The
2005 Auctioneer’s Open World Championship was held at the
Lone Star Expo & Arena in Stephenville, Texas on Saturday, June
18th. The contestants were selling performance horses of all kinds
such as cutting, roping, barrel and ranch horses. The event winner
was Jeff Bynum of Atalla, Alabama with a score of 98.42 out of a
possible 100 points. Bynum took home the championship payout of
$12,500. Mike Pedersen of Sulphur, Louisiana and John Gary Collins
of Oklahoma each scored 95.77 points and shared the Reserve World
Champion payout of $5,000. Bill Zobel of Missouri finished a close
fourth with a score of 94.5 picking up $1,000. Pedersen and his
father Erik have owned and operated Pedersen & Pedersen Auctions
for the past 20 years selling farm & construction equipment,
estate sales and quarter horses. Pedersen has also owned the Lake
Charles Auto Auction for the past 14 years and is a member of the
Louisiana and National Auctioneer’s Associations.
The highest bid called on any horse in the competition was Mr. Big Heart, a 9 year old Tobiano paint stallion at $190,000. Touchstone Ranch of Stephenville passed on the offer, asking for $225,000.
“The competition was tough” said National Performance Horse Association president and event director Bob Reed, “Judges Lee Roy Van Dyke (country music entertainer), Harry Tompkins (pro rodeo hall of famer), Bill Winbourne, Albert Reed, W. F. Perkins and Jerome Hogan did a wonderful job. It was close and it was exciting!”
