PRESS RELEASE
Texas Auctioneer Awarded Top Honors
September 10, 2026
Comanche, Oklahoma
Texas Auctioneer Awarded Top Honors at World Livestock Auctioneer Championship Qualifier
COMANCHE, Okla. — After a 103-degree day of competitive bid-calling in southwestern Oklahoma, 10 auctioneers have advanced to the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship. The qualifiers, led by champion Troy Robinett, Decatur, Texas, will next compete in the semifinals, to be held at Cattlemen’s Livestock Market, Galt, Calif., in June.
No stranger to the winner’s circle, Robinett was named reserve champion at the 2026 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship in St. Onge, S.D. The graduate of the Missouri Auction School, has been competing in the event for five years. He said winning in Comanche was humbling — and extra special because it happened close to home and at a great market owned by good friends.
“I got to know Ben and Peyton Hale through the Livestock Marketing Association,” he explained. “To be able to come here to their market to work for their customers was a lot of fun. And getting to compete and win was icing on the cake.”
Robinett said the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship is a lot more than a contest, though.
“The camaraderie between these contestants is really something,” he said. “The willingness to help each other, the willingness to lift each other up, is not something you see every day. Having 26 other guys who want to see you be successful is really special.”
Among the 26 others, Brennin Jack, Virden, Manitoba, was named reserve champion and Andrew Sylvester, Westmoreland, Kan., was named runner-up. Corey Curtis, Royal, Neb., was the high scoring rookie.
Rounding out the top 10, in no order, were:
• Tyler Bell, Anderson, Texas
• Neil Bouray, Webber, Kan.
• Josh Jasper, Nicholasville, Ky.
• Tate Rainey, Sweetwater, Texas
• Ethan Schuette, Washington, Kan.
• Barrett Simon, Rosalia, Kan.
• Ben Weber, Warrensburg, Mo.
The contest, facilitated by Livestock Marketing Association, was hosted by Comanche Livestock Auction. World Livestock Auctioneer Championship Committee Chair Kyle Shobe, Lewiston, Mont., said the event delivered exactly what the championship is all about.
“The Hale family and their entire crew put on an incredibly run contest, and these auctioneers knocked it out of the park,” he said. “The competition is tougher than ever, and I can’t wait to see who ultimately comes out on top.”
A former world champion himself, Shobe knows how much that coveted title can shape an auctioneer’s career and future.
“There’s only one World Livestock Auctioneer Championship,” he said. “And there can only be one champion each year. It’s a priceless experience.”
There are still two more chances to qualify for the semifinals. Saluda Livestock Exchange, Saluda, S.C., will host an event Oct. 5. The final event will be held at Farmers Livestock Market, Oakdale, Calif., Oct. 24.
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.
