LIFESTYLES
WEEKEND, OCTOBER 13-14, 2018
THE
AUCTIONEER’S
CHANT
Kade Rogge
trades rodeo arena
for auction ring
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
EO Media Group
A
n auctioneer’s mesmerizing chant
is like a song that gets stuck in the
brain and never stops playing. At
least that’s the case for Kade Rogge,
a 30-year-old auctioneer from south-
ern Idaho. He says he used to drive
his wife crazy, endlessly chanting around the house
and in the truck.
“It’s ridiculous … it never stops,” Rogge said.
But it’s a compulsion that has sharpened his edge
and earned him the title of Northwest Auctioneer
Champion last year. He has also twice qualified to
compete for the Livestock Marketing Association’s
World Auctioneer Championship, the Super Bowl of
the auction world.
He didn’t make it to the finals when he competed in
2016 or get past the latest qualifying competition held
Oct. 1 in Kansas City, Mo., but he thinks he’s get-
ting closer.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed. I
really had set high goals. But in a way,
I needed it. I’m really ready to work
hard this year and do better next
year,” he said.
The level of talent at the com-
petition gave him a good idea of
how he needs to step up his game,
and he’s eager to see his scores
and the judges’ notes to home in
on the particulars.
“I’m pretty confident in my abil-
ity. At the same time, I still have a
long way to go,” he said.
“Building your
chant is a lot of
putting things in and
throwing things out.”
Kade Rogge,
an auctioneer from southern Idaho
Plans change
Rogge grew up in the auction business.
His father is a farm auctioneer. His mother has
long clerked at livestock auctions, and his stepfa-
ther owns Burley Livestock Auction and is a live-
stock auctioneer.
Nonetheless, he never thought he’d end up in
the auction business. Rodeo was his first love.
“I really didn’t think of any career other
than that,” he said.
He started team roping at the age of 7,
traveling across the Northwest. He
added calf roping and steer wres-
tling to his agenda in high school
and won a rodeo scholarship to
the University of Montana West-
ern. After a year at the university,
he transferred to the College of
Southern Idaho — where he met
his future wife, Jasmyn, and qual-
ified for the College National Finals
Rodeo.
While at CSI, his rodeo coach knew he
had an auction background and wasn’t afraid of a
microphone and asked him to be the announcer at a
roughstock clinic. That led to a growing business of
announcing high school rodeos and the Cody Stam-
pede Rodeo in Wyoming and securing Professional
Rodeo Cowboys Association credentials.
But he had lost a little of his drive to compete and
started working at his stepfather’s livestock auction,
where he realized he didn’t want to work out back
forever.
“I wanted to be out front auctioneering,” he said.
In 2011, his parents pitched in and sent him to the
Western College of Auctioneering in Billings, Mont.
“In a sense, I was just carrying on the family tradi-
tion,” he said.
He had always had the gift of gab, and was never
shy about talking with people. But auctioneering
hadn’t been part of his game plan.
“I never thought I’d be doing this, but it all kind of
makes sense,” he said.
Rogge’s father, Ron Rogge — who won the Idaho
state auctioneer competition in 2005 — said his son
has been around auctions all his life. But he was also a
little surprised Rogge got into the business, starting a
little later than most auctioneers.
But talking in front of people has never bothered
him, and he’s sure done well with it, he said.
“He’s always been pretty outgoing, never-met-a-
stranger type of kid,” he said.
Hard work
Announcing rodeos comes naturally to Rogge, but
auctioneering is different. It takes a lot more practice
and education, he said.
“I’ve had to work extremely hard, with a lot of tri-
al-and-error and struggles,” he said.
Rogge is in business with both his stepfather’s live-
stock auction and his father’s farm sales.
Livestock Marketing Association
Kade Rogge of Rupert, Idaho, competes in a regional qualifying event for the World Livestock Auction-
eer Championship in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 1.
Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press
Auctioneer Kade Rogge inspects steers at the
Burley Livestock Auction in Burley, Idaho.
An easy-listening chant is key to his job, given that
buyers might be sitting at an auction for eight to 10
hours. But being trustworthy and professional are also
critical. And an auctioneer has to be knowledgeable
about whatever he’s selling — “whether it’s teacups,
equipment or cattle,” he said.
That’s the No. 1 requirement for being a successful
auctioneer, Merv May, Rogge’s stepfather, said.
“And your people skills got to be pretty good. It
also takes practice and work,” he said.
A lot of people go to auctioneer school, but the
number of them making a living in the business is
fairly small, he said.
May also grew up in the auction business, having
auctioneered since he was 14. He fills in for Rogge
when he’s away announcing rodeos and has to practice
the week before to get his voice in shape.
Rogge “does a good job, and he works at it. You
have to work pretty hard to improve and excel,” he
said.
Rogge said a love for what he does drives him to
keep upping his game, and he feels fortunate to be
earning his income from two enjoyable endeavors —
auctioneering and rodeo announcing.
Losing his voice is his biggest worry, and he keeps
up on his intake of Vitamin C — especially with a
2-year-old daughter, Rory, and a 1-year-old son, Rix.
Cough drops are another staple — and he’ll need
plenty of them with the fall run-up to 2,000 head a day
moving through the auction barn and the new season
of high school rodeo.
But improving as an auctioneer is constantly on
Rogge’s mind.
“I do have confidence, but at the same time I per-
sonally don’t know if I’ll ever be satisfied. I’ll always
be working at my craft and trying to improve,” he said.
And he’ll continue to work on his chant, which
is constantly changing. He’s trying to make it
“smooth as glass” and easy to listen to.
It all comes down to rhythm and tone of voice,
he said.
“Building your chant is a lot of putting things
in and throwing things out until you get something
you’re confident with,” he said.
He tries out different filler words and one-liners,
but the foundation of his evolving chant sounds like
“dotter-dow” — a variation of “dollar now.”
He’s also worked to improve his body language
and look more professional. No more hands in his
pockets or slouching — although he’s still trying to
curb his pointing habit after judges once nicked him
for that, saying it makes buyers uncomfortable.