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For Immediate Release

September 17, 2009

8 contestants at Crawford Livestock Market’s Oct. 9 contest will qualify for LMA’s 2010 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship

     Crawford, Neb. – The “Super Bowl” of the livestock auctioneering profession, the 2010 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC), will be the next stop for eight auctioneers competing here Oct. 9.
     The Crawford Livestock Market is hosting 21 contestants in the second quarterfinal qualifying contest for the 2010 WLAC, to be held next June in Oklahoma City.
     Following the competition here, and at the other three qualifying contests, three winners – champion, reserve and runner-up champions – will be named.
    Those three, along with the next five highest-scoring contestants at each contest, will move on to the June Championship.
     The WLAC – next year will be the 47th annual – was created and is conducted by LMA, the national trade association for progressive marketing businesses like the Crawford market.
     Market owner Jack Hunter said the sale starts at 8 a.m., with the contest getting underway at noon.  For the sale, he expects “over 5,000 head of fancy, reputation spring calves, right off the ranch, with quality second to none.”
     The contest, he said, “is a good demonstration of true livestock price discovery, that you can only find through competitive marketing.”
     The contestants at Crawford are Jeremy Anstine, Holden, Mo.; Chris Arnaman, Hamilton, Mo.; Justin Banzhaf, Cambridge, Neb.; Ted Baum, O’Neill, Neb.; Nick Caspers, Wishek, N.D.;  Dan Clark, Winner, S.D.;
     Bill Cook, Huntley, Mont.; Will Epperly, Moneta, Va.; Tom Frey, Creston, Iowa; Ben Hoepker, Ericson, Neb.; Garrett Jones, Los Banos, Calif.; Lance Kinderknecht, Almena, Kan.; 
     Jason Lekin, Toledo, Iowa; Andrew McDowell, Vandalia, Ill.; Andy Mrnak, Bowman, N.D.; Jason Santomaso, Sterling, Colo.; Kevin Schow, Paxton, Neb.; Rick Shoemaker, Kearney, Neb.; 
     Russele Sleep, Bedford, Iowa; Preston Smith, Nunn, Colo.; and Shane Wolff, Golden Valley, N.D.
     Contestants must be at least 18 years old, and employed and sponsored by a livestock market. All the contests are actual sales, with buyers on the seats.
     Contest judges, all LMA members, score each contestant on vocal clarity and quality, bid-catching ability, conduct of the sale and personal expression.  The judges also ask, “Would I hire this auctioneer?”
     The other WLAC quarterfinals: Sept. 25 in Billings, Mont., Oct. 15 in Calhoun, Ga., and Dec. 2 in Parsons, Kan.
     LMA President Bobby Smith, Fairview, Okla., noted that the WLAC qualifying contests are held across the country.  “That helps us put the spotlight on the outstanding job markets all over the country do to promote and preserve the competitive livestock marketing system.”
     The contests also show the continuing importance of the auctioneer in the competitive marketing process, Smith said.
     The master of ceremonies at all the contests will be the reigning world champion, Ty Thompson, of Billings, Mont. He won his title last June in Fergus Falls, Minn.
     Hunter noted the contest will help celebrate his family’s 29th year operating the market, which has been serving area producers since 1934.
     The champion in each quarterfinal will receive a cash award and a custom-made belt buckle.  The reserve and runner-up champions in each of these contests are also awarded a custom belt buckle.
     The three titlists in the June WLAC – the world champion, reserve and runner-up world champions – receive thousands of dollars in cash and prizes.
     There is no charge to attend the contest at the Crawford market, located at 100 West Beach Street.
     The qualifying contests, and the WLAC, will be broadcast live at www.lmaauctions.com.