The powerful and balanced bull, Six Star Premier, lived up to its name by topping the first Royal Melbourne Show Speckle Park feature show.
With 89 animals enterred from 21 studs from throughout Victoria, NSW and Tasmania, it was said to be the largest showing of the breed ever in the world.
Judge David Bondfield, Palgrove stud, Dalveen, Queensland, awarded the supreme rosette to the two year-old bull, bred and exhibited by Greg Ebbeck and Tim Bell, Six Star Partnership, Glenquarry, NSW.
Six Star Premier was the first Speckle Park bull in the world to top an interbreed championship at a Royal Show, which it did at Canberra earlier this year.
Its sire, Six Star Rare Commodity, won supreme Speckle Park exhibit at the Sydney Royal Easter Show in 2014 and also sired the record-setting top-priced female, and the top-priced bull, at the Speckle park Specktacular Sale held after the breed judging on Saturday.
The supreme-winning bull weighed 922 kilograms and scanned 13 millimetres fat on the rump and 7mm on the rib, and an eye muscle area (EMA) of 118 square centimetres.
Mr Ebbeck said it combined all the things the team at Six Star Speckle Park stud focused on – great weight for age; exceptionally good feet and structure; and an “impeccable” temperament.
He said the bull also had an impressive EMA, lots of muscle and was free-moving.
“He’s got the bone to meat ratio we look for to consistently produce steers that dress out at 60 to 65 per cent,” Mr Ebbeck said.
Mr Ebbeck left Melbourne the day before it will again compete in an interbreed competition to do an embryo transfer program back at Glenquarry, which will include genetics from this bull.
“His first calves will be due in April,” Mr Ebbeck said.
“What I like about this bull it its shape of carcase; that butt-shape, loin-shape, that muscle expression to this bull,” Mr Bondfield said.
For the supreme exhibit, it beat the champion female – a June 2016-drop heifer from Denis and Theresa Roberts’ AAA Speckle Park stud, Greystanes, NSW.
Mr Bondfield said both animals vying for the supreme were “tremendous individuals”.
He said the heifer, AAA Fancy Pants M17 had the maturity pattern that indicated her sons would tick off breeding commercial progeny to fit the full range of Australia’s beef cattle markets.
“I really, really like the length of body, the carcase shape and design, the structure, the ease of movement and the all-over eye-catching phenotype in that young female.”
To get to contend the supreme title, the winning bull also beat the junior bull, also shown by Six Star.
“(They’re) two really good bulls, tremendous beef bulls and two bulls that I’m proud to have been able to judge and I hope the Speckle breed are proud to have these bulls within their ranks,” Mr Bondfield said, adding they both had had tremendous balance that showed they were structurally sound.
The junior champion bull was awarded to a March 2016-drop Fish Creek Farm Lightning, sired by SPKNZ Extreme E27. It weighed 724kg and scanned 97sqcm EMA with 11mm fat on the rump and 10mm on the rib.
Mr Bondfield said he was looking for cattle that provided market options with their growth, maturity pattern, carcase design, structural functionality and fertility.
Other champions included the senior champion female, a first-calf heifer bred and exhibited by Jack Nelson, Jackungah Speckle Park stud, Pine Lodge. The October 2014-drop Jackungah Koda K01 was by Riverina 82U Romney G306 (ET) and out of Six Star 50S Eileen D102 (ET).
Mr Bondfield she was another “outstanding” heifer who was raising a good calf. He said she had plenty of milk, nice udder design, clean front, beautiful top, lots of carcase and the right angle hip to pin.
The reserve junior champion female was exhibited by Van Der Drift & Sons Pty Ltd, Black Diamond Speckle Park stud, Macorna, for their Black Diamond Marry Me. It was born in late June 2016 and sired by Riverina 82U Azores H301 and out of a Starbank cow.
The reserve senior champion female was also out of the Black Diamond stud, for their Three Way Stands With Grace. Born on February. It was sired by Spots 'N Sprouts Stands Alone and out of a Three Way cow.
The reserve junior champion bull came out of the same class as the junior champion – bull 15 to 18 months. Mr Bondfield said the champion and the reserve were of a similar type. The reserve was exhibited by J&S Keays, Fish Creek Farm, Fish Creek. The bull, Fish Creek Farm Storm M1 was also sired by SPKNZ Extreme E27 and out of ASP 03M Lacey F160.
The reserve senior champion bull went to Rose Hill American Pie L21, exhibited by Alex Pateman and Natalie Merz, Rose Hill Speckle Park stud, Rylstone NSW. The August 2015 drop sire was by Rose Hill Vincent and out of Kahleatha Gunna Get U G9.