Lanesboro prepares for auctioneer championship
By Heather Thorstensen
Agri News
Date Modified: 01/29/2010 4:06 PM
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LANESBORO, Minn. — The Lanesboro Sales Commission is sprucing up their sales barn.
Nearly 30 auctioneers will converge there Jan. 30 for the Greater Midwest Livestock Auctioneer Championship. The contest starts at 9 a.m. and 400 sale catalogs will be printed for the expected crowd.
"It's gonna be a lot of fun," said Joe Nelson, the auction site's owner. "We're looking forward to it."
Murt Boyum, a Lanesboro auctioneer, sent invitations to just about every sale barn in the nation to spread the word about the contest. Professionals from Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin will compete.
Boyum said the purpose is to promote auctioneering.
"It shows what we feel is the best way to merchandise the cattle. And I think it's true price discovery," he said. "You obtain your highest dollar by selling them the auction way. And it's a way for the auctioneers to have a little fun in the contest among their peers, show off their wares a little bit."
The top prize is $1,500 in cash and a championship belt buckle. Second place gets $750 and a belt buckle and third place receives $350 and a belt buckle.
They will be judged during a cattle auction. Up to 2,500 head are expected to be consigned by local producers for the sale.
Competitors will draw for sale order and sell six drafts in the preliminary round. Each lot may be different, from a small consignment to a big load.
"It could be anything," said Al Wessel of Long Prairie, the Minnesota member on the contest's board of directors and co-owner of Mid-American Auction Company.
A panel of five judges will evaluate the auctioneers' initial command, proper use of the microphone, voice clarity, salesmanship, poise and expedition of sale, among other things.
"I think a lot of it will be: Would the judge hire the particular auctioneer?" said Wessel.
Minnesotans stepping up to judge are Tom Webster of Zumbrota and Ron Gehling from Preston. They will be joined by judges from Iowa: Don Prilipp from Algona, Dave Breitsprecher of Decorah and Jan Cooper of Dike.
The top 10 auctioneers in the preliminary round will receive plaques and move on to the final round. In random sale order, they'll each sell 10 drafts. Then, the top three winners will be named.
"Anybody can come watch," Boyum said. "I realize we're a little bit short on space but the more, the merrier. It's an awful good line up of feeder cattle."
People can also watch the auction live on www.CattleUSA.com.
"Being associated with the contest, I think it keeps you sharp. (I) always want to do better for folks that hire me," said Wessel, who won the contest in 2000, the last time it was hosted in Minnesota. It rotates each year between sites in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
"It was an amazing feat," he said.
This contest dates back to 1989, when it was known as the Tri-State Livestock Auctioneer Contest and designed for professionals in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. So many people were interested in the contest that organizers expanded it in its second year so people from any state could enter.
Tony Heinze of Heinze Auction Company in North Dakota helped get the inaugural event going and is still on the board.
"We thought it would go three years but now it's in its 21st year," he said.
He's looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting some new ones in Lanesboro.
"We get together and we've made a lot of friendships. I've learned a lot of things from other auctioneers and going to the contest," he said.