By KATHRYN BERMINGHAM
THE Victorian Livestock Exchange hosts many talented auctioneers, but it isn’t often that a world champion passes through.
Store cattle at the VLE were auctioned on Wednesday 26 August by Dan Skeels, a world renowned auctioneer from Alberta, Canada.
Mr Skeels is in Pakenham for the wedding of Anthony Delaney, an auctioneer with Rodwells who met Skeels when he travelled to Canada in 2010 for the Calgary Stampede – an international auctioneering contest.
In 2004, Mr Skeels won the Livestock Marketing Association World Championship, becoming the only Canadian ever to do so.
His wife Karen and children Mackenzie and Garren were also visiting.
Mr Skeels said there were marked differences between auctioneering in Australia and in Canada.
“If this was at home these cattle would all be pre-weighed by the pound, instead of selling them by the dollar we’d be selling so many cents a pound,” he said.
“As far as the actual selling aspect of it, here they call the number that they have, at home they call the number that we’re asking, so it’s more of an honour system here.”
He said a Canadian cattle shortage meant prices were much higher there.
“The cattle prices are totally different. Right now our prices are extremely high due to a shortage on cattle.
“So these steers that are getting $800, those steers would bring just about double that at home.”
