Gene Klaft of Los Alamos, Calif., was named the Champion Cattlemen’s Auctioneer Wednesday at the Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show. Klaft, competing against other top auctioneers from across the country, won the first-time event known as the Cattlemen’s Championship Auctioneer Contest. The event was hosted by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Livestock Marketing Council (LMC).

The auctioneer contest was held in conjunction with NCBA’s PAC bull auction at the NCBA Trade Show. Auctioneers sold bulls and sale credit lots during the auction. All lots were donated by NCBA members, with proceeds benefiting NCBA’s Political Action Committee Fund (NCBA-PAC).

Klaft was sponsored by Templeton Livestock Market and Visalia Livestock Market, both of California. Reserve Champion Jay Romine of Mount Washington, Ky., was sponsored Blue Grass Stockyards, Lexington, Ky. Second Runner-up Joel Martin of Williamston, S.C., was sponsored by Martin & Martin Cattle Co., Inc., of Williamston, S.C.

Posted: 02|1|07 at 10:42 pm. Filed under: US News.