2023 LMA Annual Convention and World Livestock Auctioneer Championship

In June 1963, Livestock Marketing Association held the first annual World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC). The purpose: to spotlight North America’s top livestock auctioneers and to salute their traditionally important role in the competitive livestock marketing process. Auctioneers from the United States and Canada came to the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Denver, Colorado to show off their auctioneering talents. Twenty-three contestants sold the same 20 head of cattle over and over again. The contest was held at hotels until 1967, when it traveled to its first LMA member market. Since then the WLAC has been held at member markets around the U.S. and Canada. Recent locations include Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia. Though the rules have changed, the enthusiasm for the competition hasn’t. The largest number of entrants in the contest to date was in 1981 when LMA received 105 auctioneer entries.