The competition at the 27th annual Canadian Livestock Auctioneer Championship in Maple Creek, Sask., hosted by Livestock Markets Association of Canada, was fast and furious, much like the rapid-fire chants of the 41 competitors from across the country vying for the title.
But the last man standing was second-generation auctioneer Dave Jacob as Grand Champion for 2026. Third time was the charm for Jacob competing in the event.
“My goal was to crack into the top 10 again, as I did a couple years ago. But from there, I just wanted to sell strong and represent the Ferraros and Brussels Livestock well,” says an elated Jacob in a phone interview.
“That was my main goal. Winning the LMAC is something that was one of those dreams that you have that I didn’t think I was going to accomplish. But it’s quite an honour, and I’m humbled and privileged to have won it. It’s really something.”
Following his father around the ring
Jacob owns and operates Jacob Auctions Ltd. out of Mitchell, Ont. His family owned 100 acres of land, which they primarily rented out, and Jacob grew up working on numerous farms. This experience introduced him to much of the inventory he would later auction throughout his career.
As a teenager, Jacob was introduced to auctioneering by his father and mentor, Doug, whose career in the profession spans nearly half a century.
“I grew up following my dad around, basically, since I could climb in the truck myself,” Jacob says.
“I was probably following them around by the time I was five or six years old, just carrying the sheets from the clerk to the office. Then you come up through the ranks. I kind of fell in love with the chant and the cadence with the crowd, and I was like… ‘I’m gonna do that.’”
This passion has taken Jacob to many auctions, ranging from farm equipment to estates and cattle.
Every lot is somebody’s retirement
As a cattle auctioneer, Jacob has been able to call out some historically high prices as of late. Whatever he is helping an agricultural producer sell, be it livestock, machinery, land, buildings or other possessions, Jacob takes the responsibility very seriously.
“It’s their entire lifetime on the line, and you’re responsible for their retirement plan in a way. You’ve got their whole line of equipment out ahead of you, and it’s your job to turn it over, make them the most money you can,” Jacob says.
“It’s the same when a rancher brings in their calf crop to the sale, and you got to work as hard as you can for that customer and get as many dollars as you can, because that’s their cash for the year.”
Every auctioneer has their own style to deliver those dollars. Jacob strives to be smooth and clear in his delivery, while being cognizant of his integrity, working hard for both seller and buyer alike in fairness.
For the Ontarian, in-depth research is essential, no matter the agricultural sector, to establish fair market value and guide bidding from start to finish.
“You want to keep the sale snappy, you want to make sure you get all the money, but you can’t drag it out too long, or it’ll kill your sale and momentum,” he says.
Jacob’s smooth and quicksilver-like delivery did not happen overnight. In all the competitions Jacob has entered, he picked up little things here and there, while practising in his truck or at home as much as he can — even if it drives his family crazy sometimes.
“I’ll be doing something, but I’ll just be selling, practising my numbers. I do it almost on autopilot, but the more you do it, any practice is good practice. It’s not real mic time … just keep doing what you’re doing, and it gets smoother.”
Counting down to the last name
Jacob works mostly in southwestern Ontario, but the auctioneers in the competition spanned the nation. Jacob is the fifth auctioneer from Ontario to win the Canadian championship.
Despite being from different provinces, competitors share a strong sense of camaraderie, supporting one another and leaning on each other for advice while developing their own unique styles.
Whatever the style, it must resonate with the judges as they look for product knowledge, along with mastery of your breathing and voice control as you deliver bids at full speed.
Top finishers were brought in front of a packed room in Medicine Hat, Alta., at the awards banquet. Competitors’ backs were to the stage as placings were counted down one at a time with videos of their cadences and chants.
Smiles emerged before the official name was mentioned, as fellow auctioneers recognized voices without needing to turn around to watch the video. They shook each other’s hands coupled with shoulder taps, as tension built into the top three remaining.
Nevertheless, that did not stop Jacob from catching a quick sneak peek at the screen, still needing to pinch himself that making national history was not a dream.
“I stood there and looked for a second because I couldn’t believe it was me,” says Jacob.
As the LMAC winner, Jacob was selected to compete at the International Livestock Auctioneer Championships during the Calgary Stampede in July. Competitors were judged on rhythm, clarity, voice control and livestock knowledge, as well as spotting bids and conducting a sale. Jacob was named one of the finalists of this prestigious competition, and as part of the championship round he was required to sell brand consignment cattle and one Black Box item.
Coming from a family lineage of half a century, Jacob sees no slowing down of live auctions. Participants at the 45th annual Livestock Markets Association of Canada Convention questioned whether live auctions could survive as online alternatives continued to gain popularity.
The new Canadian auctioneer champion sees room for both in the landscape of helping agricultural producers sell off their assets.
“I would agree there is definitely going to be a place for the live auction market and true price discovery in the auction ring,” Jacob says.
“I wouldn’t say we should shut out the benefits of the online presence, because you can open your market up, especially in the bred sector. You can really add a lot of bidders to a sale by having that option, but there’s definitely always going to be a solid live auction sector that the cattle market needs.”
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