West Virginia Native is
Crowned World Livestock
Auctioneer Champion
Brandon Neely heard his first auctioneer as a young child and was so enthralled he determined then and
there that’s what he wanted to do for a living. So he began auctioning off his toys on the family’s farm in Berkeley
Springs, West Virginia, using his cousins as would-be buyers. By the age of 12 or 13, he was riding along to cattle
auctions a few days a week.
With years of play-auctioneering behind him, he got his first paying job as an auctioneer at the young age of
15. By his late teens, he impressed other professionals and, at 19, qualified for his first world championship in
auctioneering. After graduating from Berkeley Springs High School, young Neely moved south to Alabama to hone
his gift.
Now, at age 28, Neely is the reigning World Livestock Auctioneer champion, winning the title June 13, 2015 in
Clifton, Texas. The contest is sponsored by the Livestock Marketing Association. “My biggest dream has always
been to be a livestock champion auctioneer,” says Neely, who now lives in Southside, Alabama. “It’s a dream come
true for any livestock auctioneer to be crowned. There have only been 52 world champions in history, so it makes you
feel like you’ve accomplished your goals in life.” Neely is the first winner from Alabama to win the championship.
12 West Virginia Farm Bureau News