Studs work together in successful Speckle Park showing for local breeders

A big Speckle Park sire still bearing battle scars flowed around the showring beautifully to take out the grand champion bull title at the Royal Adelaide Show.

Exhibited by Balhannah stud Ewyn Speckle Park, the bull weighed near on 1100 kilograms and had only had a short show preparation, stud principal Vaughn Johnston said.

"He's been out working and has only had a short preparation. It may be hard to believe but we've only been feeding him for 35 days," he said.

"He's looking pretty well considering. He's very relevant for the breed - powerful, big, long, moves extremely well and producing very good heifers."

Emerging from the bull, 24 months and over class the 4-year-old Jackungah Score Keeper S38 was a purchase from Jackungah Speckle Park, Pine Lodge, Vic.

It was sired by Mt Eccles SOS Spartacus and out of Nargun Den Kendall K4.

Judge Glenn Trout, Moorunga Angus farm manager, was suitably impressed by the proven sire.

"He's nearly 1100 kilograms, he's come out of cows and has had a short preparation," he said.

"He's still carrying some scars, but he flows around the ring so well for a big, mobile bull."

It beat out the junior champion bull from the same stud - Ewyn T31 Victorious V64.

Ewyn had nine cattle in their show team this year, and worked in with conjunction with Wattle Lee, Kingston SE, who exhibited seven.

Mr Johnston was happy with how the entire team presented despite a less than ideal seasonal lead in.

"With a poor start to the season, feed costs made us a bit hesitant on how we'd do, but we're really happy with the way they've come up as far as consistency, type and pattern goes," he said.

Wattle Lee had success of its own, with its senior cow champion Wattle Lee 71H Cora T01 adjudged grand champion ahead of the junior champion female Roanoke P503 Angel of Darkness V22 from Roanoke Speckle Park, Crystal Brook.

Exhibited by young stud breeder Emily Edwards, the grand champion cow was sired by Greenwood Headliner 71H and out of Pathfinder Cora DLE 3C, and had a calf at foot.

Mr Trout said it was a very difficult decision splitting what was an excellent exhibition of Speckle Park females.

"There's some excellent females in the Speckle Park ring, but I've gone with the cow in calf that's a proven entity, but I also think a heck of a lot of the female standing behind her in second," he said.

"She's got a beautiful, maternal set up underneath her and is still showing plenty of power and strength through the spine. She carries herself very fluently, is a very calm cow, very easy on the eye."