Two Queensland agents will travel to the Sydney Royal Easter Show to take a shot at claiming the Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association National Young Auctioneers Competition title on Friday.
Dustyn Fitzgerald, Queensland Rural, Charters Towers, and Simon Kinbacher, GDL, Rockhampton, claimed first and second respectively in the Queensland final back in August, landing themselves a ticket to the Australian level.
Mr Fitzgerald sells at the Charters Towers weekly prime and store cattle sales.
Growing up in south west Queensland, Mr Fitzgerald worked on stations across both Western Australia and the Northern Territory and completed a stint at Stanbroke feedlot in Chinchilla before moving to Charters Towers in 2021.
He was thrown into the world of auctioneering and started with a charity auction held in Greenvale.
"I had a crack and sold a few items," he said.
"There's a big difference from then to now.
"I then started selling in Mareeba to get warmed up, and once they thought I was right to start selling in Charters, they let me sink my teeth into it."
Mr Kinbacher will make his second appearance at the national final, previously competing in 2022.
He is no stranger to the livestock industry having grown up on his family's cattle property Garthowen in Biggenden.
After graduating high school he made the move to GDL Dalby where he worked for six months before taking up an opportunity with another agency based in Rockhampton. Simon rejoined the GDL family in 2022.
He said he'd keep fine tuning his skills at the weekly Gracemere sale in preparation for the big day.
"I'm excited to go down and have another go at it," he said.
The other national finalists are Michael Purtle, Purtle Plevey Agencies, Manilla, NSW, Justin Oakenfull, Elders Rural Services, Inverell, NSW, Harrison Cozens, Elders Rural Services, Albury, Vic, Ned Balharrie, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Ballarat, Vic, Jack Guy, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Bordertown, SA, Josh Pahl, SAL, Naracoorte, SA, and Austin Gerhardy, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Manjimup, WA.
