Shawn Madden was born in Lusk, WY, in 1954. Shawn was born into a livestock marketing family. Growing up, Shawn’s father, Joe Madden, owned and operated the sale barns in Lusk and Wheatland, WY. Shawn worked for Joe and got his start auctioneering at the Wheatland Sale Barn. Shawn attended Casper College where he participated on the rodeo and basketball teams. He then transferred to the University of Wyoming. After college he pursued a career in real estate.
In the early ’80s, in addition to real estate, Shawn continued the growth of Madden Brothers Auctions. Due to the economic conditions of the early 80s their auction business flourished. One of their first signature sales was selling out Del’s Yellow Hotel Brothel in Lusk, which was picked up on the wires on the UPI and AP nationally. In the late 80s Shawn and his brother, Lex, were employed by LW Maxfield at Torrington Livestock Markets and Auctioneers and Ringmen.
They were offered the opportunity to run their own facility at Stockman’s Livestock. They successfully ran Stockman’s until their merger with Torrington Livestock Markets in 1991, At which time they entered into partnership with Mike Maxfield and Oliver Dicken.
Shawn and Lex acquired sole propriety of Torrington Livestock Markets. Through their ownership they successfully marketed over 400,000 head by direct auction, video and country sales annually. Torrington Livestock Markets annually ranked in the top 10 of cattle marketed in the United States. Shawn competed and won the World Livestock Auctioneering Championship contest in 2001. To this day, Shawn, along with his brother, are the only brothers to have won the contest. Shawn enjoys spending time with his three daughters, Cassie Brandl (Jeremy), Emily Madden and Tawnee Madden and his Grandsons Madden (Jack) & Kellen Brandl.
Lex Madden was born in Lusk in 1957. Lex got his start auctioneering in Crawford, NE, and Edgemont, SD. Lex attended Chadron State College on a football scholarship and later transferred to the University of Wyoming. In the early 1980’s, Lex and Cody Thompson started Thompson/Madden Auctions later to be joined by his brother Shawn to become Madden Brothers Auctions.
Lex competed in and won the World Livestock Auctioneering Championship in 1998.
Lex remains the majority owner of Torrington Livestock Markets. Lex and his wife Jamie have three daughters, Lexie Prozinski (Chris), Addie Madden and Avery Ehler (Paxton) and two grandchildren Gracyn and Decker Prozinski. — Cattle Marketers Hall of Fame
