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Behind The Block - The 2019 World Championships
BEHIND THE BLOCK THE 2019 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
BY CELESTE SETTRINI
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The 56th Annual World Livestock Auctioneers Championship was held at the Tulare County Salesyard in Tulare, CA this past June. Thirty one semi-finalists from across the United States and Canada gathered for the event held in conjunction with the Livestock Marketing Association annual convention. The entire event brimmed with excitement as the contestants, family and friends joined together to go through the process of selecting the new World Champion to succeed last years winner, Jarred Miller.
2019 World Champion Livestock Auctioneer Contestants at the opening of the contest.
Russelle Sleep of Bedford, Iowa was named the 2019 World Champion. Russelle accepted his silver and gold champion buckle along with numerous other prizes at the awards banquet at the conclusion of the convention. A very surprised Sleep was sure to thank his wife, family and all of those who have supported him along the way to get to the championship. Chuck Bradley from Rockford, Ala was the Reserve Champion and Will Epperly from Dunlap, Iowa was honored Runner - Up Champion. Rookie of the Year award went to Ryan Konynenbelt, Ft McLeod, Alberta.
Top ten finalists were Eric Drees, Nampa,, Idaho; Dean Edge, Rimbey, Alberta; Steve Goedert, Dillion, Montana; Brennin Jack, Prince Albert, Saskatoon ; Ryan Konynenbelt, Ft McLeod, Alberta; Wade Leist, Boyne City,Michigan ; and Jacob Massey, Peterbsurg, Tennessee.
Additional contestants included Neil Bouray, Webber, Kansas ; Colton Brantley, Modesto, California; Darren Carter, Ninety Six, South Carolina; Dakota Davis, Caldwell, Kansas; Brandon Frey, Creston, Iowa; Philip Gilstrap, Pendleton, South Carolina; Shane Hatch, Kirkland, New Mexico; Jim Hertzog, Butler, Missouri; Garrett Jones, Los Banos, California; Lynn Langvardt, Chapman, Kansas; Justin Mebane, Bakersfield, California; Jeremy Miller, Fairland, Oklahoma; Daniel Mitchell, Cumberland, Ohio; Christopher Pinard, Swainsboro, Georgia; Jay Romine, Mt Washington, Kentucky; Jim Settle, Arroyo Grande, California; Dustin Smith, Jay, Oklahoma; Curtis Wetovick, Fullerton, Nebraska; Tim Yoder, Montezuma, Georgia; Vern Yoder, Dundee, Ohio;and Zack Zumstein, Marsing, Idaho
Contestant Zack Zumstein and his son
You might wonder what it takes to be a world champion auctioneer. First of all you need to make it through a qualifying competition, once you make it you are on the road to the world champion competition. Qualifying competitions are held throughout the USA at various sale barns across the country in various regions. During the world finals you will be judged on live auction ability, taking into consideration presentation, chant and execution of sale. The interview portion focuses on presentation and response to industry questions. With over 5 million cattle in California and 35% of those being dairy cattle, dairy cows and heifers were the species of choice as the contestants sold not only by the pound but by the head. As livestock market owner and past world champion David Macedo shared “ if you are a world champion you should be able to sell anything.” That rang true for Russelle as he made his way through numerous drafts of cows and heifers before finishing up his run.
Numerous past World Champions were on hand to celebrate the contest and welcome a new auctioneer into the elite fraternity of champions. Colonel John Rodgers, 1986 World Champion, had this to say about the contest; “ I have been to many contests since 1968 and this may have been the closest competition I have ever seen. Indeed Russelle Sleep is a deserving winner and will make a great champion. Any one of the top finalists could have finished in the top 3 and the judges would have been correct in whomever they chose. David Macedo and his crew at the Tulare Salesyard conducted one of the best, well run contests I have ever seen.”
The World Livestock Auctioneer contest has been in existence since 1963 where the Livestock Marketing Association hosted the first ever contest at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Denver, Colorado. The purpose was to spotlight North America’s top livestock auctioneers and to salute their important role in the competitive livestock marketing process.. The contest was held at various hotels until 1967 , when it then traveled to its first LMA market. Since that time the World Livestock Auctioneers Contest has been held at member markets across America and Canada. Over the years rules may have changed a bit but the excitement has not.
The 2018 World Champ Jared Miller congratulates The 2019 World Champ, Russell Sleep.
The Livestock Marketing Association is North America’s largest membership organization dedicated to supporting, representing and communicating with and for the entire livestock marketing sector. With more than 800 member businesses across the USA and Canada. To find out more about LMA, to follow the World Champion and to find out about the 2020 competition visit www.LMAweb.com ~Thank you Livestock Marketing Association for detail particulars on this article.
