Β Β Β Β Β Β During his career, champion auctioneer and rodeo announcer Ward Cutler has sold β1.7 million head of cattle,β averages 60,000 to 70,000 km per year on Canada's highways and can't even estimate the distance he's travelled by air. He's also been referred to as what those in the auction world call βa champion of championsβ when he was named the first-ever Canadian Western Agribition Auctioneer Champion in 2011.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βThat was the first time I've competed since I won the Canadian Livestock Auctioneer Champion in 2005,β says Cutler. βAnd I was so honoured to win both. The field of auctioneers in 2005 in Ponoka was unreal and it's right in the heart of cattle country. I was very surprised and proud to win in Ponoka.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ In 2011, Cutler was invited by Marty Seymour, General Manager and CEO of Agribition to join four other top auctioneers to compete in the first-ever Winners Circle Auctioneering Competition in Regina.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βThere was a handful of elite guys and when I saw who was participating, I was very surprised to be named champion.βΒ
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Cutler has since returned to Agribition to judge the competition he won. The pioneering auctioneer was praised for his rhythm and chant, voice control and clarity, and professionalism, which are standard elements for auctioneers, whether they're being judged or doing the judging, according to Cutler.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ However, he says that although he attended auctioneer school in Strathmore, Alberta, βYou have to take what you learn and then, it's what you make of it.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βWhen I decided to quit high school, my father told me that I was either going back to school or going to work,β he says. βI've always had a passion for livestock, so I went to the local credit union, got a student loan and went to auctioneer school.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βIt was a two-week course and it was long hours and an amazing experience,β says Cutler. βThey teach you a pile of stuff in a very short period.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βThey teach you the basics, and really, after that, it's what you make of it.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βAfter I finished school, the Eaton family-who had Arcola Livestock Sales-called me and I hadn't even been home from school a week. They needed an auctioneer and I was very fortunate.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Since then, Cutler has βworked five days a week, for 21 years,β as an auctioneer and in the off season, as a rodeo announcer.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βCattle is my main thing,β he says. βIt's about 90 percent of what I do.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Cutler says that he doesn't βdo anything specialβ to rest his voice. βMy voice never really gets a chance to rest and I probably drink way too much coffee and not enough water,β he laughs.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Preparation before a sale varies according to circumstances, too. βDo I do anything to prepare myself before a sale? As a rule, no I do not. But I am a professional and my job is to get out there and get the best price for the seller.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βToday in Moose Jaw, I did two hours of prep before the sale. I'll typically go out and assess,Β talk to the sellers about their livestock and see what things should be highlighted.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Although he is now based in Virden, Manitoba-as owner of Cutler Livestock Auctions-Cutler credits his small-town Saskatchewan upbringing for much of his success.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βThat's the advantage of growing up in a community like Carlyle, Saskatchewan,β he says. βFor me, it allowed me to discover my passion for livestock, rodeo, auctioneering-everything I do today. For someone else, that might be completely different, but for me, it was those country roots and it's where you'll find some of the best people in the world.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Cutler says that he and his partner, Sarah aim to provide the same kind of upbringing for their family as they juggle the busy lives of working parents.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βSarah has just started managing a restaurant in Brandon-the Prairie Fire House-which only opened in December. We spend a lot of time in hockey rinks with the boys and they're also into rodeo,β says Cutler. βWe've got some bucking bulls and like my brother and I, they've been around it since they were born.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βI've been involved in rodeo my whole life competing and now, announcing. I've been announcing for about eight or nine years, now and I'm a huge fan of all of the events. I can't pick just one.βΒ
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ Like many rodeo cowboys, Cutler is also fully-sponsored, and says he appreciates the support of Brandon Chrysler Dodge, OK Tire in Swan River, Virden's Wildcat Oilfield Construction and Cinch Shirts and Jeans.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βI'm really fortunate in so many ways,β he says. βI'm able to combine the best of both worlds and make a living. There are always challenges-like weather that means people can't get to a sale, tough times in the cattle industry, fluctuations in the value of the U.S. and Canadian dollars-there are always things that can make my job tough.β
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βBut overall, it'd been great. I still get nervous before a sale, but if I don't get a few butterflies, it just means I'm not enjoying it as much as I should be.
ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ βAnd I'm still enjoying it all.β
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