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Last Updated: Jun 27th, 2008 - 10:58:35 |
You can’t be in the audience at the 45th annual World Livestock Auctioneer Championship, to be held here June 28 at the Sioux Falls Regional Livestock (SFRL) market?
Don’t worry. Livestock Marketing Association, which created and conducts the contest, has two other ways the World Series of livestock auctioneering can be seen.
The entire contest, which starts about 8 a.m. (CT), will be broadcast live at lmaauctions.com , LMA’s online, real-time auction service. Currently, about 50 LMA members use the service to regularly broadcast their sales, selling an estimated 3.2 million head annually.
Viewers who log in on the 28th will see the 33 semi-finalists work an actual cattle sale, with buyers on the seats. Judges, who are market owners or professional livestock dealers, score each contestant on vocal clarity and quality, bid-catching ability and the ability to keep the sale moving.
The top 10 scorers then return for a final round of selling cattle, where the same judging criteria is used. The three titlists – world, reserve and runner-up champion – are named that evening at an awards banquet.
…As LMA announced earlier, RFD-TV ( rfdtv.com )will broadcast a one-hour special on the contest, premiering July 28, at 8 p.m. (ET). The first 24-hour TV network for rural America, RFD-TV is on cable systems in all 50 states. On the Dish Network, it’s channel 231, and on DirecTV, it’s channel 379.
The special will be a comprehensive look at the Championship, with a montage of the semi-finalists in action, then a closer look at the 10 finalists. Interviews with contestants, past champions, market owners and many others will be included.
This is the second consecutive year RFD-TV has broadcast a special on the WLAC. Last year’s program aired more than once, and LMA officials said additional broadcast dates will be announced later.
LMA President Jim Santomaso said, “The WLAC always attracts an overflow crowd to the host market. And we know there are people all over the country who love the sound of a good auctioneer, but who can’t be with us on the 28th.
“That’s why we’ve arranged these alternative ways to see the entire contest, or highlights of the big day. No matter how you watch, you’ll see competitive livestock marketing in action, and that’s the best way to get the best price.”
Brad Klostergaard, co-owner and vice president of SFRL, advised those who want to watch the contest in person, to “get here early for a good seat.” For those who don’t get a seat inside the market, there will be a live telecast for the overflow crowd, on the market grounds.
There is no charge to attend the contest.
Thirty-two of the semi-finalists qualified for the Worthing contest through four WLAC quarter-final competitions, conducted last fall and winter by LMA. The top eight scorers in each quarter-final qualify for the World Championship.
The WLAC traditionally gives a “bye” into the semi-finals to the International Auctioneer Champion, and he is the 33rd semi-finalist.
LMA is North America’s largest membership organization dedicated to supporting, representing and communicating with and for the entire livestock marketing sector.
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