He had watched a sale by Ralph Wade, a previous world champion auctioneer, and that is what spurred on his desire to pursue a world champion title of his own. In June of this year, that childhood dream came true when he was named the 2022 World Livestock Auctioneer champion.
The World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC) is hosted each year during the Livestock Marketing Association’s (LMA) Annual Convention. This year was the 58th annual convention, held at the Shipshewana Auction and Trading Place in Shipshewana, IN. It was also the 12th time Epperly competed in this national event.
“I went into this contest this year knowing that it’s not in my control. I always thought that it was because of me that I lost, that I didn’t do this or that,” Epperly commented. “I understand that there are 15 different people from the qualifiers to the finals that I have to impress. If I learn to be myself and show them Will Epperly, then I found that I succeeded more in this contest as both an auctioneer and as a person.”
Each year, individuals from across the country go through different rounds, interviews and auction chants in an effort to receive the champion title. The different qualifiers are hosted across the country in the spring, and anyone who is competing must be currently employed at an auction yard.
According to Epperly, judging consists of bid-catching ability, clarity of chant, conduct of the sale, knowledge of the product and whether the auctioneer would be hired within the industry. This judging occurs during the qualifier rounds, and then the top 10 from each of the three qualifiers attend the WLAC in the summer.
The semifinal contains the interview round and hosts the top 10 candidates from each qualifier round. A champion will “have to speak with many different papers, radio stations, news stations, where you have to put yourself out there and represent not only yourself, but also the LMA, the cow-calf operator, the independent feeder and backgrounders,” Epperly said, which makes the interview critical.
This interview is 25% of the final score and is added to the final auction round. The auction round narrows down the final top 10 auctioneers who come in and sell 10 drives of cattle.
This historic contest also includes a champion banquet, a tradition special to the champions. After the announcement of the third and second runners-up, the moment comes that every finalist is waiting for. The static of the loudspeaker is heard, and the growing sound of the champion’s auction chant comes over the speaker for everyone present to hear.
“When I heard my chant come across the loudspeaker, I broke down in tears,” Epperly said. “It was one of the greatest moments of my life aside from marrying my wife and seeing my boy be born. It was such a magical thing.”
Epperly said, “My favorite part was always the friendships and connections I’ve made from this contest, and I would have to thank the contest for where I’m at today.”
This contest is special for all auctioneers across the country in the livestock industry. The agriculture industry is built on the connections and networks made, and this contest is no different, providing an avenue for those involved to build their personal network of friends, potential coworkers and mentors.
The list of individuals that Epperly looks up is a mile long. His grandfather was a great influence who Epperly tried to model his life after. “The list goes on and on of mentors and men that I’ve looked up to,” Epperly said.
Now that the champion title has been bestowed on Epperly, he realizes that he is someone who the younger generation is looking up to. “I tell a lot of those young people that you might want to be like me, but I challenge you to be better than me.”
The auctioneer is an important individual for every producer across the country, with the auctioneer’s words on the block affecting the producer’s paycheck. Epperly will spend the next year taking advantage of his title as an advocate for the industry. His next trip brings him to Washington, D.C., where he will speak with legislators, members of Congress and other political figures who make decisions affecting the industry.
“I’ll be on Capitol Hill hoping to influence them to help the agriculture sector and that we’re here to put a safe product on the table of the consumer at the end of it and the sacrifice that goes into it,” he said. He also said he hopes that he can bring about support from Congress for the industry.
Epperly said he is excited for the next year and honored by this award. His dedication to the contest and his career paid off, and he intends to give back to the industry that built him into the auctioneer he is today.
“What drives me every day is that I get to work with people who sacrifice their lives because they have a love for what they do and they have a pride in it, and that is what drives me every day to do my absolute best on that block for them,” Epperly said. This 2022 WLAC champion is prepared to continue doing his very best for livestock producers for years to come. — Chloй Fowler, WLJ correspondent
