Peterborough-area auctioneer Ab Carroll took home the national livestock auctioneer award last month.
The 23-year-old, a regular in Ontario’s competitive auction scene, travelled a mere 2,400 km to compete in Whitewood, Sask. last month at the livestock marketing industry’s big event of the year. After facing off against 34 competitors from across the country, Carroll didn’t think he had pulled it off.
“Competition was stiff. There are some guys from the west who can rattle on pretty good,” said Carroll, who is from Omemee, a small town west of Peterborough. Also competing at the May 12 event were two other Ontario auctioneers: Billy Haalstra and Kevin McCarter. Carroll picked an auctioneer out of Alberta, Kyle Soderberg, as the winner.
At midnight, the winner was finally announced. “I definitely didn’t expect to win,” Carroll said. “That was a real surprise.”
Carroll took home a bronze bust of an auctioneer, a custom belt buckle, a custom-made ring, had his entry free to the Calgary Stampede covered, received $1,000 to get to the Stampede, and got the use of a 20 ft. livestock trailer, with his name emblazoned on the side, for a year.
Carroll has criss-crossed the province and crossed borders to compete. Last year he qualified for the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship in the United States, finishing as a semifinalist. He will be competing at the international competition again in June. Earlier this year Carroll won the 2018 Ontario Auctioneer Championship at Bowman Auctions at . He burst onto the scene at Finch, Ontario, in 2015, winning the first auctioneer contest at the International Plowing Match.
