In Manitoba, Brennin Jack is perhaps best known as the branch manager at Heartland Livestock Services in Virden.
This year, he’s getting another chance to add “world champion livestock auctioneer” to his resume.
Jack is headed to the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship, presented by the Livestock Marketing Association, following a qualifying event held Jan. 6 at Bowman in southwestern North Dakota. Jack placed as a runner-up (third place).
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It’s “pretty much the biggest title a person can have in our industry. It’s the Super Bowl or the Stanley Cup of auctioneering,” he said.
“It’s something I’ve been after for a long time.”
WHY IT MATTERS: Brennin Jack oversees one of Manitoba’s major livestock auctions in Virden.
This year’s world championships will be held at St. Onge, South Dakota, about 25 km northwest of Sturgis. The competition closes out the association’s annual convention June 17-20.
“Being crowned world champion is not just being the same-sounding auctioneer that day. That person goes and represents the entire industry for a year, promoting true price discovery and promoting what we do as livestock marketers,” Jack said.
The competition, which dates back to 1963, according to the Livestock Marketing Association website, was started “to spotlight North America’s top livestock auctioneers and to salute their traditionally important role in the competitive livestock marketing process.”
Winners in 2026 get a pickup truck, cash prize, diamond ring and trophy buckle, to say nothing of the bragging rights.
Making the grade
Jack and other competitors sold just under 6,000 head of cattle during the Jan. 6 qualifier.
“It was just a regular sale, and we got up there and sold, and the judges scored us on our knowledge of the industry, on our rhythm and chant, as well as how we conducted the sale,” he said.
That’s on top of a judged interview, which counts for 25 per cent of their overall score.
Ten auctioneers, including Jack, were selected to advance to the Worlds. Thirty contestants will compete at the final competition in June.
Past honours
Jack has a long history in the auctioneering world.
Jack started working full time as an auctioneer in 2009 in Saskatchewan, facing down five sales a week in various locations across the eastern half of that province.
“I happened to have a lot of good opportunities, and I’ve worked for the same company for coming on 20 years,” he said. “To be able to get that much practice and be able to hone my skill at such a young age made me be able to get past auctioneers that maybe had more experience or more time at the microphone, because it’s all I ever did,” he said.
His accolades include a Canadian championship. At 22, he won the Calgary Stampede’s international livestock auctioneer competition. He has placed as a reserve world champion and as runner-up world champion in past World Livestock Auctioneer Championship.
This will be Jack’s 11th trip to the world championship event. He’s placed in the top 10 the last 10 times he has attended.
What it takes to be an auctioneer
To be a good auctioneer, Jack notes, you need to know your product. You must have a great cadence and be personable. You must build enthusiasm to generate higher prices.
“You need to have a good handle on what the value of the item is that you’re selling and be somebody that can be in control of the sale,” he said.
In his mind, the auction method is true price discovery in action.
Jack took a few classes in auctioneering in 2007-2008. Mostly, though, he’s learned on the job.
“I took little bits and pieces from people over the years and made it into my own way of doing things,” he said.
One of the best things about auctioneering, in Jack’s mind, is the people. He also appreciates how much a good auctioneer can drive the sale and how an auctioneer’s conduct can weigh on final value. An auctioneer has a major impact on the business, as well as on the livelihoods of the producers who bring their animals to sell.
“It’s a really fascinating job,” he said.
There is pressure though: long days, stress and the need to be at the top of your game every day.
“It’s something that I’m very grateful that I get the opportunity to do,” he said.
Moving up the company ladder
Since becoming a market manager, Jack doesn’t do as many sales. He’s busy running the branch.
“Instead of selling 150, I maybe sell 50,” he said.
He has a world-class auctioneer who works for him in Virden. Still, Jack keeps his hand in the game, with a lot of horse sales and bison sales with his own company, Jack Auction Group and Farm Sales.
