Lars DeLeeuw – 2024 Canadian Champion

Lars Deleeuw’s story is fascinating to say the least! From a young boy growing up in the Netherlands to becoming a Canadian Champion Livestock Auctioneer in a short 19 years seems like an impossible feat! 

Lars was born in 2005 in Goree Olverflakke, Netherlands. His family had a small dairy herd, fed some cattle and ran a flock of 400 sheep. The DeLeeuw family moved to Canada in 2011 and settled in Ontario. 

While in Canada the Deleeuw family milked goats and cows, ran a small beef cow herd and owned some sheep. Lars bought his first purebred angus heifer in 2017 and at that time he became fascinated with auctioneering. 

Lars’ route to becoming an auctioneer was not conventional. He is self-taught and watched videos on YouTube where he began studying techniques online. He watched former world champions such as Ralph Wade. He also reached out to former world champion Matt Lowery to help to fine tune his chant. His passion for the industry and many hours of practice helped build the confidence required to be a great auctioneer. Deleeuw says, “I just love the chant, the enthusiasm and the market. It takes a lot of practice, getting the pop of the tongue rolling along with your words and your numbers.” 

Deleeuw is the whole package; as well as the chant, you have to be able to spot bids, and you need to know the product and the daily value. A good auctioneer has to know when he/she needs to ask for more or knock them down. Deleeuw can do it all despite his short time in the business and lack of experience on the block. His calm demeanour on the auction block and smooth delivery are that of a veteran auctioneer. 

In 2021, he started selling at the Ontario Livestock Exchange in Waterloo on a part-time basis while working in the back. Getting to work with Canadian Champion Calvin Keupfer was a real bonus. 

In 2023, he entered the International competition at the Calgary Stampede and turned a lot of heads, placing in the top ten. At 18 years of age this relatively unknown rookie from Ontario was the talk of the competition. 

Deleeuw had these thoughts about the LMAC event. “I did not think I would win the whole thing,” said the rookie auctioneer from Ontario Livestock Exchange. “I would have been just happy with the rookie (buckle). It was a lot of fun overall, but this is a very special moment for sure.” With competition held in his home barn, Deleeuw didn’t expect the nerves to be a problem, but the interview process was new to him. He noted, “the interview process was challenging because the questions and answers were tricky.” 

OLEX has a reputation for keeping their top-quality auctioneers under the radar. Tony Chaffe was with OLEX when we won the second Canadian Championship. Calvin Keupfer was a well-kept secret until he came to LMAC in Winnipeg. Now OLEX has its third Canadian Champion with Lars Deleeuw. 

Bill Haalstra from OLEX has been a long-time competitor at LMAC. 

Many young boys that go to the cattle auctions with dad or grandpa dream of becoming an auctioneer. Few ever think that they will become a champion. For Lars Deleeuw, at 19 years of age he got to experience what many auctioneers spend a life time chasing, a Canadian Championship. For the kid that watched YouTube and became a self-taught livestock auctioneer, the dream came true. Congratulations to Lars Deleeuw, 2024 Canadian Livestock Auctioneering Champion.