THE best young auctioneer in NSW was still on cloud nine yesterday after taking out the title on Thursday afternoon at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
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Blake O’Reilly, 20, a partner in Ray White Guyra/Armidale, spent the night after his win celebrating with friends, colleagues and family at the showground bar.
Andrew and Dayna Starr, Bruce and Prue Birch, Georgia Birch, Ben Johnson and Blake's parents, Mark and Paula O’Reilly from Kyogle, and his two sisters, Amanda and Olivia, helped Blake celebrate his big win in the statewide competition.
“I wasn’t confident I’d take it out going into the competition, but I did my best to keep the nerves down,” Blake said.
“I pretended I was just selling in the saleyards, so it must have worked.”
Blake said he had been among pretty good company in the competition and was blown away when announced the winner.
Winning the coveted John Weekes Memorial Shield, Blake faced stiff competition from other young auctioneers from Henty, Tenterfield, Scone, Armidale, Glen Innes, Bathurst, Wagga Wagga, Bathurst and Dubbo.
The runner-up, Tom Boyle of AGnVET Services in Henty, has also qualified for the 2016 national competition. Both the winner and runner-up will represent NSW. Chris Johnstone of Elders in Glen Innes won the Max Bailey Encouragement Award.
In previous years, the Tamworth region has produced plenty of young auctioneers, with then 23-year-old Joel Fleming taking out the young auctioneer title in 2012, winning the right to compete at the Calgary Stampede, like his predecessor, Tamworth’s Andrew Warden, did in 2011.
Auctioneering is a thrill for Blake, who left school in Year 10 to follow the family tradition started by his livestock agent father, Mark, who has a business at Kyogle, and starting on his selling career.
“I just love dealing with people and getting to know about their operations,” Blake said.
“And selling is always great.”
Next year Blake will compete in the national finals at the Sydney Royal, and, if successful, he’ll be spruiking up a storm with all the other cowboys at the Calgary Stampede in Canada.