Full clearance and bulls to four states at JAD Speckle Park

In the breakdown, all 36 bulls sold to a $27,000 top to average $9843. One lot was passed in but sold before the completion of the auction.

The 14 pregnancy-tested-in-calf stud heifers sold to an $11,000 top to average $7357; four pens of PTIC commercial heifers sold to $3200 to average $2469; and six lots of five semen straws sold to $425 to average $263 per straw.

The top-priced bull, JAD Tax Man T274, was catalogued as lot 35 but was brought forward to be offered first.

He was purchased by return clients, Benbullen Speckle Park, Boisdale, Vic.

The 17-month-old, leptin TT bull, by Maungahina Promise and out of Ravenworth Aspen 320H, ranked in the top 10 per cent of the breed for carcase weight at +31.

He weighed 672 kilograms and scanned 16 millimetres rump fat, 9mm rib, 112 square centimetre eye muscle area and 6.5 per cent intramuscular fat, with an average daily gain of 1.2kg.

Benbullen also paid $6000 for the PTIC stud heifer, JAD N263 Amy T178.

Nicky Reeves and Lashay Tricker of Benbullen first bought commercial heifers from JAD in 2017.

The grassfed operation ran 150 commercial cows with calves along with a small stud of about 50 head, Ms Tricker said.

They were particularly interested in the bull for his leptin TT trait, which would influence eating quality and could increase the speed they finished animals, she said.

"We've changed our focus a bit - we own a brewery with a restaurant in it," she said.

"We've moved to growing out steers now and putting them through the restaurant, sitting on an on-site butcher shop.

"We're getting into boxed beef and will hopefully get the breed into a few different restaurants around Victoria."

Ms Reeves said their first involvement with Speckle Parks was eating the meat. The eating quality was point of difference was behind their decision to get started with the breed, she said.

"It's taken 10 years to get our restaurant going and get to where we want to be with the beef," she said.

"The eating quality of the breed is what we really want to showcase. We really want to share that with people.

"We've really gone from being market takers to trying to create our own market."

Minnamurra Speckle Park, Coolah, paid the second top price of $19,000 for the 19-month-old JAD Tambourine Man T76, 819kg, by Maungahina Northern Star and out of JAD L260 Spots a Roarin R73.

Tambourine Man ranked in the top 1pc for carcase weight, 400- and 600-day weight, along with the top 5pc for 200-day weight and the top 10pc for EMA.

He scanned 124sq cm EMA, 6.2pc IMF, and 11mm and 8mm over the rump and rib.

The stud also paid $13,000 for JAD Tobruk T16.

By Spots 'n Sprouts Stands Alone and out of JAD 58Y Unique N4, the 20-month-old weighed 759kg and ranked in the top 10pc for 200-day weight and retail beef yield.

Big Star Speckle Park, Hillston, paid $18,000 for JAD Toucan T106, 18 months, by Maungahina Nikko and out of Waratah Amy P127.

The 713kg bull scanned 15mm and 8mm over the rump and rib, respectively, along with 115sq cm EMA and 6.7pc IMF.

He ranked in the top 5pc of the breed for scrotal size, measuring 39cm.

Volume buyers included Mathew and Kylie Buchanan of MAK Agriculture Pty Ltd, Gulgong, who bought four bulls to average $11,750.

Their draft included the $17,000 JAD Tellstar T83, by JAD Quistacat Q48 and out of Argenta 54Z Amanda R04, and the $16,000 JAD Toronto T17, by Maungahina Nikko and out of JAD 61Y fancy Free N66.

Mr Buchanan said they bought their property eight months ago and were in the process of upgrading all the fencing to develop their own Speckle Park stud. They were aiming to have their first sale in 2026, he said.

Ms Buchanan said they were chasing bulls and females with proven bloodlines and good figures.

"We're just looking at that structure and straight legs," she said.

"There's not much between them when you walk out there - that consistency is what we want in our own program."

Ms Buchanan said they purchased females from the JAD female sale in September - just one week after buying their property.

"We hadn't even settled - that will tell you our confidence in the JAD program," she said.

"We didn't even have an acre to put them on."

The temperament and doing-ability was what drew them to the breed, and the fact that butchers were increasingly seeking the meat, she said.

The couple also purchased six PTIC stud heifers, paying to an equal top of $10,000 to average $8333, and paid the top and second top prices for two packages of five semen straws, both from Maungahino Nikko, paying $425 and $375 per straw.

Other sales included Burrunah Pty Ltd, Mudgee, who paid $16,000 for JAD Tempo T86, by Maungahina Promise and out of JAD 103C Lightning Lady R90.

Burranah also purchased the top pen of commercial heifers, paying $3200 a head for a pen of six first-cross Speckle Park/Angus heifers averaging 493kg. The July 2022-drop heifers were by JAD Napoleon N31 and PTIC to Minnamurra Montezuma M25.

Gillawarrin Ag, Trangie, paid $14,000 for JAD Thor T92, another Maungahina Northern Star/JAD L260 Spots a Roarin R73 cross.

Montreal Partnership, Cooma, bought three bulls to a $12,000 top to average $8500, while AC and TL Watts, Manildra, paid $11,000 and $10,000 for their two bulls.

Baramein Pastoral, Kyeamba, paid to $10,000 and averaged $7333 across its draft of three bulls.

Alinjarra Speckle Park, Hernani, bought the top-priced stud heifer in JAD N263 Unique T198, by Maungahine Northern Star and out of JAD L260 Unique Q42.

The 18-month-old, 443kg, was PTIC to Whiteline Sergeant S166 and ranked in the top 1pc for IMF.

Stud principals Amy and Justin Dickens said it was a great result, with the top-priced bull selling as well as they expected.

"He's a very rare dataset with phenotype to match," Mr Dickens said.

"It was solid all the way through, the bulls were very even, and the prices reflected that.

"It's all building... we're more bullish and positive about this breed than what we ever have been."

They noted the support of their long-term return buyers along with some new clients, with buyers spanning from Queensland down to South Australia.

Bowyer and Livermore conducted the sale with Brian Leslie, Dairy Livestock Services, the guest auctioneer. AuctionsPlus provided the online interface.