IN a first for SA, a young Speckle Park bull has taken out an interbreed beef competition, winning at the Mannum Show on Sunday.
Eight-month-old Speckle Park bull Fish Creek Farm Thunderstruck, from Fish Creek Farm stud, Vic, impressed judge Carla Wiese-Smith in the junior judging, before the supreme win.
Fish Creek Farm owners Jason and Sarah Keays entered Thunderstruck on the advice of their fitter Vaughan Campagnolo, VPC Cattle Services, Woodside.
Thunderstruck is sired by Canadian bull Lacerta F156 – one of the breed's most well-known sires.
Entries doubled in the beef cattle section at Mannum Show this year, with 62 exhibits representing 12 studs from SA and Vic.
Show president Stephen Vivian said the big numbers were primarily driven by the large prize money on offer, as sponsors Thomas Foods International donated $500 in cash, while Coopers of Mount Torrens and Mount Barker and SA Limousin Youth also contributed.
Junior champion female was Limousin Maryvale Lassie, Kapunda, senior champion female was Simmental Lancaster Blanche, Meningie, and senior champion male was Square Meater Willows Rest Zorro, Springton. Most successful exhibitor was the Savannah stud, Woodside.
In the sheep section, CL&WL Wilson won champion Suffolk ram and ewe, champion White Suffolk ram and ewe went to the Grossman family, as did the Border Leicester ewe. The champion Romney Marsh ram and ewe were exhibited by LC&HB Brewer, while Helen Wright got the ribbon for the Border Leicester ram.
