Record Breakers

IN THE SPECKLE PARK BREED

We have seen records tumble this year, proving buyer confidence in the strength of the Speckle Park breed continues to surge.

The Scone Speckle Park Sale held on 23 April 2022 saw Battalion Heartbreaker R16 convincingly set a new World Record price for a Speckle Park animal, selling to Ivery Downs Speckle Park for $100,000. The previous World Record, held by Wattle Grove P503 Cara S101 purchased by Ivery Downs Speckle Park for $75,000, had been set only 6 months prior in October 2021.

With 6 heifers on offer out of the matriarch of the Battalion Speckle Park herd, Battalion Heartbreaker M1, it was no surprise to see such strong buyer interest. Although he had an inkling the heifers would be well received, even Battalion Speckle Park co-principal Grant Kneipp could not have imagined R16 would fetch a 6-figure sum. “Heartbreaker M1 had been consistently breeding progeny that stood among our best in every drop but none more so than Heartbreaker R16. She had the physical attributes to excel to another level. We thought she was capable of giving the previous record price a budge, but we never expected the world record to be exceeded by the amount it did” co-principal of Battalion Speckle Park, Grant Kneipp recalls fondly.

Having purchased a Heartbreaker bred bull in Battalion Upper Class at Scone the previous year, Dale Jones from Ivery Downs was intent on securing a Heartbreaker heifer to add to his growing herd. “Grant was probably sick of me trying to catch him in a moment of weakness to see if he would sell M1. When I saw the offering at Scone, I knew it would be a perfect opportunity for us to add further maternal strength to our program. Grant and Kylie consistently produce cattle that anyone would be proud to have in their paddock” Dale says.

But it took less than a fortnight and R16 found herself sharing the title – with Six Star Justice R10 being knocked down for $100,000 to Toebelle Speckle Park at the Six Star Autumn Alliance Sale on 6 May 2022. The bull World Record had stuck around for a little longer, having been held by Wattle Grove Paperboy who sold to Temple Mount Farm for $68,000 in October 2020.

Battalion Heartbreaker R16

Wattle Grove P503 Cara S101

Greg Ebbeck of Six Star Speckle Park is a stalwart of the Speckle Park breed, having been involved from its beginning in Australia. With an unrivalled knowledge of the breed, Greg was well positioned to call it early, and with Justice, he did. “At a very young age, I was blown away with Justice – actually, from the minute he was born I knew I had something very special. I consider him to be the best or equal to any bull of any breed I have bred in my 55 years of breeding cattle. His IMF score was the largest we have measured on any 2 year old” Greg comments. Having been the underbidders on some very quality animals in the lead up to the Autumn Alliance Sale, Toebelle Speckle Park were determined to walk away from the sale with their number one choice. “We saw this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to secure a bull with such superb raw data, structural integrity and a pedigree stacked with highly acclaimed positively influential bloodlines. Justice also moves fluidly and correctly. We think he has the potential to become a game changer in the breed” reflects Liz Sutcliffe of Toebelle Speckle Park.

With the increased attention on the Speckle Park breed and its popularity sky rocketing, we are set for another exciting year of sales ahead in 2023.

Wattle Grove Paperboy