By Tom Collins
CALGARY, AB— A mistake of calling out the wrong bidding card number on a winning bid cost an East-Central Ontario auctioneer a shot at the top 10 at the International Livestock Auctioneer Championship last month.
Ab Carroll of Ab Carroll Auctions at Omemee, 25 minutes west of Peterborough, was competing for the first time at the international competition, held in Alberta in July as part of the Calgary Stampede. On one of the winning bids, Carroll gave the bidding card number of the buyer next to the winner.
“It was kind of a brain fart moment, to be honest with you,” said Carroll. “It wasn’t my finest showing. There’s no doubt about that. I made some pretty basic mistakes.”
That mistake deducted points, and Carroll finished tied for 16th with 81.833 points. To finish in the top 10 and compete for first overall the next day, Carroll needed a score of 83.001. The first place prize of an entry into next year’s world livestock auctioneer championship in California and $10,000 — the largest prize money in the industry — went to Ryan Konynenbelt of Alberta.
Carroll was the only auctioneer of 36 entrants to come from Eastern Canada. Many of them came from Western Canada, while others came from the U.S., South Africa and Australia.
