David and Vicky Wright might have grown up in another continent, but they have made their home milking cows well and truly at Naroghid near Camperdown.
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Initially from the UK, the couple first met when Vicky, who had studied agriculture at university, came across David on a farm — she did not come from a dairy background.
David was working in the dairy industry, and he knew there was no hope of him ever owning his own farm in the UK, so he had decided to immigrate to Australia.
“My goal was always to own my own farm, and I knew I would never be able to get the capital together in the UK for that dream.
“At that time, the banks were also not lending money to buy farms because of a BSE outbreak and deemed farming non-viable,” David said.
Vicky decided to join David and their journey to Australia and farm ownership began.
In 1999, they began managing in Australia.
In 2002, they began leasing a 123ha farm at Naroghid and Atlast Holsteins was established (they would go on to buy this farm in 2008).
At the time, the couple was so committed to their cows, they purchased three heifers at International Dairy Week, instead of having their planned honeymoon in Paris.
“We had looked at the catalogue, and we didn’t have a plan to actually buy any animals, but when these particular cows came out, we decided to go for it,” David said.
Those heifers were from the Trevilyan family’s Donnybrook Holsteins and included two Blackmagic daughters, Donnybrook Magic Ladylike 6th VG88 and Donnybrook Magic Kitty VG88.
The impulse purchases would go on to become the foundation of their herd with the Ladylike’s the most successful, producing three excellent daughters and many lifetime and STP award-winning descendants.
A Ladylike cow by Silvo was recently classified 90 2E after having her fifth calf.
“When we started on the farm in 2002 we lease/purchased the Holstein herd as well,” David said.
“They weren’t registered, so we put them through the appendix system.”
The couple spent the ensuing years correcting the herd and picking bulls to fix basic confirmation issues so they could have a herd of Holstein cows that not only looked good, but had longevity and were profitable.
“Like most people we like a functional cow, with open ribs, good feet and legs.
“It’s only been in the last few years after we have bred the extremes out of the herd, we feel like we can now start to pick bulls we like and not to fix a problem.”
Some homegrown favourites include the Sashas, Erins and Tess families.
Atlast VicKai Erin remains the all-time highest production cow at more than 100,000 litres in a lifetime.
She produced two excellent daughters, including local on-farm challenge winner Atlast Allen Erin.
David said they had never been able to afford embryo work, but sexed semen had worked well for them over the years.
Achieving master breed status has been a dream come true and a lifetime aspiration, particularly for David, who fell in love with the Holstein when he was farming in the UK.
“We came into farming in Australia on a shoestring,” he said.
“There is just the two of us, we don’t employ staff, so we have never been able to put a halter on a cow and head to a show, but we have participated in the on-farm challenge.”
David and Vicky have two children.
Oliver, who is currently studying at university in Melbourne, and Emily, who will be heading off to university next year.
Although their chosen paths are not dairy related, they have always helped out on the farm.
Atlast Holsteins has achieved 46 superior total performance awards and 23 lifetime production awards.
The couple milks 240 seasonal calving cows which are calved over the autumn months.
Anything not in-calf is usually carried over.
They run a pasture-based system and cut their own silage.
Their young stock are agisted on a 70ha block down the road.