Speckle Park are a natural chance find. In 1937 Mary Lindsay, daughter of a beef farmer in Saskatchewan, Canada, spotted a uniquely coloured heifer on her Dad’s farm and bought it. This heifer was a descendant of two ancient historic English breeds dating back to the 16th century, Teeswater Shorthorn and English White Park. The cattle grew quickly, were hardy and quiet natured.

In the early 1960’s the Lamonts of Saskatchewan bought some heifers from Mary and crossed their ‘Spotty cows’ with black Angus and named them ‘Speckle Park’.

History was made on 6 July 2006 when the Canadian Minister of Agriculture announced the ‘Speckle Park’ a distinct pure-bred. The first and only time a pure breed has been developed in Canada.

The Hawke’s Bay based Ryan family farm is a mixed horticulture and cattle finishing operation located on and around the Heretaunga Plains. Cattle are started on a mix of nearby hill country and then carefully finished on the family’s Turamoe Road home block just south of central Hastings.

The Turamoe Road block sits on lighter peat soils which grow an abundance of lush green pasture, so much so the family often refer to it during winter as the “grass factory”. The ability to finish cattle to a high standard consistently regardless of the variable weather conditions ensures consistency in the end product year-round.

The end product is what it’s all about with Speckle Park. The end product is far superior than other breeds we have previously finished on the home block. Achieving evenly spread marbling is the goal. It’s incredibly juicy, full flavoured but tender – it is a delightful product that we are very excited about. We know this breed has a great future as more people discover it, and all delivered efficiently off grass!