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For Immediate Release

August 15, 2011

Creston Livestock Auction hosts World Livestock Auctioneer Champion Aug. 24; part of Frey family’s 12th anniversary celebration

     CRESTON, IOWA – Charly Cummings, winner of the 2011 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC), will be here Aug. 24 to help the Frey family celebrate their 12th anniversary operating the Creston Livestock Auction, 210 North Cherry.
     Cummings, of Yates Center, Kan., will put his title-winning talents to work at a special cattle sale, beginning at 11 a.m. Market owner Tom Frey said he expects 3,000 “quality feeder cattle” to go through the sales ring.
     Joining Cummings in selling the cattle will be Frey’s son, Brandon, who won the “Rookie of the Year” title at the 2011 International Livestock Auctioneer Championship (ILAC), held last month in Calgary, Alberta.
     His father won the ILAC in 2010.
     In addition, Tom Frey has been a frequent finalist in the annual WLAC, now in its 48th year. His highest finish was in 2010, when he won the reserve championship, or second place.
     Is there any chance Tom will take a turn in the auction block?  “Oh, I suppose I’ll have to get in there,” he said with a laugh. “I’m way too nervous to let them do all the work.”
     Cummings, 32, defeated 32 other contestants to win the 2011 WLAC in June, in Williamston, S.C.  It was his fourth time competing for the world title
     His previous highest finish was last year, when he was named runner-up world champion, or third place.  In 2008, he won the “Rookie of the Year” award, given to the first-time contestant with the highest score in that year’s semi-finals.
     The WLAC was created and is conducted by Livestock Marketing Association, the national trade association for progressive marketing businesses like the Creston Livestock Auction.
     Tom Frey said he invited Cummings to come to Creston “because Charly is a great auctioneer, a true professional and a great spokesman for our industry.
     “He’s also a talented example of the important role the livestock auctioneer continues to play in competitive livestock marketing – the method we proudly use for every sale we have,” he said.
     In addition to being an auctioneer, Cummings is a partner in Southeast Kansas Stockyards in Gas, Kan.
     During his year as champion, he will travel across the U.S., appearing at LMA member markets and at industry events. And that’s just fine with him.
     “I look forward to visiting many marketing businesses like the one here, spotlighting what they do for America’s independent livestock producers, day in and day out.”
     Cummings added that “It’s also a real honor to be part of the Frey family’s 12th anniversary. They have been, and continue to be, an important part of the Creston community, providing marketing services to thousands of producers every year.”
     There is no charge to attend the sale.
     Part of the anniversary festivities will be the market’s annual “Customer Appreciation Barbecue,” featuring a complimentary steak dinner, which will be served at 4 p.m.
     Tom Frey said he’s inviting “our friends and customers – and anyone who enjoys listening to a great auctioneer – to join us in welcoming Charly to Creston on the twenty-fourth.”