Manitoba man qualifies for World Livestock Auctioneer Championships

Brennin Jack of Virden, Man., is heading to the auctioneer world championship this summer in South Dakota.

If you’ve ever been concerned about speaking too fast, don’t be. Livestock auctioneer Brennin Jack has made a career out of it.

“I guess I always did. I knew I could do it, but when I started selling in public, I knew that I could do it and then just kind of honed my craft,” said Jack.

“People always said, ‘Oh, you’re good, you’re good, you’re good… You kind of start entering contests and doing well, then that’s when you know that you’ve got a little bit of rhythm behind you."

The 36-year-old Virden, Man. resident is headed to the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship (WLAC) this summer.

Jack, a branch manager at Heartland Livestock Services Virden, scored Runner-Up Champion (third place) in a recent qualifier this month in North Dakota. The event saw participants selling over 6,000 head of cattle to customers across North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming.

“There were about 30 auctioneers from across Canada, United States, and Mexico, both men and women competing to qualify to be one of the top 10 to qualify to go to the World Championships. It was a long contest. I was selected, actually tied for second, lost the tiebreaker, (then) got third, but it was a fun contest. The scores from this round don’t count to the World Championship. So, it’s a fresh start when we get to St. Onge, it’s certainly going to be fun,” said Jack.

This will be Jack’s 11th consecutive trip to the Championships. Participants will be vying for an array of prizes, including knives, a diamond ring, a pickup truck, cash, and the elusive title of world champion.

“The contest will start with an interview round where all 31 of us are sequestered in a room together. (They) take away our phones, our watches, our smartwatches, anything that could get the questions to us. We’re totally sequestered, and we go up one at a time in front of our peers and a room full of 300 people.

“They ask us the same three questions, and how we articulate the question and answer, our body language, and how we would be as a representative for the industry come into play in that score. 25 per cent of that interview score follows us to the next day, which is the live auction round, where we’ll sell 5,000, 6,000, 7,000 head of cattle for producers across South Dakota,” explained Jack.

“And 75 per cent of that score adds to our interview score, and that’s how they select the top 10 in the world.”

Throughout his career, Jack has placed among the top ten in the world on ten separate occasions - positioning him amongst auctioneering’s elite. But his success in the industry did not happen overnight. He first became interested in the field as a child.

“I started auctioneering when I was nine years old. I guess I was making the sounds before I could actually talk, and I was having little sales and stuff at home and with my parents and grandparents. I finally got enough courage when I was nine to sell my first horse. And the rest is history,” said Jack.

When he was 16, he took a three-day course and then started working as soon as he graduated high school.

“In 2008 is when I started working for the company I work for now. So I’ve been working for them for 18 years straight and had lots of opportunities when I was young, just straight out of school. They had me selling three to five days a week. It was opportunities that other people just don’t have the same chances at,” Jack said.

His first major title came soon after, and he’s continued to make a mark on the industry ever since.

“My first big win was in 2011. I won the Canadian Livestock Auctioneer Championship, and that same year, I won the most ‘Congenial Auctioneer’ at that deal. So that’s always a special award; I wore that buckle a long time. In 2014 I was Runner-Up World Champion, so I was in third place, and last year, in 2025, I was Reserve World Champion, so I was number two in the world,” Jack noted.

Now on the verge of heading to the WLAC, Jack says the reaction from Virden community members has been very supportive.

“You know, it’s amazing. Last year, the support (I received) from random customers that you wouldn’t think would even care that I was there. They were texting me throughout the day. They were congratulating me. They’re like, ‘Oh man, it was so awesome!’ These folks are taking time out of their day to watch the contest and cheer me on,” Jack noted.

Although some contenders would be frustrated by coming so close to clinching a victory on numerous occasions, Jack said he’s actually thankful he didn’t win earlier on in his career because it forced him to hone his skills.

“I’m actually grateful that I didn’t win in 2014… It’s driven me to get better, not only as an auctioneer, but as a marketer, as an ambassador and as a person, to really put yourself out there, learn different things and just grow,” Jack explained.

“So unfortunately, yeah, I didn’t win in 2014, and it sucks that I didn’t win in 2025. But guess what? The improvements that I’ve had to make to be able to be selected as that champion—it’s just amazing the gains that I’ve made over the years. So, I’m grateful that I haven’t been selected yet. But I know that that pickup truck is in my sight now, and it’s getting very, very close.”

The World Livestock Auctioneer Championship kicks off in St. Onge, South Dakota, on June 17.