Pinnacle Pocket stud, established in 2006 by Peter Spies, is the first registered Senepol stud established in the coastal tropics north of Rockhampton and only registered stud in Far North Queensland. Pinnacle Pocket breed fertile Senepol, Senepol composite and Senepol X Droughtmaster cattle well adapted to the conditions of tropical Australia.
The Pinnacle Pocket operation is based on the Atherton Tablelands, west of Cairns; at Glen Allyn, east of Malanda on the North Johnstone River. The Senepol and Senepol Composite herds are run on high rainfall country, east of Malanda, near Mt Bartle Frere, Queensland's highest mountain. It is here we apply selection pressure on our breeders for fertility and insect resistance with high tick and buffalo fly pressure.
The Pinnacle Pocket difference - our bulls are paddock-raised and not fed up for sale. We sell out of the paddock thereby lowering the cost to buyers. Southern Senepol seedstock operations cannot apply the same selection pressure in this environment, with our tick, buffalo fly, nutrition and tropical heat/humidity issues. Southern-bred cattle may not be adapted to the North Queensland Environment and can go backwards in condition or take significant time to adapt.
In producing cattle, we follow best-practice commercial husbandry including early weaning, controlled mating and pregnancy testing with cows having to produce a calf every year. Our branding rate is typically over 90%. All calves are raised from weaning, on the Tablelands, and the stud applies strong selection criteria to retained bulls and replacement heifers with emphasis on polledness, sheath, testicles, slick coat, fertility, temperament and structural correctness.
The stud has received some of the highest awards and commendations through the Far Northern Queensland show circuit since 2009, including Supreme Champion Beef exhibit Cairns show 2010 and Grand Champion bull at the Atherton, Malanda and Cairns Shows in 2011. Both Junior and Senior Bull, Grand Champion, and Supreme Champion bulls at Cairns and Atherton shows 2024; Junior Champion Heifer at Cairns show 2024 and Breeders groups at Cairns, Malanda and Atherton 2024.
Both stud and herd bulls are available for inspection throughout the year with the bulk of bulls rising two years of age in the spring/early summer of each year. We guarantee the fertility of our cattle - with most Pinnacle Pocket bulls being sold with a Bull Breeding Soundness Evaluation performed by a certified veterinarian. We are also a tested Pestivirus-free herd. Our cattle, bred for docility and fertility, are a pleasure to work with. Come and visit our herd for yourself!
Senepol Beef 2024 Success
Pinnacle Pocket has picked up some major wins at the recent Beef Australia 2024 event held in Rockhampton, despite it being the first outing for the operation in 13 years.
Mr Spies is understandably thrilled about winning the Senepol Grand Champion Female title, with Pinnacle Pocket SPKT30323, or “Winnie”, at the week-long event in Rockhampton which attracted more than 119,000 people through the gates. Judge Dario Baumgarten, a former Agriculture Minister and cattle breeder from Paraguay, awarded the heifer the highest award over a lovely senior cow with a calf at foot – something that surprised Mr Spies.
“I thought she was a lovely, correct, feminine heifer… but seldom does a junior heifer win over a senior cow,” he said.
The Pinnacle Pocket Stud also won the Exhibitors (Breeders) Group with “Winnie” and another beautiful heifer that Mr Spies described as “peas in a pod” and their 22-month-old Bull Pinnacle Pocket 141 “Manuka” who also won Reserve Champion Senior Bull.
“Whilst I am chuffed about the Grand Champion ribbon, winning the Breeders Group has me more pleased. It vindicates some of the tough decisions I have made by selling a core of Senepol females I bought down south in 2006-07 and selecting on fertility and starting from base droughtmaster cattle, which I used to breed over a decade ago, and using select Purebred Senepol bulls to drive fertility.
“In producing cattle, we follow best-practice commercial husbandry including early weaning, controlled mating and pregnancy testing, with cows having to produce a calf every year. Our branding rate is typically over 90%. All calves are raised from weaning on the Tablelands, and the stud applies strong selection criteria to retained bulls and replacement heifers with emphasis on polledness, sheath, testicles, slick coat, fertility, temprament and structural correctness.
“We have not shown cattle since 2011 but we will be showing at Malanda, Cairns and Atherton shows later this year and at the Tablelands better Beef Open Day."
“I must really commend Calvary Christian College in Townsville and Kellie Williams, from Kel-Lee Droughtmasters, who broke the cattle in initially and prepared them before going to the school in Townsville.”
Breeding fertile, tropically adapted, well muscled cattle that produce tender beef