About the Competition

Rules, Procedures & Entry

I. Contestant qualifications
II. Wlac qualifying events
III.  WLAC Semi-FInals
IV.  WLAC FInals
V.  PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION SALE
vi.  ADHERENCE TO cONTESTANT sCHEDULE 

The World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC) is conducted in four stages:

1. WLAC Qualifying Events

2. WLAC Semi-Finals Interview Competition

3. WLAC Semi-Finals Competition

4. WLAC Finals Competition

I.  CONTESTANT QUALIFICATIONS
To qualify for competition at any stage of the WLAC, each entrant must complete a 2013 WLAC Entry Form, be a livestock auctioneer, at least 18 years of age, employed by at least one traditional fixed facility livestock auction market and must not have sold at the 2013 WLAC Host market – Montgomery Stockyards – after January 1, 2013.

Each contestant must be sponsored by and include the contact information of at least one traditional fixed facility livestock auction market willing to vouch for his/her status as a livestock auctioneer (the 2013 host market may not sponsor any contestants). WLAC Qualifying Event hosts may not sponsor a contestant for their own event and entrants must not have sold at the WLAC Qualifying Event host within 6 months of the event date.

The WLAC Committee reserves the right to at anytime request proof of employment as a livestock auctioneer such as a 1099 tax reporting form or to conduct a background check regarding felony convictions with the entrant’s participation in the championship to be reviewed at that time.

Click here for ONLINE ENTRY or click here for a PRINTABLE ENTRY FORM

II.  WLAC Qualifying Events
The WLAC Qualifying Events will be held in three locations balanced regionally across the LMA Membership. The top 10 auctioneers from each 2013 WLAC Qualifying Event, meeting all entry criteria, shall be immediately qualified for the 2013 WLAC Semi-Finals. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd highest scoring contestants from each of the WLAC Qualifying Event shall also be named Champion, Reserve and Runner-Up.

Contestants are allowed to compete in up to two WLAC Qualifying Events. Contestants competing in two WLAC Qualifying Events may only qualify for the WLAC Semi-Finals from one. After qualifying, contestants are ineligible for entry at any other WLAC Qualifying Event during the same contest year.

For each of the WLAC Qualifying Events, five judges will be selected to score contestants based on clarity of chant and voice quality, bid catching ability, conduct of the sale, would this auctioneer make a good spokesperson? and would the judge hire this auctioneer?. The judges will be made up of LMA members and all efforts are taken to select judges that are balanced geographically throughout the LMA membership. All five judge’s scores will be combined for a total possible 500 points. In the event of a tie, the scores from the judging criteria, in the following order, will break the tie: “Would you hire this auctioneer?”, “Would this auctioneer make a good spokesperson?”, bid catching, execution of the sale, and clarity of chant/voice quality.

A $100 entry fee per WLAC Qualifying Event will be required upon registration. If an entry fee is paid for 2 WLAC Qualifying Events and the contestant qualifies for the Semi-Finals at the first event the additional $100 will be paid toward their remaining Semi-Finalist entry fee. If a contestant enters a WLAC Qualifying Event and is unable to attend, advance notice of cancellation must be given to LMA in order to receive a refund. Contestants must complete and submit a WLAC entry form along with payment of $100 per WLAC Qualifying Event.

Completed entry forms and payment in full must be received at the offices of Livestock Marketing Association by 4:00 p.m. (CDST) on the business day assigned as a deadline for each event. No entries will be accepted past the posted deadlines.

Click here for ONLINE Entry or Click here for a PRINTABLE ENTRY FORM

III.  WLAC Semi-Finals – RULES
The WLAC Semi-Finals competition is composed of two parts, the interview and live auction and will feature the 30 contestants qualified from the WLAC Qualifying Events and the reigning International Auctioneer Champion if he/she meets all of the above contestant qualifications and submits the semi-finalist entry forms and fee of $400. Completed entry forms and payment in full must be received at the offices of Livestock Marketing Association by 4:00 p.m. (CDST) on the business day assigned as a deadline.  No entries will be accepted past the posted deadlines.

A.  Judges
Five judges will be selected from the LMA membership to score the live auction competition. These 5 judges will not be allowed to watch or participate in the interview event. Five separate judges will be selected for the interview competition consisting of the chairmen of each of the LMA committees (WLAC, Government and Industry Affairs and Membership Services) with the final 2 slots filled by allied industry or ag media representatives. All judges will continue to undergo a strict qualification process, checking for conflicts of interest and overall qualifications as a judge. If a chairperson is not eligible as a judge, the alternate would be selected from that chairperson’s committee or as determined by the WLAC Committee.

B.  Interview
The interviews are held in front of a live audience and the reigning Champion will ask each Semi-Finalist the same three questions. The questions are determined by a selection committee consisting of the current LMA President, Vice President, Chairman of the Board, WLAC Committee Chairman, Government and Industry Affairs Committee Chairman and the LMA CEO and Vice President of Membership Services. If any member of this selection committee has a perceived bias towards a contestant they will be excused from the selection process.

The judging criteria for the interview will be personal presentation, clarity with which the individual expresses him/her self, and knowledge of the livestock industry. The interview will account for 25% of the Semi-Finalist score.

C. Live Auction
The 33 Semi-Finalists will sell eight drafts of livestock (traditionally cattle) during a live sale at the host market. The live auction judges will score each contestant based on clarity of chant and voice quality, bid catching ability, conduct of the sale, and would the judge hire this auctioneer? The live auction will account for 75% of the Semi-Finalist score.

Ten Finalists will be selected from the Semi-Finals based on the combined score of interview and live auction.

IV.  WLAC Finals – RULES
The original Semi-Finalist interview score of the 10 Finalists will carry over to the Finals and account for 25% of the Finalist score. The Finalists will not be interviewed again.

Following a short break after completion of the Semi-Finals, Finalists will draw for order and return to the block to sell 10 drafts of livestock (traditionally cattle). The same set of live auction judges as in the Semi-Final round will score the 10 individuals based on clarity of chant and voice quality, bid catching ability, conduct of the sale, and would the judge hire this auctioneer? The live auction portion will account for 75% of the Finalist score. The Semi-Final live auction score will hold no basis after the Finals competition has begun.

V.  Participation in the Competition Sale
No WLAC Committee Member, Judge or Contestant may bid on livestock during the WLAC event at which they are participating.

VI.  Adherence to Contestant Schedules
A schedule of events will be provided to all participating contestants prior to the WLAC events. For those events marked as REQUIRED ATTENDANCE, no exceptions will be made and contestants must be in attendance at the start time posted. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN AN AUTOMATIC DEDUCTION OF POINTS OR DISQUALIFICATION. This is reviewable by the WLAC Committee for instances outside the contestants control.

For more information and to enter this year’s WLAC Qualifying Events please visit http://www.lmaweb.com or call the LMA office at 1-800-821-2048.