A career as an auctioneer was an easy sell for Ryan Hurlburt. Growing up on a cow-calf operation, he attended many livestock and machinery auctions that grabbed his interest at an early age. After receiving his auctioneer diploma in 2008, he worked his way through University at an auctioneering company. After graduating in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness, Ryan took part in the Cattlemen's Young Leaders Mentorship Program, which really piqued his interest in livestock marketing. 

After spending nearly two years as an auctioneer with Heartland Livestock Services, Ryan joined Saskatoon Livestock Sales in July of 2015 as an auctioneer and marketing representative. A large part of Ryan’s work involves being at the market every day, working with producers to provide them the tools they need to make informative marketing decisions. Each day, the cattle are brought into the market, and it’s Ryan’s job to read the experienced buyers and professionally sell the product to ensure producers are getting a competitive price. Ryan also travels around the province appraising cattle. 

Ryan shares that many of livestock auctioneers are aging, meaning there’s an opportunity for new blood. He admits there’s not much turnover in the industry, largely because the job is so great and nobody wants to quit.