Contestants gather in Stavely for auctioneer championship

By Rob Vogt
The best auctioneers in the world gathered in Stavely last week, vying to make it to the finals of the International Livestock Auctioneer Championship.
A total of 30 auctioneers from Australia, the United States and Canada took their turns selling 2,200 head of cattle at a sale at Foothills Auction in Stavely on Friday, July 12.
The event started with a grand entry of all competitors and dignitaries.
Singer and rancher George Canyon gave a rousing rendition of “O Canada”, then Brad Mason, chair of livestock competitions for the Calgary Stampede, welcomed contestants and wished them luck.
He also commended Rob Bergevin and his team at the Stavely auction market for hosting the event.
“Agriculture is a very important part of the Stampede’s history,” Mason said.
Chelsae Petrovic, MLA for Livingstone-Macleod, brought greetings from the province, joking it was rare for her to be somewhere that people talked faster than politicians trying to get policy passed.
She stressed how important the auction is.
“You connect our buyers and sellers,” she said.
Petrovic observed auctioning keeps the wheels of agriculture turning, as auctioneers get the best prices for the products on sale.
“You turn a simple sale into a thrilling event,” she said.
“You’re the heartbeat of our agricultural markets.”
Stavely Mayor Gentry Hall then outlined the value of the auction market to Stavely.
“This is a very important business in our town,” he said. “It’s been here a long time.”
“We really appreciate it.”
With that, Hall officially declared the 2024 International Livestock Auctioneer Championship open.
The panel of judges assessed each auctioneer a score based on: spotting bids; rhythm, clarity and voice control; appearance, mannerisms and deportment; repartee and timing; and livestock knowledge and the ability to conduct a sale.
The top 10 finishers at the preliminary round in Stavely advanced to the championship round at the Calgary Stampede on Saturday, July 13.
Results were not available at press time.