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.

“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.

“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. 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.

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

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

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.

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.