Clifton Livestock Commission, 3199 HWY 6, Clifton, Texas, will host the 2015 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC) June 10-14. The 52nd annual WLAC will take place in conjunction with the Livestock Marketing Association’s (LMA) Annual Convention at the Waco Convention Center.

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 their ability to express that knowledge with clarity, in a live interview competition.

The interviews will be on Friday, June 12, at the Waco Convention Center. The interview competition can be viewed live on www.LMAauctions.com starting at 3:00 p.m. (CST).

The Saturday, June 13, auctioneering competition will be at Clifton Livestock Commission and is a live sale where the contestants sell cattle to actual bidders in the seats. The auctioneering competition will be streamed live beginning at 8:00 a.m. (CST) on www.LMAauctions.com and broadcast as a special, one-hour show on RFD-TV June 29, starting at 7:00 p.m. (CST).

Reigning World Livestock Auctioneer Champion, Blaine Lotz, will serve as event emcee. Many past world livestock auctioneer champions will attend this year’s contest and will each sell cattle during the Parade of Champions, the portion of the WLAC sale between the semi-finalist and finalist rounds.

The 31 contestants are Justin Abell, Sigourney, Iowa; Mitch Barthel, Perham, Minn.; Jeff Bynum, Attalla, Ala.; Leon Caselman, Long Lane, Mo.; Bill Cook, Huntley, Mont.; Brian Curless, Pittsfield, Ill.; Shannon Davis, Winnsboro, Texas; Justin Dodson, Welch, Okla.; Mike Godberson, Pawnee, Okla.; Brennin Jack, Prince Albert, Sask.; Garrett Jones, Los Banos, Calif.; Mark Lane, Russellville, Ala.; Wade Leist, Boyne City, Mich.; Brian Little, Wann, Okla.; Jacob Massey, Petersburg, Tenn.; Blake McDaniel, Tallassee, Ala.; Justin Mebane, Bakersfield, Calif.; Jared Miller, Leon, Iowa; Daniel Mitchell, Cumberland, Ohio; Brandon Neely, Southside, Ala.; Paul Ramirez, Tuscon, Ariz.; Travis Rogers, Westlock, Alberta; Jay Romine, Mt. Washington, Ky.; Duane Rus, Rock Valley, Iowa; Kevin Schow, Paxton, Neb.; Russele Sleep, Bedford, Iowa; Preston Smith, Imperial, Neb.; Robb Taylor, Perkins, Okla.; and Andy White, Ashland, Ohio.

The general public is welcome to attend the live auctioneering competition free of charge.

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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.