IT’S only in its second year, but the Speckle Park multi-vendor sale at Scone has ramped up, with more than 100 lots to be offered on May 6.
Eighteen vendors – including 10 new vendors, one from Canada – will offer stud and commercial cattle, with lots from AAA Speckle Parks, Greystanes; Bellenden Speckle Parks, Oberon; Checkered Speckle Parks, Binnaway; Doonbrea Speckle Parks, Kelvin; Double L Speckle Parks, Bendick Murrell; Ersyldene Speckle Parks, Tambar Springs; Glengarry Speckle Parks, Leonay; Hanging Rock, Newham, Victoria; JAD Agriculture, Yeoval; Kahleatha Speckle Parks, Tamworth; Linaubin Speckle Parks, Salisbury; M and G Speckle Parks, Nimmitabel; Mt Eccles Speckle Parks, Mount Eccles, Vic; Notta Ranch, Neilburg, Saskatchewan, Canada; Rose Hill Speckle Parks, Rylstone; Steggles Speckle Parks, Raymond Terrace; Snowline Speckle Parks, Kergunyah South, Vic; Three Way Speckle Parks, Glen Alice.
Sale committee member Mark Constable, Ersyldene Speckle Parks, Tambar Springs, said the increased interest was due to the fantastic results from last year’s sale, as well as more interest in high-yielding cattle from commercial producers.
The 2016 sale topped at $21,000 for a Dingo Creek bull, with 32 of the 44 bulls offered selling for a clearance of 73 per cent and average of $6187.
“The sale has grown dramatically since last year, on both ends of the spectrum – vendor wise and as far as enquiries go,” Mr Constable said.
“There are more people looking to use Speckle Park bulls in crossbred operations.”
This year’s sale includes 37 stud bulls, 43 stud females, eight semen packages and seven embryo packages, as well as 23 first-cross females and 11 show steer prospects.
“Interest in the breed is growing – we’re getting phone calls from people who have never had anything to do with Speckles, and they want to find out how they can use Speckle genetics in their herds,” Mr Constable said.
“Some of them have been to shows and seen the steers perform, but others have seen results from carcase competitions.
“They’re doing very well in hoof and hook, especially for the number of Speckle cattle that are out there.
“It’s also a good sale for anyone wanting to set up a Speckle park stud.”
There’s been stud and commercial interest from NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and Queensland.
“There’s a lot more enquiry from Queensland producers this year, and they’re wanting a bit more cover and yield in their cattle,” Mr Constable said.
“The enquiry for bulls to be used over Brahman and other Bos Indicus breeds is phenomenal – people are wanting to use the breed to give them a better carcase and better quality meat.
“Speckle cattle work well over any breed. We join 400 crossbred cows and we've been trialling Speckle Park bulls over everything, including Brangus, Santa Gertrudis and Charolais/Angus-cross cows and they're just a winner – it doesn't seem to matter what cow we put them over.”
Mr Constable expected strong demand for the potential show steers following the breed’s success in the show ring.
“They’re only young, most of them only 230 to 240 kilograms, so they'll be ready for someone to take on and show in another five or six months time. One of the steers sold in last year’s sale has got 12 champion ribbons around his neck at this stage.”
Charity lots a feature of Speckle sale
THE second annual Speckle Park sale at Scone will support two charities with the sale of a Speckle Park F1 heifer, a Speckle Park hide and a guitar signed by country music star Lee Kernaghan.
The charity auction will raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and local Upper Hunter charity, Where There's a Will Foundation.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation raises money for research into the prevention and cure of breast cancer.
Where There’s a Will was founded by the Carrigan family from Bunnan, who lost their 24-year-old son and brother Will to suicide on Christmas Day in 2015.
The charity supports mental health projects throughout the Upper Hunter and in its first year, it funded the delivery of mental health first aid training for four teachers from Scone High School, helped fund the cost of a mental health audit at Muswellbrook High School, and brought national organisation batyr to the Upper Hunter to begin a conversation about mental health with more than 330 year 11 and 12 students.
The Speckle Park heifer, which will have its coat dyed pink for the sale, has been donated by vendors Mark and Colleen Constable, Ersyldene Speckle Parks, “Treloar”, Tambar Springs.
The Speckle Park hide has been donated by Minnamurra Pastoral Company, Coolah, and the guitar was donated by Lee Kernaghan.
Mr Constable said the sale committee wanted to do something to give back to the community following last year’s strong sale at Scone.
“We hope that everyone can bid up big for these charity lots to raise money for two wonderful charities.”
Anyone wishing to bid on these items must register with agents, MacCallum Inglis, prior to the sale.