Black Diamond Speckle Park set to shine at Beef Australia

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The ever-growing Speckle Park breed will make a welcomed return to the 2024 Beef stage when exhibitors descend upon the beef capital next month from across the country.

Victorian based stud Black Diamond Speckle Park will make the long trek north from Macorna to showcase their best genetics to both seedstock and commercial operators.

Black Diamond Speckle Park stud principal Murray Van der Drift said it was an exciting opportunity for the first time Beef attendees.

The family operation, commencing with parents Andrew and Melissa Van der Drift, have a background in Limousin cattle and run a predominantly commercial Angus herd.

Black Diamond Speckle Park was established in 2014 with the purchase of two bulls and four females.

A decade on, the stud has grown tremendously to now encompass 300 purebred registered females.

Mr Van der Drift said he attended various sales within the first couple of years of operation and by the end of 2015 the herd had grown to 50 breeders.

In 2016, during an overseas visit, the family purchased Canadian embryos and commenced their embryo transfer program.

"We've done massive amounts of ET in the last couple of years, putting in an excess of 500 embryos," he said.

"We have now grown our stud to a point where we have a solid cow herd of Speckles."

Mr Van der Drift said the carcase appeal of the Speckle Park animal was the reason behind the pivot into the breed away from the more traditional Limousin and Angus cattle.

"We were chasing some carcase quality, and were excited to grow the new breed to see where it could go," he said.

"The growth has been phenomenal, and to be a part of that growth, and see the change, is exciting.

"The breed is always evolving, but it's good to see that there is so much excitement around the Aussie genetics that we're not having to go back to Canada and get as much."

As the countdown to Beef '24 begins, Mr Van der Drift said they were gearing up as first time attendees to the event.

Black Diamond Speckle Park will showcase a total of seven head including four bulls, one heifer and a cow and calf pair during the week long event.

"This will be our first time going to Beef, we've never been to see it or exhibited there before," he said.

"We're throwing ourselves straight into the deep end to see what it's like."

Mr Van der Drift said the cattle that they will exhibit will be on offer for private sale at the event, as well as an opportunity to market their quality genetics not only to a Queensland audience, but the wider industry.

The team includes Black Diamond J17 Tom Cat T1678 who is a full brother the recent Supreme Speckle Park Champion of the 2024 Sydney Show.

A bull and heifer sired by the stud's Canadian cross sires will also be showcased.

"The team also includes two progeny of Black Diamond 61Y Poster Boy P207, who has had in excess of 25,000 straws sold in Australia and Canada through ABS," Mr Van der Drift said.

The producer said the event would be an excellent opportunity to compare and network with northern based breeders.

Whilst Black Diamond Speckle Park has spent the last decade honing their quality breed genetics, Mr Van der Drift said their seedstock was also tailored to commercial producers.

"We do try to keep as commercially relevant as we can, to what is the endgame of our bulls producing commercial calves," he said.

"Most of them are going to go out into a commercial herd, and most of those calves will be the end product beef on our plates."

Targeting the Queensland market, Mr Van der Drift said the Beef event would also be an advertising opportunity as their bulls make a return to the state in September at Ag-Grow Northern Impact Bull Sale held in Emerald.

Black Diamond Speckle Park will offer more than 30 of their quality bull genetics to the Australian beef industry.

"We're looking forward to getting to beef and having a ready-made audience of just beef producers and people who want to know about beef," he said.

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