Speckle Park are Canadian! They had their beginning in Saskatchewan - a first and maybe one and only breed to be developed in Saskatchewan. Certainly one of only two or three breeds of cattle to have been developed in Canada. Where and when did they start?

In 1959, when Eileen and Bill Lamont of Maidstone, Saskatchewan, Canada, bought their first speckled heifer from Mary Lindsay of Greenstreet, Saskatchewan, they didn't realize the 'wheels they had set in motion'. The Lamonts were breeders of Appaloosa horses and Angus cattle and thought the cattle would go well with their herds.

Mary Lindsay had spotted a red roan heifer in her father's herd a few years before and because she was interested in unusual colors she bought the heifer. Regardless of the herd sire she bred the cow to it always produced calves with that color pattern. It is believed that the heifer was a descendent of a Teeswater Shorthorn and a bull which had the White Park colour pattern.

The Lamonts crossed their speckled cows with black Angus bulls. The resulting offspring came in a variety of color patterns, some white with black points, some leopard colored and some black sided with speckled hips, white top and underline and roan faces. The Lamonts grew very interested and decided to attempt to develop a new breed.

Interest in the cattle grew, not only with cattlemen but also the press. A trio of Speckle Park steers made the trip to the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto in 1972. They were featured in Case International Publications under a section on "Minority Breeds in Canada." Around 1983 Lloyd Pickard, a cattle promoter and Angus breeder, included a few pages about the Speckle Park in his book "100 Years of Angus in Canada."

The Lamonts chose the name Speckle Park for their cattle. In 1985 Speckle Park breeders representing nine different herds met to form The Speckle Park Breeders Association, later renamed The Canadian Speckle Park Association.

The aim was to breed and develop a middle of the road, medium sized, polled, good beef animal. Thus was born a phrase often attached to the breed "A Balanced Breed with A Color Bonus." The colour patterns of Speckle Park are distinctive and certainly catch one's eye. Their merits as beef cattle will ensure their sustainability as a distinct breed.

It was a giant step forward in 1993, when Agriculture Canada granted approval for the Canadian Speckle Park Association for the purpose developing Speckle Park cattle as an evolving breed. On Feb. 14, 1995, ministerial approval was granted for the Canadian Speckle Park Association's first set of by-laws.

The aim of the Association since its formation in 1985 was to someday become incorporated with Agriculture Canada as a 'distinct' breed. On July 6, 2006, the Canadian Speckle Park Association's Articles of Incorporation were amended to the effect that Speckle Park became a distinct breed of purebred cattle.