Visitors to this year’s Borderway Agri Expo are being challenged to step into the rostrum and discover whether they have what it takes to be an auctioneer, with a brand-new Auctioneering Competition.
Taking place at Borderway Mart, Carlisle, on Friday 30th October, Borderway Agri Expo will provide the stage for the new competition, launched by Harrison & Hetherington (H&H) in association with the Livestock Auctioneers Association (LAA).
With an under-16 class aimed at encouraging the next generation, and an open class for anyone wanting to experience auctioneering first-hand, competitors will be challenged to sell three very different lots – one livestock item, one piece of machinery and a mystery item. Competitors must not be qualified auctioneers.
The competition will be judged by Chris Dodds, Executive Secretary of the LAA and Will Hamilton, H&H Chair, with competitors assessed on a range of auctioneering skills, including their introduction, selling ability, engagement with the audience and how effectively they bring each sale to a close.
Registration for the Auctioneering Competition will take place at Borderway Agri Expo from 9am until 11.30am on Friday 30th October, with the competition to begin in Borderway’s Ring 1 at approximately 12 noon.
As the UK’s largest autumn livestock event, Borderway Agri Expo provides an ideal platform to launch the competition to a UK-wide audience. The idea came from H&H auctioneer Joe Bowman, who wanted to introduce more people to the skills involved in auctioneering and encourage young people to see it as a potential career.
Joe said, “Auctioneering is a fantastic career, but perhaps not one that young people automatically think about when considering opportunities within agriculture.
“You can watch an auctioneer at work, but it is very different when you are the person in the rostrum. You have to think on your feet, engage with the people in front of you, spot the bids and keep the sale moving.
“Through the competition we want to give people the opportunity to experience what it is like to stand in the rostrum. Nobody needs any previous experience, and nobody is expecting a polished performance. It is about being prepared to stand up, take on the challenge and see how you get on.”
The Livestock Auctioneers Association (LAA) is supporting the competition, with prize money of £100 for first place, £75 for second and £50 for third in each class.
Christopher Dodds, Executive Secretary of the Livestock Auctioneers Association, said, “Auctioneers play an integral role within the livestock industry. The auction system provides farmers with an open and transparent marketplace, creating competition and helping livestock find its true value.
“For that system to continue to thrive, we need talented people coming into the profession. Auctioneering offers an exciting and varied career within agriculture, and initiatives such as this are a great way of putting the profession in front of the next generation.”
For H&H auctioneer Mark Richardson, an auctioneering competition more than 20 years ago proved to be the start of his own career. Having entered at the last minute and without any practice, Mark won the competition and impressed H&H to such an extent that he was contacted a few days later and offered a position as a trainee auctioneer. Mark subsequently completed his professional qualifications and has remained in the profession ever since.
Mark said, “When I entered, I had no idea that anything would come of it. A few days later David Thomlinson rang and offered me the opportunity to train as an auctioneer – and that phone call changed the direction of my career.
“More than 20 years later, I’m still doing it. So my advice is very simple: give it a go. You never know where it might lead.”
