you have good pasture, good cattle and look after them, that is half the battle,” he said. “It’s all about an easy life and enjoying the cattle for us – we like to support Lardner Park, they are great people. “We have a Johner Stock Farm Trade Secret son and his calves will enter the trial next year.” Compliant with the Coles QA grass fed program, the aim is to achieve the best outcomes during trial information and data collection, and purchase price on carcase meat when the trial is turned off. Steers must dress at a domestic grade with a specification of between 220-310kg HSCW and a P8 fat depth of 8-14mm. The trial is open to both purebred and crossbred Speckle Park steers, with entrants required to declare entered steers have not been grain fed since birth. The cattle are managed under independently controlled grazing conditions during the trial in the Gippsland region.

Information on event dates and trial data is available at www.lardnerpark.com.au

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Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Value adding

Clean and green Speckles from the Northern Rivers By Kim Woods

Cubs Speckle Park have value added to their F1 calves

Two Speckle Park herds in the NSW Northern Rivers have value added to their steers through their local butchery with consumers consistently demanding more. Commercial producers John and Jenny McKavanagh, Kogyle, have been turning off Speckle Park cross steers at 420kg liveweight and 200kg carcase weight with 10mm plus fat to their local butcher for several years. “It walked out the door - they couldn’t keep up with the demand from customers and we couldn’t supply him enough,” Jenny said. “Customers loved the eating qualities of the whole high yielding carcase.” The couple produce an ethically raised, HGP and antibiotic free animal, using dusting bags to prevent buffalo flies and feeding garlic tops to help with worming. They began their journey with Speckle Parks in 2010, buying a bull from the nation’s first sale at Six Star after seeing the carcase attributes of the breed at the Calgary Stampede. They had been using Greyman and Brahman females in their 1200mm plus rainfall area at Kyogle. The beef herd dovetailed with a busy macadamia and garlic enterprise and until recently, market gardening. “The environment is sub-tropical and we need a hardy breeder – we started using the Speckle Park bulls over Brahman cows, retaining some crossbred heifers and culling the older cows,” John said.

After a decade of using Speckle Park bulls, the breeding herd now comprises F4, F3 and F2 females. The couple has found a demand for their surplus sub-tropically adapted Speckle Park infused females in the online market to buyers as far north as Yepoon, Qld. “In the early days we donated an F1 calf each to the regional schools for carcase competitions to get the carcase feedback,” Jenny said. “We noticed the difference in the temperament of the herd straight away, and added growth and carcase traits,” she said. A third in the Casino Beef Week with an F1 carcase encouraged them to concentrate on pursuing markets for their weaner steers in the Casino store markets. “It took the buyers a while to come around to the Speckle Parks – we had to educate them to their attributes but there are a lot of breeders in the area now,” Jenny said. They were already customers of Stuart Bros Butchery at Kyogle and approached proprietor Brett Stuart to retail their Speckle Park cross beef. John and Jenny use barley sprouts as a fattening agent for their trade steers and protein source for the cows during dry seasons. “We have a fodder feed unit which produces 10 tonnes of feed to every one tonne of barley seed in five days,” Jenny said.

Value adding

The Speckle Cross steers are finished on barley sprouts at Helmet Park. “It’s a challenge sourcing good seed and the input costs are up there but it is a worthwhile investment. The seed is put in the trays, there is an automatic system of misting and lights, and within five days it is ready to feed out. “We have a creep feeder with a mix of sprouts and grain in the paddock to start the calves off while on their mothers. “If it is dry conditions at weaning, we will feed them on the sprouts as well.” The calves are yard weaned at around 200kg liveweight or six to seven months on grain and hay then turned onto fresh pasture with adlib grain. Butcher Brett Stuart originally bought their Speckle Park cross steer out of the steer auction at Casino Beef Week. He began visiting the McKavanaghs to inspect the steers and promoting the beef at the point of sale. But with record prices in the physical market, John and Jenny diverted steers off at a lighter weight of 320kg into the Casino saleyards at equivalent prices. Jenny handled the marketing of their value-added product, calling it Helmet Park Speckles after their property, using social media to tell their paddock to plate story, along with retail signage. She said consumers were interested in hearing the back story around the raising of the cattle. “We have always wanted to supply local product and will certainly go back to supplying our local butcher.” Laurie Stubbs and business partners Mark and Kathy Cain have been value adding to their Speckle Park/Hereford steers also through Stuart Bros Butchers at Kyogle. The business partners founded Cubs Speckle Parks at Lynchs Creek with their first registered heifer born in 2019. They were turning off 12-month-old F1 steers at 400kg liveweight for processing, finishing them on pasture and pellets. “We couldn’t keep the bodies up – people were virtually knocking his door down to buy it,” Laurie said. He said the Hereford cows were maternal, quiet and had plenty of length making an ideal cross with the Speckle bulls. He said the Speckles offered Hereford producers increased 200- and 400-day weights, red meat yield and tenderness in the crossbred steers while F1 females could be retained in the herd as productive breeders.

Speckle Park infused steers yarded for inspection by the butcher.

“Coming out of the drought with hay and grain at a premium, we wanted to try to manage our herd,” Laurie said. “We approached Stuart Bros and they couldn’t help us enough with the article they wanted, and for us to achieve for them, and they were really happy with the product.” Cubs supplied F1 steers for around three months but they were then diverted to the saleyards on the back of a skyrocketing store and prime market. “It’s a no brainer now to take them straight off farm to the market with the prices the way they are,” Laurie said. “For those wanting to value add, do the research and find your market – we had to find our feet as we went. “The breed has a great following and is on the tip of everyone’s tongue at the moment. We have seen the prices in the auction room what they are getting for females and bulls, and everyone is looking over the fence at Speckle Park.” Laurie said the Speckle Park breed will grow further once consumers can experience the meat eating quality, creating a pull-through for commercial cattle. Continued page 64

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Value adding From page 63 Stuart Bros Butchery proprietor and second-generation butcher Brett Stuart aims to buy 200kg dressed weight carcases with 8-12mm of fat. He receives the quartered carcases from the Northern Co-operative Meat Company, Casino, and portions them into primal cuts, mince and gourmet sausages. He doesn’t specify either grass fed or grain fed but says good nutrition is key from birth to achieve a consistent quality carcase. “Generally, I like to inspect the cattle in the yards before slaughter and look at conformation, muscle pattern, across the back and looseness in the cod and brisket area,” Brett said. “Some of our customers like to know the background to their beef, especially if it is locally produced, the feeding regime and if it is ethically raised.” Brett conceded the red hot store and export driven feedlot markets had forced up prices on killable trade cattle, squeezing profit margins for butchers. “The consumers often ask when will the Speckle Park beef be coming back?,” he said.

TIPS FROM HELMET PARK SPECKLES: Get your product and name out there by starting with local friends, family and community. Word of mouth and social media are powerful tools Be transparent on social media about your practices Keep communication channels open with your butcher

TIPS FROM CUBS SPECKLE PARK: Do the research and find your market Tips from Brett Stuart, Stuart Bros Butchers Firstly, get your butcher out to have a look at your cattle Learn about the specs your butcher wants and work backwards Concentrate on genetics – you need the right cattle to get the right calves Do your sums and make a decision whether to feed them on to trade weights or sell as is.

Signage promoting the beef at Stuart Bros Butchery.

Primal cuts from Speckle Park cross steers at Stuart Bros.

Trays of barley sprouts in the fodder unit at Helmet Park.

Barley is taken from seed to feed in five days in the fodder unit.

Board of Directors

Meet our team for 2022. For the benefit of the membership, included are details for the Speckle Park International Board of Directors

HANNAH BOURKE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Email: ceo@specklepark.org Mobile: 0409 031 728

ALEX PATEMAN CHAIRMAN

MITCH WARRENER VICE CHAIRMAN

DEAN MISSINGHAM TREASURER

Email: apateman@specklepark.org

Email: mwarrener@specklepark.org

Email: dmissingham@specklepark.org

Mobile: 0428 791 972

Mobile: 0436 448 349

Mobile: 0438 831 902

GARY REIDY COMPANY SECRETARY

TIM BELL DIRECTOR

ROBBIE CLARKE DIRECTOR

Email: greidy@specklepark.org

Email: tbell@specklepark.org

Email: rclarke@specklepark.org

Mobile: 0419 482 415

Mobile: 0427 709 003

Mobile: +64 27 4311 860

MARK CONSTABLE DIRECTOR

SARAH FORSYTH DIRECTOR

DENIS ROBERTS DIRECTOR

Email: mconstable@specklepark.org

Email: sforsyth@specklepark.org

Email: droberts@specklepark.org

Mobile: 0427 482 147

Mobile: +64 (0)2 1185 822

Mobile: 0423 868 351

Speckle Park International magazine - 2022 edition

Calendar of events for 2022 JANUARY 29 Milky Way Stud Beef Week open day

Korumburra, Vic

30 Hanging Rock Beef Week open day

Newham Vic

30 The Clan Stud Beef Week open day

Tylden, Vic

30 Whiteline Stud Beef Week open day

Winchelsea, Vic

FEBRUARY 3 Gin Gin Speckle Park bull sale

Brunswick, WA

6 Ewyn Stud Beef Week open day

Balhannah, SA

25-27 Canberra Royal Show

Canberra, ACT

MARCH 4-5 Armidale and New England Speckle Park Feature Show 12 Gotcha Speckle Park open day

Armidale, NSW

Cundletown, NSW

18 The Power of Premier Female and Genetic Sale

New Zealand

APRIL 1 Legacy you can Leverage Speckle Park Bull and Female Sale

Yeoval, NSW

7 Judging beef cattle paraders competition Sydney Royal

Sydney, NSW

8 Judging purebred steers Sydney Royal Show

Sydney, NSW

8 Speckle Park judging Sydney Royal Show

Sydney, NSW

9 Judging trade steers and heifers Sydney Royal Show

Sydney, NSW

8-19 Sydney Royal Easter Show

Sydney, NSW

23 Scone Speckle Park sale

Scone, NSW

MAY 6 Riverina MIA Autumn Alliance Sale 13 The Blue Print Opportunity Sale

Wagga Wagga, NSW Pine Lodge, Vic

AAA Speckle Park

Baw Baw Speckle Park

Bendee Speckle Park

Birds Farm Tas Speckle Park

Black Diamond Speckle Park

Blue Print Opportunity Sale

Blue Ridge Speckles

Breffni Farm Speckle Park

Ewyn Speckle Parks

Gin Gin Speckle Park

Gotcha Speckle Park

Gr8 Marlow Speckle Parks

Hillview Speckle Park

JAD Speckle Park

Inside front cover

Mavstar Photography

M & G Speckle Park

Minnamurra Pastoral

14 Black Diamond Diamonds are Forever

Macorna, Vic

Panorama Farm

20 Kamarah Speckle Park bull sale

Wannamal, W

Pine Hill Speckles

Rose Hill Speckle Park

JUNE 4 Wattle Grove Fire and Ice Sale 25-26 Next Gen Speckle Park open day

Toowoomba, Qld Tamworth, NSW

AUGUST 5-14 Brisbane Royal Show

Brisbane, Qld

13 Oakey Creek Speckle Parks sale

Manilla, NSW

19 Next Gen Speckle Park Sale (Sunny Dale and Panorama Farms)

Tamworth, NSW

27 Dorroughby Speckle Park Invitational Sale

Westbrook, Qld

SEPTEMBER 2 Minnamurra Speckle Park bull sale

Coolah, NSW

2 Legends of Tomorrow Sale (Big Wig and Consignors Speckle Park Studs)

Hillville, NSW

3 Speckles in the Capital sale 3-11 Adelaide Royal Show 10 Rob Roy Speckle Park inaugural sale 16-17 Legends of the Future sale and event 22- Oct 2 Melbourne Royal Show 24-Oct 1 Perth Royal Show

ACT Adelaide, SA Gulgong, NSW Hillview, NSW Melbourne, Vic Perth, WA

OCTOBER 15 Wattle Grove Annual Bull Sale 19-21 Hobart Royal Show

Advertisers Index

Toowoomba, Qld Hobart, Tas

NOVEMBER 5 Southern Success Speckle Park Sale

Shepparton, Vic

13 & 61

Repro 45 Safety Zone Calf Catchers

Snowview Speckle Park

Speckle Park International

Inside back cover

Te Pari

Back cover

Wattle Grove Fire and Ice Sale

World Wide Sires

Looking for Carcase Quality, Maternal Strength & that all Important Terminal Advantage?

SPECKLE PARK Impressive Meat. Speckle Park produce high carcase dressing percentages (60% plus is common in a first cross) and great meat eating quality.

Fertile. Hardy. Resilient. Early calf vigour, hardiness in dry conditions, and excellent feed conversion rates are three major attributes of the Speckle Park breed.

To find out more breed benefits visit: www.specklepark.org

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DESIGNED HERE. MANUFACTURED HERE. LIVESTOCK SOLUTIONS FOR BETTER FARMING. JULY 2021