PRESS RELEASE
Public Auction Yards will host World Livestock Auctioneer Championship June 17
June 6, 2017
Public Auction Yards (PAYS), Billings, Mont., will host the 2017 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC) on Saturday, June 17. The 54th annual WLAC will take place in conjunction with the Livestock Marketing Association’s (LMA) Annual Convention in Billings.
For the World Livestock Auctioneer Champion title, 31 semi-finalist auctioneers will compete in live interview and auctioneering contests. Because of this important, high-profile role, each WLAC semi-finalist must establish their knowledge of the livestock marketing business, and demonstrate ability to express that knowledge with clarity, in a live interview competition.
The interviews will be on Friday, June 16, at the Northern Hotel. The interview competition can be viewed live on www.LMAauctions.com starting at 3:00 p.m. (MDT). The auctioneering competition will be at PAYS during a live sale where contestants will sell cattle to actual bidders in the seats. It will be streamed live beginning at 8:00 a.m. (MDT) on www.LMAauctions.com and broadcast as a special, one-hour show on RFD-TV June 26, starting at 6:00 p.m. (MDT).
Reigning World Livestock Auctioneer Champion, Andy White, will serve as event emcee. Many past World Livestock Auctioneer Champions will attend this year’s contest, and each will sell cattle during the Parade of Champions, a portion of the WLAC sale between the semi-finalist and finalist rounds.
Contestants who have qualified to compete are Mitch Barthel, Perham, Minn.; Neil Bouray, Webber, Kan.; Colton Brantly, Clovis, Calif.; Ab Carroll, Downeyville, Ontario; Leon Casselman, Long Lane, Mo.; Lance Cochran, Medford, Okla.; Brian Curless, Pittsfield, Ill.; Eric Drees, Nampa, Idaho; Will Epperly, Dunlap, Iowa; Phillip Gilstrap, Pendleton, S.C.; Mike Godberson, Pawnee, Okla.; Brandon Hamel, Damar, Kan.; Brennin Jack, Prince Albert, Sask.; Garrett Jones, Los Banos, Calif.; Dan Koupal, Dante, S.D.; Corey Lawrence, Thorsby, Alb.; Wade Leist, Boyne City, Mich.; Cody Lowderman, Macomb, Ill.; Jacob Massey, Petersburg, Tenn.; Blake McDaniel, Tallassee, Ala.; Brandon McLagan, Unionville, Mo.; Justin Mebane, Bakersfield, Calif.; Jared Miller, Leon, Iowa; Daniel Mitchell, Cumberland, Ohio; Lander Nicodemus, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Jay Romine, Mt. Washington, Ky.; Russele Sleep, Bedford, Iowa; Curtis Wetovick, Fullerton, Neb.; Tim Yoder, Montezuma, Ga.; Billy Younkin, Cecil, Ala.; and Zack Zumstein, Prairie, Idaho.
The general public may attend the auctioneering portion of the contest free of charge.
The 2017 LMA Annual Convention and WLAC is sponsored in part by the Meadowbrook Star Insurance Group, Cattlemen’s Beef Board, and the official animal health sponsor, Boehringer Ingelheim. More information about the events can be found at www.LMAweb.com.
About the Livestock Marketing Association
The Livestock Marketing Association (LMA), headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., is North America’s leading, national trade association dedicated to serving its members in the open and competitive auction method of marketing livestock. Founded in 1947, LMA has more than 800 member businesses across the U.S. and Canada and remains invested in both the livestock and livestock marketing industries through member support, education programs, policy representation and communication efforts.
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