Black Hills to host LMA National Convention and Auctioneering Championship, June 17-20
Summer in the Black Hills of South Dakota is always chock-full of activities, and this June, the Livestock Marketing Association (LMA) National Convention and World Livestock Auctioneering Championship (WLAC) are among them. From June 17-20, market owners, auctioneers, and their families will flock to Deadwood and St. Onge to enjoy a weekend of camaraderie and competition.
Since 1963, the LMA has been showcasing the talents of elite auctioneers from the United States, Mexico, and Canada through their qualifier events and the WLAC. Throughout the year, three qualifiers are held throughout the country where the top 10 from each punch their ticket to the WLAC. The champion for the annual event in Calgary rounds out the qualifiers at 31.
These 31 contestants will vie for the coveted title of World Champion after a rigorous competition consisting of open interviews and a live auction. A panel of five judges, mostly market owners or dealers that are members of the LMA, is carefully chosen for each portion after nominations are made by Region Executives. Each contestant will complete the open interview and sell eight drafts of cattle during the live auction. From there, the Top 10 finalists will sell another ten drafts before a World Champion is crowned.
The LMA represents over 80 percent of all viable, regular selling livestock markets across the United States. Bryce Dibbern, a Region Executive for the LMA, believes the National Convention and WLAC play an important role in bringing market owners together to exchange ideas and showcasing the talents of auctioneers. To Dibbern, the Convention is not only an opportunity for market owners to learn new ideas to take to their home markets but is also a “refresher” for market owners as they connect with others in the same unique line of business.
Dibbern said, “It’s important for market owners to come to one central location to meet with others that do the same thing they do, day in and day out, and that’s representing their local producers and the cattle that they raise. It just kind of brings some new life into them when they go home.”
Each year, the Convention brings market owners together from Florida to California, Texas to North Dakota, and everywhere in between. Dibbern believes the camaraderie is second to none, saying those in attendance are “truly some of the best people you can interact with.” He said, “I always tell people if I can get a market owner to come to their very first WLAC and National Convention, most often, they typically do not miss one after that. It turns into a family vacation for many of [these market owners and their families.]”
The WLAC, too, plays an important role in promoting local markets and upholding the live auction tradition. Dibbern said these auctioneers “are representing these producers’ livelihoods. In a lot of cases, these producers get one or two checks a year, and that’s what keeps them going, so it’s important that you have a good quality, competent auctioneer, and this contest is just to showcase that talent and the importance of the auction method of selling livestock.”
As a Region Executive for the LMA, Dibbern sees firsthand the importance of ensuring that local markets stay relevant and viable, as their importance stretches far beyond just selling cattle for producers.
“These local markets are the lifeblood of the communities that they’re in. If you go to any given town, big or small, some of their best days for business in the community are sale days,” Dibbern said. Aside from stimulating the local economy, local markets also play an important role in supporting their communities.
“It doesn’t matter what town you go to that has a livestock market; they are always one of the first to support our youth– whether that be FFA, 4-H, rodeo. They’re always there to support the community and the youth.”
With so many successful markets across the United States, selecting a host market for the WLAC requires careful consideration. As markets that are members of the LMA inquire about hosting, they are put on a waiting list. From that list, the WLAC Committee, put together by market owners from across the country, determines which market would be the best fit for that year.
Dibbern believes that the Black Hills will be a great location for the WLAC and National Convention because it’s family-oriented, has great history and intrigue, and boasts countless activities for families, including a bus tour to Mount Rushmore and a tour of historic Deadwood, both hosted by the LMA. He also expects St. Onge Livestock to be a great host market for the WLAC. Dibbern said, “Justin and Brooke Tupper are going to do a fantastic job. They represent a lot of great producers who really care about this industry and produce some of the best cattle in the country.”
Justin and Brooke Tupper have owned St. Onge Livestock for 20 years. In that time, they have hosted a WLAC Qualifier and a Greater Midwest Auctioneering Championship, and now, they get to host the pinnacle of them all– the WLAC. Tupper said this opportunity has been in the works for the past several years and is thrilled that they were chosen as the host market for 2026.
He said, “[We] sure do think it’s an honor to be able to host the world auctioneer contest, and it should be a great event. It’s really exciting to be able to showcase it here in the Black Hills.”
Tupper, who has been a judge at two other auctioneering contests and is very familiar with the WLAC, is confident that St. Onge will be a great fit for the event. He said, “We just have really exceptional cattle, and we work for some of the most exceptional people. It’s going to be fun to showcase the cattle, our consignors, and of course, the 31 best auctioneers in the world.” Tupper believes the WLAC and National Convention always bring opportunities for new friendships to be forged and new knowledge to be gained.
The LMA National Convention kicks off at 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 17, at The Lodge in Deadwood, South Dakota, followed by full days of panels, meetings, and meals on Thursday and Friday. There will be a barbecue hosted by St. Onge Livestock on Thursday, June 18, at Spur Creek Saloon & Ranch in Newell, South Dakota, for consignors, buyers, contestants, and families.
On Saturday, June 20, the WLAC will take place at St. Onge Livestock, beginning at 8 a.m. Seating will be limited, but the event will be live streamed on the Livestock Marketing Association’s YouTube channel.
Dibbern said this year’s WLAC and National Convention is projected to be one of the largest to date. For a more complete schedule and lodging information and registration, visit lmaweb.com.
