Fast-talking auctioneers win big in Virden

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This article was published 29/05/2025 (267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Three auctioneers from Gladstone Auction Mart “fast-talked” their way into some impressive awards at the Livestock Markets Association of Canada (LMAC) 2025 Canadian Livestock Auctioneering Championships on May 9, at Heartland Livestock Services in Virden, Man.

Blaine Huston received the vote for the People’s Choice Award; Josh Unrau secured his spot in the top five for the interview portion of the competition, and Tyler Slawinski took home the Reserve Champion title. Thirty-nine auctioneers competed from across the country.

“It’s amazing to be chosen for the People’s Choice Award by the other contestants,” said Blaine Huston, manager at Gladstone Auction Mart, which oversees sales of 35,000 to 40,000 head of cattle annually.

“Being a manager, it just kind of puts an extra feather in your cap – it just shows all the hard work that you do trying to be that leader and a friendly outgoing guy pays off.”

Huston remembers that when he was a kid going to the cattle sales with his father and grandfather, it was the auctioneers who grabbed his attention.

“At around eight or 10 years old, I said: You know, I’m going to do that,” Huston said.

“When I was about 16, I reached out to one of the local guys that did farm sales and went to his house a few evenings and got some tips. I went to some of his farm sales and helped out there and that’s how I got my start.”

To prepare these days, Huston reads up on the markets and polishes his chant.

“I’ll do a lot when I’m driving down the road by myself. I’ll be “selling” fence posts or hydro poles to practice, trying to keep the chant clear.”

Huston says auctioneering is a great job.

“My passion for it would be what keeps me in it. I love doing what I do. I wake up every morning and I want to come to work and promote the cattle industry, and talk to my producers here around Gladstone. And right now, with high prices, it’s just so fun to sell this cattle. It seems like every week we can set records. I plan on doing it for many, many more years,” Huston said.

Tyler Slawinski, head auctioneer at Gladstone, also displays a passion for auctioneering bringing home the Reserve Champion award. He’s been competing at the national level since 2012 including at the Calgary Stampede and all over the United States.

“I am grateful to have made the top ten ever since I’ve started. If my knowledge stands correct, I’m the only Manitoba-born and raised livestock auctioneer that’s qualified and competed at the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship. So I’m pretty humbled about that. I take pride in my auctioneering and I hope to be a Canadian champion one day,” Slawinski said.

Slawinski has a high regard for the discipline of auctioneering.

“Well, it’s an art. You’ve got to have the so-called gift of the gab and the way I put it is you either have it or you don’t.”

Slawinski says you have to be clear and concise with a nice tone.

“Competitors are judged on clarity, voice control, chants, professionalism, confidence, calmness, enthusiasm, general impression and the personal interview,” Slawinski said.

“Not to mention you’ve got nerves to deal with.”

In his interview with the Sun, Slawinski said it’s great to “get into the zone and sell” and that training builds stamina for the work.

“To be able to do a four or five hour shift and then go and have a little break is nice. Obviously, you can’t be eating too much because you need all the room in your diaphragm for air capacity. You’re definitely not going to be having a cheeseburger with onions and fries!” Slawinski said.

“It is very similar to any kind of voice control like your professional singers and what have you.”

Slawinski also sees it as a valuable service to the cattle industry.

“When you compete, it challenges you to be as good as you can be and to constantly better yourself for the industry. If a person was to be crowned Canadian champion, obviously you’d want to bring that back home and use that to the best of your ability for the hard working people that you’re representing.

“Maybe one of these times I will be granted that title. That is one of my lifetime goals.”

For Josh Unrau, scoring high in the top five for the interview portion of the competition is a strong step up towards winning titles.

Unrau has been an auctioneer for more than five years and is new to competition. As for preparing, he tries to keep things in perspective.

“I mostly just try and pretend it’s another day at work and go do what we do every week,” Unrau said.

“For myself, I find that if I prepare too much, it just gets me wound up and too nervous.”

Unrau told the Sun that competition is a great experience.

“You can go and learn from some of the very best in the country – see what they do. They’re a good, good bunch of guys. Some of the past world champions will sit down beside you and offer you advice – you could maybe do better in this area or whatever, and in a positive way. You can kind of critique yourself and learn what you can do better,” he said.

Unrau too really enjoys the cattle industry.

“I’ve got cattle myself at home. I see the value in selling cattle by auction and I do enjoy the actual selling,” Unrau said. “There’s a lot of good people in the industry and lots of visiting and connections and networking.”

Unrau says industry knowledge is important for preparing for competition which includes brushing up on current events in the industry and knowing about the cattle.

“It’s just a great time in the cattle business. Our job has been a lot easier and more enjoyable in the last year or two where cattle prices are good. You can be the guy that puts a real big smile on the producer’s face when he comes to pick up his check because you’re marketing his cattle and you can achieve top dollar for him.”

Awards bring accolades, but Gladstone Auction manager Blaine Huston points to the real marker of success as an auctioneer.

“There are good qualities like a clear chant and good resonance, you know all that stuff is important,” Huston said.

“But I think more than that you need to have an auctioneer who’s trustworthy and that has integrity – someone that the buyers and sellers both trust.”

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