We have a champion! Darcy Howard has won the NSW Young Auctioneers' final at Sydney Royal Easter Show.
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The delighted MCC Chudleigh Dobell agent was back at Forbes' Central West Livestock Exchange on Monday morning, ready to sell at the weekly cattle sale - and still grinning ear to ear about his experience.
Ten young auctioneers from across NSW were selected for the Sydney final, and an impressive three of those were from Forbes agents.
They had a busy few days, travelling to Sydney on Thursday with the Young Auctioneers dinner and charity auction on that night.
ALPA raised $60,000 for Melanoma and Skin Cancer Trails Limited through the night's auction, and Friday's finalists drew their sale positions.
Mr Howard drew number 10 and was last of the NSW agents to sell, but said on Monday he wouldn't change a thing.
"It was unreal, it was so enjoyable," he said.
Each finalist sold three steers in the arena, before the judging panel and industry.
"I was lucky enough I got three of Stuart Hobbs' steers from over at Molong, and he presented them very well which was great," Mr Howard said.
"It was just a great experience, the whole thing, it couldn't have worked out any better.
"It's an unbelievably humbling recognition, in front of the best in the industry up there in Sydney."
Jack Whitty and Ryan Brown from Kevin Miller, Whitty, Lennon and Co Forbes were also finalists, Mr Mr Howard credited their selling as well.
"I thought Jack and Ryan sold very well as well," Mr Howard said.
Mr Browne won a "thoroughly deserved" Max Bailey encouragement award for highly commended.
On Monday, it was back to business as usual.
"Back to reality, back to trying to do the best job you can for your clients at the saleyards," Mr Howard said.
He will now have the opportunity to represent NSW in the competition's national final at the 2025 Sydney Royal Easter Show - and the winner of that represents Australia at Calgary Stampede in Canada.
"That'd be pretty awesome," Mr Howard acknowledged.
Mr Howard was also a finalist in 2022 and that experience stood him in good stead when it came to meeting the expectations of the competition.
He thanked MCC Chudleigh Dobell principals Adam Chudleigh and Hugh Dobell for their support through the Young Auctioneers' competition.
"They've just supported me unbelievably in the last couple of years, I've got to thank them," Mr Howard said.
"There's no way I would have been in the position to win that competition without them, I feel very lucky."
Mr Chudleigh, who is on the regional advisory committee for the Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association, couldn't be prouder of the way Darcy presented on sale day in Sydney.
He too thought the competition was very tight, and congratulated Darcy on the way he controlled and flowed through his sale.
Monday's cattle sale was just getting under way when The Advocate visited, but Mr Howard said the market was a little bit brighter.
"The sheep and lamb and the cattle certainly improved through the start of this year but it probably hit a bit of a flat spot and got a bit cheaper," he said of recent weeks.
"Hopefully with the rain - (there's been) big rain in Queensland and also down through the Riverina and Victoria - it all looks quite positive for both the cattle and the lamb job.
"We've seen it a little better today with the cattle and hopefully the sheep and lamb will be a little bit better again tomorrow as well.
"Positivity in this industry is such an important thing and confidence in the industry and I think at the moment we've got a bit of that."
