CUMBERLAND, Ohio — Ohio auctioneer Daniel Mitchell, of Cumberland, Ohio advanced to the 2024 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship semifinals after winning first place at the third and final qualifying rounds held in Paris, Kentucky on Nov. 16.
The Paris qualifying rounds were one of three qualifying events held across the country that selected 10 individuals to move on to the 2024 WLAC semifinals. At the Paris qualifying rounds, 37 contestants competed for one of the top 10 slots.
This year’s semifinals and finals are set to take place in June at the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. As Mitchell waits for June, he is grateful for the win and already looking to the next competition.
“It’s very humbling, especially with the amount of quality that was there. But also (I want) to take that momentum, hopefully, going into the finals,” Mitchell said.
Born and raised auctioneer
As a second-generation auctioneer, Mitchell practically has auctioneer blood pumping through his veins. Mitchell’s father became an auctioneer when he was only five years old, and oftentimes, Mitchell would accompany him to different auctions.
He eventually started auctioning at household state sales and farm auctions. As he continued to grow up, he was introduced to the livestock auction industry and, later on, began to host them.
“I grew up in the auction business which led to me really liking it a lot and following the footsteps of my dad. (He) went that way and I stayed right with it ever since,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell attended auction school in 2005, and following graduation, got his first auctioneer job selling produce. Shortly after, he got a job selling cattle at United Producers in Caldwell, Ohio.
Now, he sells cattle every Saturday at Jackson County Regional Livestock Market in Ripley, West Virginia, and sells cars two to three times a week in West Virginia and Columbus, Ohio.
Mitchell also enjoys competing in the WLAC.
Competitions
The first WLACs were held in June 1963 to spotlight North America’s top livestock auctioneers and to recognize their important role in the livestock market industry.
WLAC is made up of three stages: the qualifying event, semifinals and finals. The semifinals and finals are held jointly, every year in June.
Mitchell first started competing in the World Livestock Auctioneering Championships in 2012. Since then, he has qualified for the semifinals every year and has made it to the finals once.
The championships consist of an interview portion which then follows with an auction. The interview portion counts for 25% of a competitor’s score, while the auction counts for 75%. The interview consists of three questions, regarding anything from the Livestock Marking Association, the competitor’s background and the industry at large.
For the auction portion, the auctioneers pull a number from a jar, identifying the order the auctioneers will go in. Once it is their turn, they will sell eight drafts to bidders in a separate room away from the other contestants.
For the semifinals, 30 contestants will compete to make it into the top 10, who will then proceed to the finals. Mitchell is already preparing for the semifinals, particularly, when it comes to the interview portion.
Although he would like to take home the winning title, whether he wins or not does not matter. Mitchell is happy to be able to meet and learn from other auctioneers in his field, regardless of first place.
“We’re in the business to be the best we can, to learn, to educate yourself and to connect with other people in the business. There’s a lot of times that I can call friends that (are) across the country in the same business as I am and stick together — it’s (about) the friendships that we’ve made,” Mitchell said.
Other qualifiers. Neil Bouray, Webber, Kansas, was named runner-up at the Paris qualifying event. Completing the Top 10 and semi-finalist qualifiers for June are Andy Baumeister, Goldthwaite, Texas; Justin Dodson, Welch, Oklahoma; Jeremy Miller, Fairland, Oklahoma; Ben Morgan, Union, West Virginia; Ross Parks, New Concord, Ohio; Ethan Schuette, Washington, Kansas and Jeff Showalter, Broadway, Virginia. Kyle Nisly, Montezuma, Georgia, was named high score rookie.
(Reporter Liz Partsch can be reached at epartsch@farmanddairy.com or 330-337-3419.)
