PRESS RELEASE
Jacob Massey named Champion at 2018 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship qualifier
November 14, 2017
Kansas City, Mo.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Kristen Parman
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(816) 645-5916
Jacob Massey named Champion at 2018 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship qualifier
Jacob Massey, Petersburg, Tenn., was named Champion at the 2018 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC) Midwest Regional Qualifying Event. The auctioneering contest was hosted by Paris Livestock Auction, Paris, Texas, and was the second of three regional qualifiers. A total of 21 contestants competed for a top 10 placing, granting them a spot in the 2018 WLAC at Bloomington Livestock Exchange in Bloomington, Wis., hosted by the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) in conjunction with LMA’s Annual Convention.
A two-time qualifying event champion, Massey started selling cattle at a young age and said that he picked up his chant from being around livestock sales. Massey’s father was also an auctioneer, and Massey said, “auctioneering came natural from being around Dad.”
Massey has been competing in the WLAC qualifying events off and on since 2010. He was named the 2017 Eastern Regional Qualifying Event Champion in Dickson, Tenn., as well as earned a place in the Top 10 of the WLAC finals in both 2016 and 2017.
Massey says that he enjoys competing in the WLAC contest because of comradery and learning what other auctioneers from across the nation do in order to improve his chant.
Winning his second qualifying event, Massey said,“All the stars lined up, I will be taking the momentum of this win with me for the contest next June.”
Massey was sponsored by Mid-South Livestock Center, LLC, Lebanon, Tenn.; Tennessee Livestock Producers, Fayetteville, Tenn.; and Tennessee Livestock Producers, Columbia, Tenn.
Also making a great showing was Reserve Champion, Philip Gilstrap of Pendleton, S.C., and Runner-up Champion, Russele Sleep, Bedford, Iowa. The Top Rookie award is given to the high-scoring first-time contestant, and Ed Leist, Boyne City, Mich., won the award. The following contestants completed the Top 10, and qualified for the 2018 WLAC: Colton Brantley, Modesto, Calif., Neil Bouray, Webber, Kan., Steve Goedert, Dillon, Mont., Brandon McLagan, Milan, Mo., Ethan Schuette, Washington, Kan., Justin Steward, Wyoming, Iowa, and Tim Yoder, Montezuma, Ga.
Each qualifying event is a live sale where the contestants auction cattle to actual bidders in the seats. Contestants are judged on the clarity of their auction chant; vocal quality; and their ability to catch bids and conduct the sale. Judges are livestock market owners and managers from across the United States. The 2018 WLAC Midwest Regional Qualifier judges were Stephen Bradley, Groesbeck Auction & Livestock Co., Groesbeck, Texas; Mike Cantrell, Holdenville Livestock Market, HLM, LLC, Holdenville, Okla.; John Cline, Manhattan Commission Co., Inc., Manhattan, Kan.; Cole Erb, Blackfoot Livestock Auction, Blackfoot, Idaho; and Danny Reynolds, Wythe County Livestock Exchange, Inc., Wytheville, Va.
Other contestants were: Jared Anstine, Holden, Mo., Leon Caselman, Long Lane, Mo., Brent Croom, Dyer, Tenn., Robert Crozier, Stilwell, Okla., Cody Hanold, Brighton, Ill., Bradley Jemelka, Yoakum, Texas, Ed Leist, Boyne City, Mich., Justin Mebane, Bakersfield, Calif., Patrick Prather, Richmond, Ky., Chas Tillman, Swink, Okla., and Marshal Tingle, Nicolasville, Ky.
About the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship
In June 1963, the Livestock Marketing Association held the first annual World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC) at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Denver, Colorado. The purpose: to spotlight North America’s top livestock auctioneers and to salute their traditionally important role in the competitive livestock marketing process. That year, 23 auctioneers from the United States and Canada sold the same 20 head of cattle over and over again.
The contest was held at hotels until 1967, when it traveled to its first LMA member market. Since then the WLAC has been held in conjunction with the LMA Marketing Industry Convention at member markets around the U.S. and Canada. Recent locations include California, Missouri, Montana, Tennessee, Kansas, South Dakota and Alberta, Canada.
Though the rules have changed, the enthusiasm for the competition hasn’t. On average each year, nearly 100 auctioneers enter the qualifying events and only 31 (10 from each qualifying event, one from the auctioneering competition at Calgary Stampede) are selected to compete in the WLAC. The championship consists of three stages: the regional qualifying events held at different markets around the country, followed by the semi-finals and the finals that are held each June in conjunction with the LMA Annual Convention. Contestants competing for the World Champion title must be 18 years old, employed as a livestock auctioneer and sponsored by a local auction market that shares in the favorable publicity generated by the winners.
LMA is proud to sponsor an event that brings together North America’s top livestock auctioneers in a competition that showcases professionalism and promotes the auction method of selling livestock.
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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