The steady prattle of auctioneers on a closed circuit television is the only sound heard in the waiting room where Stetson-topped men await their turn in the Canadian Livestock Auctioneers championships.
Two rounds of auctioneering and hundreds of cattle later, Brad Stenberg of Kronau, Sask., emerged from the 23 male participants as champion. He earned a spot at the Calgary Stampede’s international livestock judging contest in July.
The June 8 competition at Saskatoon Livestock Sales was held in conjunction with the Livestock Markets Association of Canada annual meeting.
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Convention chair Mike Fleury said livestock calling is a specialty within auctioneering, which requires callers to maintain a quick sales pace and possess a keen understanding of the livestock business.
“At the end of the day, a judge asks ‘would I hire him, could I listen to him all day?’ ” said Fleury.
Competitors were assessed by six judges on rhythm, chant, clarity, voice control, overall impression and bid spotting.
Fleury said the competition allows auctioneers to compete and socialize and showcases the country’s top callers.
For the competitors, it’s a chance to get some exposure for themselves and their companies and tweak their techniques.
Participant Patrick Cassidy of the Olds, Alta., auction mart came to see the different styles of auctioneering.
The former carpenter began his career by taking a 10-day training course at the College of Auctioneering in Billings, Montana, where he recalled holding hands and singing songs.
“It feels a little silly the first few days,” he said.
“When you first start, it rattles you, you have to keep your wits about you,” said Cassidy.
Sweating slightly after completing his first round selling 10 drafts of cattle, Darren Lutz asked why anyone would want to do that to themselves.
From the 23 participants, 10 were chosen to advance to a second round of selling eight groups of animals.
Lutz, a cattle producer and rancher from Medicine Hat, Alta., said it’s important to relax and show some personality, but to keep the producers at the forefront.
“It’s their day to market and they get one shot at it and we want to do the best for them. They put their livelihood in our hands, that’s the game,” he said.
Learning to keep the animals moving through at a steady clip and keeping buyers from falling asleep are as important as catching the signals of seasoned buyers that range from winks to stares to waves.
“That’s the biggest thing, to get the most money out of the cattle,” Cassidy said.
Both men say it’s a tough business to get into if a person is not already part of an auction business.
The job is not nine to five, which suits Cassidy. It allows time for family and for rodeos, where he competes in calf roping and steer wrestling.
He stressed the importance of staying connected to livestock. Although the competition judged technical abilities, Cassidy said understanding cattle, the industry and markets are also essential skills.
At this year’s competition, the top five spots were filled by Stenberg, Chance Martin of Red Deer, Sheldon Nicholson of Yorkton, Sask., Clayton Hawreluik of Sheho, Sask., and Tim Dowler of Winnipeg.
Brennin Jack of Rama, Sask., picked up the rookie award, while Saskatoon Livestock Sales’s Frederick Bodnarus was judged the most congenial auctioneer.
