A budding 20-year-old auctioneer will represent Ararat in the finals of 2021's Victorian Young Auctioneers competition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Originally from Casterton, Alister Bright has been around the livestock industry all of his life - taking inspiration from his stock agent and auctioneer father.
Mr Bright will represent Nutrien Ararat at the Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association competition, in a pool of ten young auctioneers from across the state.
Auctioneering has been a family affair for Mr Bright, who said it was a career which he had always wanted to pursue.
"Dad is an auctioneer and I listened to him growing up," he said.
READ MORE:
"Mum and Dad would say when I was young, I would stand in front of the house and sell the grass. I would pretend to be like Dad."
A selection event was held in June, which saw 14 young auctioneers compete for 10 places in the final.
Participants spent two days at the Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association auctioneers school in Echuca, where they were coached by industry professionals and speech therapists.
They were then required to conduct a mock auction and were scored on their technique.
In September, the young auctioneers will travel to Pakenham, where they will conduct a real sale of three lots at a fat cattle market, from which judges will select one winner.
Meanwhile, Mr Bright sold his first lot in the past week. He said the experience was nerve wracking, but he was ultimately satisfied with the outcome.
OTHER NEWS:
"You get the first one out of the way. You know your buyers already, just trying to work out your stock, your values and what the market is doing at that point in time," he said.
"It is a pretty daunting thing. You have people's livelihoods in your hands with one clap.
"I have watched it for the last 10 or 12 years. So I am fairly used to it. I've seen the buyers for the past five or six years, they might help you out, they might not. That is the way it is - you've just have to sell that pen and then move on to the next pen."
He said it was important for an auctioneer to know their values.
"Projection and being very clear of where you are at with your price. Making sure at the last moment you know where your bid is if someone else wants to have a bid. Defining how much money you have got and where it is at the last second," he said.
"People out there watch their stock sell, so you want to get the best price for them. It is not just about you - it is about the vendor and the agency.
"If you get hammered, you just put your head back up and try again. You can't dwell over things that is for sure."
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from The Ararat Advertiser. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Ararat shire, sign up here.