Highpoint riders in the nine-show season of the Northeast Kansas Area Small Area Group (NEKSAG) were honored at a yearend banquet in Valley Falls.
Julie Hetherington, points keeper, announced the honorees.
Pleasure division winners were Gibson Hamm, six and under; Miley Freeman, seven to nine; Emmy Gibson, 10 to 13; Clarissa Jamvold, 14 to 17; Kassie Fedrick, 18 to 39; and Frank Buchman, 40 and over.
Top riders in speed events were Kacy Atteberry, six and under; Coral Geiger, seven to nine; Maelee Servaes, 10 to 13; Rogu Warden, 14 to 17; Julie Hetherington, 18 to 39; and Frank Buchman, 40 and over.
Events winners included:
Clarrissa Jamvold: Junior halter horses, senior halter mares, showmanship 14-17, walk-trot pleasure 17 and under, walk-trot Western horsemanship 17 and under; junior Western pleasure horse, junior walk trot Western Pleasure, and Western horsemanship 14-17.
Sophia Gibson: Halter ponies, and showmanship nine and under,
Don Jacobs: Senior halter geldings, Western pleasure 18 and over, Western pleasure, 40 and over, Western horsemanship 18 and over, and Western horsemanship 40 and over.
Emmy Gibson: showmanship 10 to 13, Western pleasure 10 to 13, and Western horsemanship 10 to 13.
Gibson Hamm: Lead-in horsemanship five and under.
Miley Freeman: Walk trot pleasure nine and under, trail 17 and under, rescue race rider, two-in-a-line barrels, poles seven to nine, and two-in-a-line poles.
Susie Jacobs: Walk trot pleasure 18 and over,
Coral Geiger: Western pleasure nine and under, Western horsemanship nine and under, lead back seven to nine, barrels seven to nine, keyhole 13 and under, keg bending 13 and under, stake race 13 and under, and mystery class open.
Frank Buchman: Showmanship 18 and over, open Western pleasure, senior Western pleasure horse, ranch horse pleasure, walk trot horsemanship 18 and over, reining 18 and over, trail 18 and over, lead back 18 and over, barrels 18 and over, poles 18 and over, Keyhole race 14 and over, keg bending 14 and over, and stake race 14 and over.
Kacy Atteberry: Around the barrel six and under, Texas lead back six and under, and Texas flags six and under.
Maelle Servaes: Lead back 10 to 13, flags 10 to 13, and poles 10 to 13,
Rogu Warden: Flags 14 to 17, rescue race jumper, barrels 14 to 17, and poles 14 to 17.
Jodi Hamm: Flags 18 and over,
Taylor Hamm: Texas barrels six and under, and Texas poles six and under.
Clara Banks: Barrels 10 to 13.
Wayne Springstead: Barrels 40 and over, and poles 40 and over.
Rylee Brown: Junior horse barrels seven and under.

CUTLINES

Miley Freeman was the highpoint seven to nine pleasure division winner honored at the Northeast Kansas Small Area Group (NEKSAG) horseshow yearend banquet. (Susie Jacobs photo)

Coral Geiger was the highpoint seven to nine speed division winner honored at the Northeast Kansas Small Area Group (NEKSAG) horseshow yearend banquet. (Susie Jacobs photo)

Taylor Hamm was the yearend highpoint rider in both Texas barrels six and under and Texas poles six and under honored at the Northeast Kansas Small Area Group (NEKSAG) horseshow banquet. (Susie Jacobs photo)

Clarrissa Jamvold was the highpoint 14-17 pleasure division winner honored at the Northeast Kansas Small Area Group (NEKSAG) horseshow yearend banquet. (Susie Jacobs photo)

Emmy Gibson was the highpoint 10-13 pleasure division winner honored at the Northeast Kansas Small Area Group (NEKSAG) horseshow yearend banquet. (Susie Jacobs photo)

Don Jacobs collected five yearend highpoint trophies at the Northeast Kansas Small Area Group (NEKSAG) horseshow yearend banquet. They were for senior halter geldings, Western pleasure 18 and over, Western pleasure, 40 and over, Western horsemanship 18 and over, and Western horsemanship 40 and over. (Susie Jacobs photo)

Susie Jacobs was the yearend highpoint rider in walk trot pleasure 18 and over
honored at the Northeast Kansas Small Area Group (NEKSAG) horseshow banquet.

“Respect and taking care of people are requirements for the best auctioneers.”
That’s not the first description most would give of a top auctioneer. Yet considering every aspect of the profession, it is most important, according to one of the best in the business.
Even a very emotional characteristic of being a livestock auctioneer for Lynn Langvardt, Chapman, Kansas.
Working three major livestock auctions every week, Col. Lynn Langvardt proves his skills in action.
Claiming the eastern region Livestock Marketing Association auctioneer championship verifies those elite abilities.
“It is what it is,” insisted the lifetime auctioneer.
Behind the auction microphone since he was seven years old, Lynn Langvardt followed family tradition. “My dad Howard Langvardt was a champion auctioneer and my hero. I’m following in his footsteps,” Lynn said.
The family has owned and operated JC Livestock Sales at Junction City more than 55 years.
“My grandpa Vern and my dad with my grandma and mom started the business,” Lynn said. “Now with our mom Ann, my brothers Karl and Mitch with our wives and families are continuing the operation. We all work very closely together”
“I started selling baby calves, then dad let me sell cows, and before long stocker and feeder cattle. My dad was the very best auctioneer,” Lynn interrupted his own quite emotional conversation.
His success is credited to the School of Hard Knocks. “I didn’t attend a professional auction school but sold livestock from the auction block.”
Today, the Langvardt family also owns and operates Clay Center Livestock Sales. “I sell at Clay Center Tuesday, Junction City Wednesday, and also serve as auctioneer at Pratt Thursdays,” Lynn said.
On top of selling thousands of cattle those three days, Lynn auctions special sales for the three barns. He’ll occasionally conducts farm auctions and assists other auctioneers with sales when they call upon him.
“It’s a pretty busy schedule, but the most important part of all is my family,” Lynn insisted. “My wife Keisha and our four children are what makes it all worthwhile.”
Their children include Weston, 17; Reece, 15; Nolan, nine; and Ryle, five. “They are all closely involved in the auction barn operations,” Lynn credited. “Plus, Keisha is a fulltime nurse, and the kids are heavily involved in so many school, athletic and 4-H activities.”
On top of that, Lynn has personal and family cattle operations. Horses have always been a part of the Langvardt family, too.
“I grew up participating in horse shows,” Lynn said. ‘’Now my wife and children have continued to be involved with horses at various levels.”
Playing football on scholarship at Emporia’s Kansas State Teachers College where he graduated, Lynn has won several team roping saddles.
“I’ve been fortunate to previously win both the western and midwestern regions,” Lynn said. “I didn’t even realize I’d won all three regional championships in my career until somebody pointed it out to me.”
The eastern competition was at Jackson County Regional Livestock Market, LLC, Ripley, West Virginia, with 27 contestants.
Lynn is qualified for the Livestock Marketing Association’s 2023 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship at Arcadia Stockyards in Arcadia, Florida, June 7-10.
A live cattle sale took place, with the market’s regular buyers and sellers in the seats. Auctioneer contestants were evaluated on clarity, quality of chant, presentation, and bid catching. Additionally, they were critiqued on how the sale was conducted and likelihood judges would be to hire them as an auctioneer.
Judges for the qualifying event were livestock market owners, managers, dealers, and allied industry members from across the nation.
“These contests are loaded from top to bottom. Any time you have some kind of success makes you feel really, really good,” Lynn said.
“Most important of it all is that my dad was also a regional champion. That makes my wins even closer to my heart,” Lynn sentimentally commented.
Adding significance to the eastern regional event, cattle from that livestock pavilion are sometimes shipped to sell at Junction City. “They don’t have a demand for certain types of cattle that we have a good market for here,” Lynn noted.
This year will be his ninth time in the world championship competition. Rookie award winner at his first world competition, Lynn has also been in the top ten and a finalist. “I’m still working for that world title, but it’s a new contest every year,” he said.
Besides the special recognition, being the world champion requires a major commitment for the winner. The champion represents the Livestock Marketing Association auctioneering at special sales for a number of auction barns across the country.
In his livestock auctioneering career Lynn has seen lots of transitions. “The biggest change is use of computers and the internet,” he said. “Everything used to be done by hand bookkeeping. Now computer programs total prices and averages to make information more available for sellers and buyers.
“Dad was against use of the internet for auctions. But when the coronavirus hit the internet became a necessity for our livestock auctions,” Lynn said. “Now people throughout the country can watch our sales and bid on livestock making a big difference in selling prices.”
Consignments for upcoming sales and results from previous auctions are also advertised on the computer.
Increasingly auctions are being conducted without even the auction chant. “Auctions are strictly handled through the internet for everything from livestock to land to personal property,” Lynn continued. “To me, the live auction people bidding against one another is still the best way to merchandize property whatever it is. There’s that personal aspect that most people appreciate.
“I’m sure there will continue to be changes in livestock marketing and the auction business,” Lynn predicted. “Initially people will not like them, but some will be for the better and others probably not.”
While Lynn being an auctioneer follows in his dad’s bootsteps, whether the tradition will continue is yet to be determined. “Both of my older sons have shown some interest and even sold a few cattle from the auction block,” Lynn said. “They’re both still young now with a lot of different interests. They do like the livestock business and who knows they might become auctioneers too.”
Auctioneers are much more than fast talking salesmen. “Of course, it’s important to know livestock, their weight, quality, condition, and daily changes in markets,” Lynn said.
“You have to take care of both the seller and the buyer, the in-between man understanding both sides,” he emphasized.
“Those small operators with just a few head to sell are just as important as the large operations,” Lynn said. “We try to take care of everybody just like we would expect to be treated.”

CUTLINE
Lynn Langvardt, Chapman, has qualified for the Livestock Marketing Association’s World Livestock Auctioneer Championship competition next June in Florida. He was the eastern regional livestock auctioneer champion at recent competition in Ripley, West Virginia.

“The dentist is one person most people really don’t like to visit.”
Yet, everybody agrees if he prevents wearing false teeth, “the pain is worth the gain.”
No shortage of dental appointments throughout the lifetime with first memories for examination of “black” teeth. Grade school pictures verify the teeth really were black. Must have been rotten baby teeth because the next year those teeth were gone.
Mom followed dentist recommendations requiring regular checkups always too often. Every time, a cavity needed filled and remembering that jarring tooth grinder brings cringes six decades later.
Crooked yellow teeth embarrassed a teenager, so appointments were set up in a city miles away. Every month for a long time, Mom took her son to have his teeth straightened.
Uncertain how much it all must have cost, but for sure a big bunch. Worse thing other than painful procedure was the teeth weren’t straight and were still yellow when finished.
Dentist visits were infrequent until that wild stallion went over backwards and the trainer had two front teeth knocked out. It was Sunday, but the hometown dentist came into his office and put in “temporary” teeth.
Hard to believe these days, but the replacement work lasted 30 years until the city dentist insisted, they must be replaced.
That was a major out-of-pocket bill fortunately reduced somewhat by workplace insurance coverage. At least the “bridge” teeth were straighter and whiter than the cowboy’s teeth had ever been.
Obviously proud of his work, that tooth doctor stipulated regular checkups and cleanings were essential going forward. Grudgingly, his recommendations were followed to a point.
He demanded, “Brush three times every day with ‘flossing’ daily.”
Well once-a-day brushing was the best, and not every day at that. Figuring out “flossing” meant running a string between every tooth, that was only attempted one time and failed.
After insurance coverage ended with loss of employment, so did scheduled dental appointments. Yet lettuce and tough beefsteak kept getting caught in one tooth that was half broken off from another horse crash.
Grudgingly, an appointment was scheduled with the local dentist. “It can be repaired,” he said, after becoming confident the cowboy’s personal payment check wouldn’t bounce too high.
Ok, just so these original teeth still work for chewing.
Reminded of Job 4:11: “When he’s toothless he’s useless.”
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XVI–50–12-11-2022