Pictou County man headed west for auctioneer competition
A Pictou County auctioneer will be talking the talk with some of the best in the business next month.
Scotsburn’s Tim Parker will be competing in the 2022 Canadian Livestock Auctioneering Championships in Lloydminster, Sask. May 5 to May 8. Parker will be representing Atlantic Stockyards from Truro at the event, hosted by the Livestock Markets Association of Canada.
Parker is no stranger to agriculture or auctioneering. He says he grew up on a dairy farm and had an uncle that was an auctioneer who introduced him to the skill.
Along the way, he’s picked up a few tricks of his own and went to an auctioneer school in 2005. But what he says has helped him most over the years is the advice he’s
gotten from other auctioneers, including a past LMAC champion Andy Carter of Amherst.
“He worked with me and got me to where I am today,” Parker said.
While Parker has done auctions for everything from estate to equipment sales, he said he always enjoys getting a chance to work at the cattle sales in Truro.
For him, it’s a way to stay connected to his farming roots.
“That’s where I came from and it means a lot to me,” he said.
Parker previously attended the auctioneer competition in 2019 and said it was a great time.
He said the focus of the event is on the marketing of cattle and everyone there is excellent to interact.
“It’s not only an auctioneer competition, it’s keeping everybody up to date on what’s going on in the industry.”
For the actual competition, auctioneers will be judged on various factors, including clarity, rhythm, speed and their ability to pick up bids in the stands.
It’s also important for an auctioneer to have knowledge of what they’re selling and an idea of what it’s worth.
While he hopes to perform well, he said he doesn’t expect to finish in top spot.
“I’m not going out there to win, but just to be a part of it. It’s a lot of fun and very interesting.”
As a past champion, Parker’s mentor Carter will actually be attending the event as well as a judge.
Carter has been auctioneering for 36 years and won the competition in 2008. He said it’s important for auctioneers to remember to be themselves and not imitate someone else’s style.
“If I’m out there judging or in the auction somewhere sitting in the seats and listening to somebody, you can tell them if that’s their natural way of selling or if they’re trying to do something to impress somebody.”
The panel of judges will watch for clarity and pronunciation and how the auctioneer interacts with the crowd.
“Everybody thinks that it’s all about speed and how fast can you sell the item,” Carter says. “Well, that’s not the case.”
From his past experience with Parker, Carter believes he can do well despite not having quite as much experience as some of the western competitors who sell cattle more regularly.
“Tim is a very personable gentleman. He can get along with anybody,” Carter said. “He can talk to the pope if he has to.”