FROM DUST TO DESTINY
By Dianna Malcolm
Few dairy breeders in Australia have tabled more achievements before deciding to host a sale than Tandara Genetics.
The Govett family’s 320-cow herd operates on 600 hectares at Dingee, in northern Victoria. It’s an even split between Brown Swiss and Holsteins, with a smattering of Jerseys. This year, the focus has been fully on its Brown Swiss exponents because Tandara is opening its gates for the first time for the highly anticipated Tandara Brown Swiss “Diamonds in the Dingee Dust” sale on Friday, March 6.
Buyer excitement is driven by the knowledge that no Brown Swiss breeding programme has come close to what Tandara has achieved in the last two decades. It has won the Premier Breeder (Brown Swiss) banner at International Dairy Week (IDW) 19 times and the IDW Premier Exhibitor banner 17 times. To earn the right to take home those banners, a team must bring consistency together with stand-out individuals. Tandara has done both – breeding and/or owning 10 IDW Brown Swiss Grand Champions in the last 12 years. Some of its highest profile individuals are included in this offering.
Ben Govett has championed the Brown Swiss breed for his entire career. Photo supplied.
Private and select sale individuals until now
Tandara has continued to push itself and its competition throughout, despite challenging farming conditions which would have broken many. It has sold some limited numbers privately or in select sales, including Shirleen Evans’ 2026 Grand Champion Brown Swiss, Tandara Dairystar Lola 99.
Established by Bill and Judy Govett, their son, Ben, now has the reins. He works hard at home, but he is also well travelled – and a regular visitor to the World Dairy Expo (WDE) in the United States – tapping into international families to run alongside Tandara’s deep maternal homebred lines. He graduated from the University of Melbourne with a degree in Animal Science, and he has used it as a foundation to run a profitable operation in one of the most challenging areas to dairy in Australia. Swiss have formed a vital part of that programme.
In this offering of 50 Brown Swiss, Tandara will sell 15 lots directly from IDW Championship winners, including seven lots from IDW Grand Champions. Young cows sell classified to Excellent and 14 sell from Excellent dams. Further to that, sale lots have records to close to 12,000 litres (with 427kg protein and 512kg of fat). Many lots are also backed by exceptional lifetime yields, peaking at 115,534 litres.
Tandara’s why
Ben appreciates they have waited a long time to market a group at auction, but he says it has been a curated journey.
“I finally felt the time was right, and there was a bit of pressure to do it coming from a few different avenues,” Ben said.
“We’ve had 10 or 12 years of decent success at IDW, the On-Farm challenges, two years at the Sydney Royal Easter Show [2021 Intermediate, Senior and Grand Champion Brown Swiss and in 2023 Junior, Senior and Grand Champion Brown Swiss – along with Premier Breeder of All Breeds] and good classification. We felt the time is right because there is also pretty good demand for Swiss at the moment – both from within the breed – and from other breeds. It’s time to recoup some of the investment I’ve made in showing, IVFing, and flushing.”
The highlight generating a lot of early heat is Lot 3 – and this year’s reigning IDW Intermediate Champion – Tandara Aldo Heidi 320 VG87. The three-year-old calved in October 2025, and her dam, Tandara ETVEI Heidi 217 EX90-2E (EX91 Mam) was the 2020 Grand and Champion Brown Swiss at IDW. It’s a powerful pedigree on top of an outstanding in-milk offering.
Ben admitted she would be the hardest to part with.
“I think just because we showed her dam at IDW 10 times and she was Grand Champion there. Plus, we love this young cow. That branch of the family has been successful, without being prolific, so we had to think about it.
“But we wanted to sell a young cow with the runs on the board who is ready to market, and who we believe under the right management is a potential future Grand Champion. You’ve got to sell your best and be confident you can breed another.”
Tandara Aldo Heidi 320 VG87 who is this year’s reigning IDW Intermediate Champion sells at Lot 3. Photo: Bradley Cullen.
“Swiss Made” the right way
Ben said the Holsteins infiltrating their herd was more a mark of balance than favouring one breed over the other.
“The Swiss and the Holsteins complement each other well with regard to size, management and style. They also keep each other honest. The Holsteins keep the Swiss honest for production and the Swiss keep the Holsteins honest for durability, temperament and longevity.
“Swiss cows amongst the Holsteins definitely also help with a calmness the breed has. They are natural leaders and people always love how they lead the cows home from pasture. The Swiss are also always a favourite amongst children, wives, and girlfriends, which helps encourage the next generation.”
For Dairy Livestock Services’ Ben Minogue, the opportunity to showcase Tandara’s sale was an easy decision.
“Tandara has put a lot into its breeding programme, and the family manages and promotes its genetics with precision,” Ben said. “Ben [Govett] has also never been afraid to sell his good ones – which is obvious in this catalogue – and we’re looking forward to a great day celebrating a quality offering of Brown Swiss genetics that everyone can get excited about.”
Ben Govett with his partner, Michaela Shrimpton, and their son, Cooper, after winning Grand Champion Brown Swiss at International Dairy Week in 2018 with Tandara Jolt Sarajevo 55. Sarajevo 55 was aged 11.5 years with seven calves to her credit that year. She had been Grand Champion Brown Swiss in 2015, Reserve in 2014, and Honourable Mention in 2017. Photo: Claire Swale.
There are terms available and the sale will be livestreamed on www.stocklive.com.au from noon on Friday, March 6.
For a catalogue or for more information, call Ben Govett on 0427 368 364, DLS’ Ben Minogue 0438 145 926, or auctioneer Brian Leslie OAM 0418 365 934