New CEO's big plans for Speckle Park International

Ms Bourke was familiar with Speckle Park International and its requirements, having worked for other breed societies and Neogen Australasia as a genomics beef territory manager.

"I see a lot of merit in the breed and what it can bring to the commercial and seedstock beef sectors, particularly in crossbreeding with their yield and meat quality," she said.

"The breed has grown so rapidly, and it's reached the next step, to make a commitment to the future.

"To achieve what the breeders want, it's time to put some serious commercial, business focus on where the breed is heading."

Speckle Park International had previously employed a registrar, but the new role goes far beyond the registration of cattle, to promotion of the breed on a national and global stage, and establishing systems for accurate performance and data recording.

"It's a no-brainer that the merits are there - we now need the data to prove it through trials and performance recording," Ms Bourke said.

"We need to do further research into what sets Speckles apart from the rest of the breeds and prove why they're such a good fit in the commercial system from both a maternal perspective and a carcase perspective.

"We have anecdotal evidence around yield and growth rates, but the next step is having the data to back up the work that our seedstock producers have been doing."

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That research will include trials around on-farm and feedlot performance and fertility, as well as meat quality.

"We're working with Murdoch University to research the fat melting temperature of Speckle Park meat, because we believe Speckles have a lower fat melting temperature which improves taste," Ms Bourke said.

"We've got a lot happening, and we're still in the early stages, but in the next few years we're aiming to ramp up the research and development in the Speckle Park breed.

"From a staffing perspective, it's just myself, with PBB (Performance Beef Breeders in New Zealand) doing the day-to-day registry work, but we have fantastic sub committees for marketing, technical, and youth and events."

Demand for Speckle Park genetics is high, with strong prices for bulls and females, and the breed's membership - both commercial and stud - is growing.

Speckle Park International currently has about 410 stud, commercial and junior members, with new membership applications being processed every week.

"What's interesting is the age demographic - we have a lower average age than some of the bigger breeds.

"Speckles seem to be appealing to young people, people that haven't had a background in cattle and want to start with speckles, and also others that are transitioning from another breed.

"We've got the next generation taking over from their parents in commercial operations using Speckles in their herd to test them, so we're getting more phone calls from young people in the commercial sector who are chasing bulls to try, and they end up being repeat clients."

The increased interest from young people in the beef industry has led to Ms Bourke's long-term goal, to set up a next generation program.

"We're re-invigorating the youth program with an enthusiastic youth committee, and we'll still carry on with the heifer show, but what's really important is keeping youth in agriculture, by being able to show them career pathways and provide opportunities for people to stay in the industry," she said.

"We're in preliminary talks to develop a next generation program to fill the gap between the youth program and stud breeders.

"This program will focus on the skills you need to run a successful stud or commercial operation, that we're not normally taught - anything from taxes and BAS (business activity statements) to being hands-on with cattle, farm management and marketing."

One of the aims of the program will be to improve international communication and career opportunities by connecting members to Australian and Canadian breeders.