UPSTATE LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE, LLC

2011 Livestock Marketing Industry Convention
& 48th World Livestock Auctioneer Championship
June 22-25, 2011

June 25, 2011

Taking top title in World Livestock Auctioneer Championship ‘something you always dream about,’ 2011 winner says

     WILLIAMSTON, S.C. --  Charly Cummings said that winning Livestock Marketing Association’s 2011 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC), following competition here at the Upstate Livestock Exchange, “was pretty overwhelming, something you always dream about.”
     And take it from this Yates Center, Kan., auctioneer who’s been in 4 WLACs: the competition from the other 32 contestants for the coveted title of world champion “was phenomenal, from top to bottom. There were 8-12 other guys I thought could have won.”
     But it was Cummings, 32, who claimed the victory June 25 at the 48th annual WLAC. His previous highest finish was last year, when he was named runner-up world champion, or third place.
     In 2008, he was named the Audrey K. Banks “Rookie of the Year.” The award and a $500 prize from LMA go to the highest-scoring first-time contestant in that year’s semi-finals.
     The award is named after a long-time LMA employee who worked on the WLAC for decades. This year’s winner was Jaxon Allen, Lewistown, Mont.
     This year’s reserve world champion is Justin Dodson, Welch, Okla., and the runner-up world champion is Dustin Focht, Stillwater, Okla.
     Cummings was sponsored by the market where he is a partner, Southeast Kansas Stockyards, LLC, Gas, Kan.
     During his year as world champion, he will go on the road for LMA, appearing at member livestock markets and at industry events. And that’s just fine with him.
     “I want to make many, many appearances at markets, promoting the auction method of livestock marketing, showcasing the role of the auctioneer and being a spokesman for this industry.  We need more spokesmen to talk about what we do,” he said.
     Dodson, this year’s reserve champion, was runner-up world champion in 2005. That means he has just one title – world champion – left to win.
     “I’m looking forward to that,” he said, “and if I’m lucky enough to win, I’ll be a hard man to hold down.”
    The veteran contestant has an impressive record.  This was his 12th time in the WLAC. In addition to the two titles, he’s been in the finals eight times.
     Dodson echoed Cummings’ evaluation of this year’s competition. It was “extremely tough. There were a lot of young guys (competing), and they are so much more advanced as auctioneers than I was at their age…at 41, I guess I’m one of the old guys.”
     Dodson was sponsored by Parsons Livestock Market, Inc., Parsons, Kan.; Anderson County Sales Company, Garnett, Kan., and South Coffeyville Stockyards, Inc., South Coffeyville, Okla.
     For Focht, 41, winning the runner-up champion title was his highest finish in nine years of competition – and when his name was called, “I was ecstatic.”
    Winning the world title “would mean a great deal to me from an educational standpoint. I would love to educate consumers, young people and every day folks who may not understand what livestock marketing is all about.”
     Focht said he currently talks to industry and student groups about livestock marketing, production issues and sales management, “and I think being world champion would give me a bigger platform…and open more doors” for that work.
     Focht’s sponsors were Woodward Livestock Auction, Inc., Woodward, Okla.; Cherokee Sales Co., LLC, Cherokee, Okla., and Anthony Livestock Sales Co., Anthony, Kan.
    The other seven finalists, in alphabetical order, were: Jaxon Allen, Lewistown, Mont.; Tye Casey, Plymouth, Ind.; Tom Frey, Creston, Iowa; Mike Nuss, Minatare, Neb.; Jay Romine, Mt. Washington, Ky.; Jason Santomaso, Sterling, Colo., and Russele Sleep, Bedford, Iowa.
     From LMA, Cummings received a $5,000 check, the Champion’s sculpture, a hand-tooled leather briefcase, a custom belt buckle from Gist Silversmiths and for his championship year, the use of a 2011 Ford F150 truck.
     He was also presented the custom-designed world champion’s ring, from the WLAC hosts, Upstate Livestock Exchange, LLC, and Martin & Martin Cattle, Inc.; the Golden Gavel award from the World Wide College of Auctioneering; and a James Reid, Ltd., money clip, from CattleUSA.com
     LMA presents the reserve champion and the runner-up champion with $2,000 and $1,000, respectively, along with a Gist knife and Gist belt buckles.  The finalists  also receive Gist buckles from LMA.
     The semi-finalists receive money clips from LMA, and from the WLAC hosts, custom hand-tooled leather Day Runners.