CCC Freshman Blaine Lotz Wins Quarterfinal Qualifying for World Livestock Auctioneer Championship

By Morgan Hallock, CCC Student

January 23, 2012

Blaine Lotz.

CCC Freshman Blaine Lotz, of Edna, Kan. competed in Greeley, Colorado in his first ever auctioneering competition. Not only did Lotz compete, he dominated the competition and was crowned champion on Tuesday, January 18, 2012.  Lotz is a frehsman at CCC and is majoring in Agricultural Communications. 

At a very young age before Lotz could talk, he was humming the chant. Lotz would sit for hours at his play sale barn auctioning off toys. “I actually learned how to count, by counting cows at the feed bunk,” says Lotz.  His Grandpa, Charles Ross and Mom, Carla Lotz, were both seasoned auctioneers and they are the reason Blaine is so involved and faithful to this occupation. When Lotz's mom was in her prime, she was selling four to five days a week at different sale barns. 

It's been stated by Jim Akers, judge at the Quarterfinal, that Lotz maybe the best he’s ever heard. Lotz was completely overwhelmed by the compliment. “It's an unbelievable feeling, that I have a chanting style that is so different, yet people can understand it so well," said Lotz. "It still hasn’t sank in totally.”

Lotz talked about his start into auctioneering. “When I was 15, I went to Billings, Montana to auctioneer school; it was the summer of 2009, June to be specific," said Lotz. "There were about twenty kids in my class. This was where I perfected my unique chant and fine-tuned my fundamental skills. After I returned from Montana, I sold my first sale ever," continued Lotz. 

From the moment Lotz sold his first sale at the age of 15, he knew that this was what he wanted to do. Lotz is thankful for his Mom and Dad getting him involved in the industry, and making him aware of the endless opportunities that could be before him and how it could affect his life.

“I truly love it,” says Lotz.  Lotz is the primary auctioneer at Fredonia Livestock Market and sells weekly at the Coffeyville Livestock Market. 

The contest at Greeley is a qualifier contest for the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship to be held in Turlock, California in June 2012. To be able to attend this prestigious contest, a person has to be 18 years old and sell weekly at a Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) Livestock Market. The LMA only takes the top eight from four different qualifier contests to the World Competition plus the Canadian Champion. 

Lotz was the youngest by a long ways. “The next youngest one to me was probably 25," said Lotz. "And to get named the champion at the end of the day is amazing and fantastic."

The judges score the competitors on five main areas: bid catching ability, clarity of chant, exposition of the sale, would they make a good spokesman for the Livestock Marketing Industry, and would you hire them at your barn.