Zeb Broadbent won the Australian Livestock & Property Agents Association’s (ALPA) Victorian Young Auctioneers Competition in front of packed stands at the Victorian Livestock Exchange, Pakenham today.
Mr Broadbent who took home the Graham Lanyon Shied, has spent the past year of his four in the livestock industry, working for McKean McGregor in Bendigo. He credited the company’s director Glenn Rea, who himself won the top Victorian young auctioneer title in 1994 and 1995, with mentoring him to build up his auctioneering skills and confidence.
It was the third time Mr Broadbent has entered the competition and he said he was not as nervous as in previous years.
As with the nine other competitors from across the State, Mr Broadbent called the sale of three pens, each with three commercial cattle sourced by local agents from local producers.
Before the competition, the cattle were judged by Mike Traynor, Breakout River Meats, Cowra, NSW, for the Royal Melbourne Show Prime Stock Competition. The ALPA Victorian Young Auctioneers Competition was held in conjunction with the Royal Melbourne Show and with the support of the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria.
The young men, all aged 25 years and under, were judged by three industry stewards – Joe O’Reilly of BR&C Agents in Swan Hill; Graeme McGillivray of Rodwells & Co in Sale; and Tim Robinson of Paulls & Scollard in Albury. They were evaluated on their voice, diction, valuation of presented stock and manner.
ALPA Victorian Auctioneers Committee member and previous ALPA national young auctioneer, Anthony Delaney of Rodwells & Co, Pakenham, said the level of competition was very strong at this year’s competition and the results were incredibly close.
It was the 25th year of the competition, and Mr Broadbent and runner up Nick Gray of Elders, Ararat, will go on to represent Victoria in the national competition that is held during the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
The winner of the national event then has the opportunity to sell at the International Young Auctioneers Competition at the Canadian Calgary Stampede.
The competition is a milestone in the education, including ALPA auctioneers schools, and continuing development opportunities the young agents have experienced.
Buyers of the well-presented European purebred and cross cattle included Coles and processors. Coles also bought the charity steer offered by the Seebeck family who has farms in Pakenham, Warragul and Shady Creek. Its representative paid $3600 for a Limousin steer that was about nine months old, with the proceeds going to Angel Flight, a charity that coordinates non-emergency flights to get people from regional or remote areas to medical providers.
The Marriott family of Monomeith also donated the proceeds of a steer they consigned to sell at the auction. As one in a pen of three, average weight 690 kilograms made 255c, the steer made $1552.50 for the same worthy cause.
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