It's been a big year...and we're only five months in.

We are fast approaching the middle of the year and what a start to the year it has been for Wattle Grove Speckle Park. I am not sure what Dale’s New Years resolution was but I think it may have been something like “Let’s get our Speckle Park in front of as many people as humanly possible at as many sales and shows as we can fit in five months.”

Now not all our resolutions are followed through on but this one definitely has been.Since January we have held two sales. A Twilight female sale in Toowoomba, QLD.  To my knowledge this was the first Purebred Speckle Park sale in Queensland and the first Female only Speckle Park sale in the world, and Rockin' at Rocky in conjunction with Beef Australia, Rockhampton.[embed]https://youtu.be/fqagcoBTuMA[/embed]

TWILIGHT FEMALE SALE RESULTS

3/3 Cows sold to $9000 Ave $7500

6/6 Cow & Calf units sold to $19000 Ave $12333

14/14 Heifers sold to $17500 Ave $12714

4/4 PTIC recipients sold to $12000 Ave $10000

14/14 Commercial F1 females sold to $3750 Ave $3500

20/20 embryos sold to $3250 Ave $2500

50/50 semen straws sold to $900 Ave $460

Beef Australia was held in Rockhampton in May. We took the opportunity to hold an online sale during Beef plus exhibit in the Stud Cattle Championships and wow was it worth it. The interest and feedback from visitors all over Australia and internationally proved to us again that Speckle Park is here to stay. It is being sought after by all points on the supply chain from producers, feedlotters, butchers and consumers. Those that had purchased Speckle Park in the past sang their praises, everyone had a Speckle story to tell on the quality of the calves, the increased yield and growth and consistency they saw across the breed.

ROCKIN’ AT ROCKY SALE RESULTS

17/17 Bulls sold to $18000 Ave $11058

1 Heifer sold to $26000

12 embryos sold to $3000 Ave $2500

40 semen straws sold to $900 Ave $328

THE LANDMARK STUD CATTLE CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS

Class 3-Female 12 months and under 15 months:1st-Wattle Grove Elvira N41 2nd-Wattle Grove Miss Wow N10

Class 4-Calf Champion Female Winner-Wattle Grove Elvira N41

Class 5-Reserve Calf Champion Female Winner-Wattle Grove Miss Wow N10

Class 17-Bull 17 months and under 19 months 2nd-Wattle Grove He’s a Natural M120 3rd-Wattle Grove Hydro M126

Class 20-Reserve Junior Champion Male Winner-Wattle Grove He’s a Natural M120

Class 23-Cow 30 months and under 36 months1st-Wattle Grove Bliss L221

Class 25-Senior Champion FemaleWinner-Wattle Grove Bliss L221

Grand Champion FemaleWinner-Wattle Grove Bliss L221

Class 28-Bull 24 months and under 30 months1st-Wattle Grove Tank M62 2nd-Wattle Grove Honky Tonk M15

Class 29-Bull 30 months and under 36 months1st-Wattle Grove Smoke & Mirrors L275

Class 30-Senior Champion Male Winner-Wattle Grove Smoke and Mirrors L275

Class 31-Reserve Senior Champion Male Winner-Wattle Grove Tank M62

Grand Champion Male Winner-Wattle Grove Smoke and Mirrors L275

Class 32-Exhibitors Group1st-Wattle Grove Speckle Park

Class 33-Sires Progeny Stakes1st-Wattle Grove Speckle Park

Congratulations to all our fellow Speckle Park exhibitors. It was a massive week and we did the breed proud.And as if two sales and Beef Australia were not enough we also had Sydney Royal Easter Show in March and Dale traveled to Canada for two weeks in April for the spring sales. Throw in Blayney show, Bathurst Royal Show and numerous break in shows for the show cattle it has been a hectic, exciting and very successful start to 2018.

SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW RESULTS

Class: S041-Herdman’s Best Maintained Beef Team Competition (Overall Winner)Winner-Wattle Grove Speckle Park (Particularly proud of this one!)

Class: 4100-Female, 9 & not over 12mths1st-Wattle Grove Elvira N412nd-Wattle Grove Miss Wow N10

Class: 4102-Female, over 16 & not over 20mths1st-Wattle Grove G160 Elsa M121

Class: S4103-Junior Champion Female Winner-Wattle Grove Elvira N41

Class: S4104-Reserve Junior Champion Female Winner-Wattle Grove Miss Wow N10

Class: 4107-Female, over 30 mths 2nd-Wattle Grove Bliss L221

Class: 4113-Bull, over 16 & not over 20mths1st-Wattle Grove He’s a Natural M120

Class: S4114-Junior Champion Bull Winner-Wattle Grove He’s a Natural M120

Class: 4116-Bull, over 20 & not over 24mths 2nd-Wattle Grove Tank M62

Class: 4118-Bull, over 30 & not over 36mths1st-Wattle Grove Smoke & Mirrors L275

Class: 4122-Two Bulls, not over 24mths 2nd-Wattle Grove Speckle Park

Class: 4123-Sire’s or Dam’s Progeny1st-Wattle Grove Speckle Park-Codiak Putnam GNK 61Y

Class: 4124-Breeder’s Group1st-Wattle Grove Speckle Park

Class: S4126-Most Successful Speckle Park Exhibitor Winner-Wattle Grove Speckle Park

Class: S4128-Best Maintained Speckle Park Team, over five head Winner-Wattle Grove Speckle Park

Congratulations to all our fellow exhibitors at Sydney Royal, it was fantastic week topped off with a top three finish in the Interbreed bulls for Fish Creek Farms.The Speckle Park International AGM was held in Dubbo 16th May. Dale was fortunate enough to be reinstated as Chairman of the Society Board. This is a fantastic opportunity and he would like to thank all members for their continued support. New Board members and massive growth creates a fantastic opportunity to continue to grow and consolidate Speckle Park. My New Years resolution was to find more ways to be creative in our family business. As with anything, what you focus on grows and I have found that there are endless ways for me to be creative in our industry. Proudly presenting WG. A small magazine providing an insight into Wattle Grove Speckle Park. This will be an annual publication and is more focused on the family aspect of our business. What we do and why we do it.

And that just about wraps up the first five months of 2018 for Wattle Grove Speckle Park.

In the coming months we will exhibiting at:Farmfest, Toowoomba QLD 5th June-7th June. Ekka, Brisbane QLD 10th-19th August. Agquip, Gunnedah NSW 21st-23rd August. Henty Machinery Field Days, Henty NSW 18th-20th September. Wattle Grove Speckle Park On-farm Sale, Oberon NSW 13th October. Wattle Grove Speckle Park Twilight Yearling Sale, Toowoomba, QLD 23rd February 2019. Remember we have embryos and semen available all year round and are more than happy to have a chat about Speckle Park and where they can take your herd.