Colorado FFA adds auctioneering CDE contest, camp

DENVER, CO., October 17, 2024 — Colorado FFA students may now add auctioneering to their Career Development Event lineup. The Colorado FFA Auctioneering CDE Camp and Contest at the National Western Meat and Greet in Denver on Nov. 13 is an opportunity for FFA students to learn auctioneering from a lineup of accomplished auctioneers.

Organizer Jess Nighswonger said when Colorado auctioneer Scott Schuman was the president of the National Auctioneers Association, he helped implement auctioneering as an SAE, a supervised agricultural experience, which allowed students to work in the auction industry for their FFA project. Last year, Oklahoma FFA introduced auctioneering as a contest and when Nighswonger became a director on the Colorado Auctioneers Association, he worked with Colorado FFA, Justin Kennedy, who owns the Oklahoma Auction School, to introduce the contest in Colorado.

“We’re extremely excited to kick this off with the camp and contest on Nov. 13,” he said. “We’ll have another contest in January and then the state finals will be at the FFA Convention in June.”

The camp will be at the Auction Arena at the Hall of Education at the National Western Complex from 10 to 3:30 with an auction contest at 5 p.m. The top four contestants, two from the advanced division and two from the beginner division, will qualify to sell at the Meat and Greet that night.

The instructors for the camp include Paul C. Behr, who owned the Worldwide College of Auctioneering for over 20 years; world champion auctioneer John Korrey; and incoming National Auction Association president Morgan Hopson, who was the National Auction Association’s 2019 international championship, and the 2019 Texas State Champion Auctioneer. The contest will be judged by auction industry experts as well.

FFA students will help students prepare for the CDE contest by developing and learning about chant, stage presence, clarity, professionalism, voice control, speed, effective auctioneering, accuracy, and salesmanship. 

Nighswonger said the interest in the camp and the CDE has been exciting and there are resources with preparation materials and information available for agriculture teachers.

The top 4 contestants (2 from the Advanced Division and 2 from the Beginners Division) will move on to sell at the Meat and Greet for the National Western Livestock Show that night. The camp is $75 and FFA students of all experience levels are welcome.

For more information on the camp, contact Justin Kennedy at (918) 470-9350 or Jess Nighswonger at (303) 362-3285.

Source: Rachel Gabel, The Fence Post Magazine and Western Ag Network