Awards & Honors

Trenton Holzworth, 2022 Novice Bid Calling Champion, the Troil Welton Memorial Award

The Colorado Board of Directors changed the dynamic of the Troil Welton First Timers Bid Calling Contest, which has been historically CAA Members attending the annual convention who had completed their auction school training within the last twelve months of the convention being held.  Competitors under this criteria were eligible to compete in the Troil  Welton First Timers Bid Calling Contest on Saturday night.   However, the competition is now the annual, Novice Bid Calling Championship in which the champion receives the Troil Welton Memorial Award.

This is always a spirited and fun competition in which attending association members and the public support the competitors.  So what is the new dynamic of the Novice Bid Calling Championship versus the First Timers Bid Calling Contest?  Competitors have the opportunity to compete against their peers of CAA Members for the first, three (3) years of their career in the auction industry unless they are crowned champion.  This change in the competition rules encourages and allows new auctioneers to be competitive with fellow peers until they choose to compete in the annual, Colorado State Auctioneer Championship.  The board felt this decision helps to encourage CAA Members, that are new in the industry, an opportunity to build their bid calling craft and provide them with a level playing field in the competition arena.

At the end of the evening Stoneham, Colorado’s Trenton Holzworth was crowned the inaugural, Colorado Novice Bid Calling Champion!

Trenton is not a stranger to the auction industry and is a 2nd generation auctioneer following his Dad, Ken Holzworth, and works with him in their family company, The Holzworth Auction Company.  As notated on their company page, "CONGRATULATIONS Colonel Trenton Holzworth!!  What goes around, comes around! In 1986, Chuck Cumberlin mentored Ken Holzworth in the Auction business. Thirty four years later, Chuck's daughter Shelly (Cumberlin) and husband, Tom Johnston returned the favor by sponsoring Trenton Holzworth's journey through the World Wide College of Auctioneering. Thank you to the Johnston Family for continuing the proud tradition of auctioneering. Chuck is smiling down on all of us."

So, what does this mean for his auction career?  In addition to working in his family's auction company, Trenton is a professional ringman for the auto industry and a contract auctioneer and Ringman for fellow Colorado Auctioneers. 

Trenton works with some of the best and toughest in the Colorado auction industry and continues to shine.  His talent, unwavering smile and tenacity is a force to be reckoned with!

Watch future articles of the CAA Newsletter for stories about some of the first time members. Each one has a unique story about why they decided to live their dream by becoming professional auctioneers.

About The Troil Welton Memorial Award

Troil C. Welton, who spent more than 45 years in the auction business, was a pioneer of the Colorado Auctioneers Association, and was always known for his special help to new auctioneers.  Following his death in 1999, the CAA Board voted to annually present the Troil Welton Memorial Award to the winner of the First Timers Bid Calling Contest held annually at the CAA Convention.  Mr. Welton began his career in the barn of his farm and ranch.  While milking, he would “auction” his cows every morning and evening and “sell” his farm machinery while working the fields.  He was selected CAA “Auctioneer of the Year” in 1985, and was inducted into the CAA Hall of Fame in 1986.  In 1987, he was inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame of the National Auctioneers Association.

Justin Behr

2023

Trenton Holzworth

2022

Shelby Shuman

2020

Casey Panique

2019

James Head

2018

Brett Barker

2017

Cody Johnson

2016

Jennifer Clifford Spaeth

2015

Wes Lamb

2014

Graig Medvesk

2013

Mike Nichols

2012

Dean Gunter

2011

Norm Silver

2010

Rich Schur

2006

Vaughn Long

2004

Shawn Hagler

2003

Shawn Hagler Crowned

As Inaugural

Challenge Of Champions Auctioneer

During the 60th Anniversary Colorado Auctioneers Association Convention, the Challenge Of Championscompetition was held for the first time and was a new addition to the auctions that are held during the annual convention.  This competition is only open to competitors that have been crowned as a Colorado Auctioneer Champion.

Contestants vied for the coveted honor of being crowned the 1st Challenge of Champions Auctioneer, a custom-designed championship belt buckle, a cash award and plaque.  This contest is only scheduled to be held every 5 years and predicts to get more and more competitive throughout the years in addition to entertaining.

Shawn Hagler of Hudson, Colorado, was crowned the 2018 Challenge Of Champions winner on Thursday, January 4, 2018.  Past Colorado State Champions competed in front of an esteemed panel of State, International and World Champion Auctioneer judges.

Shawn first joined the CAA in 2003, where he won the Troil Welton Bid Calling Award.  Shortly thereafter, he found his way into the Auto Auction industry and discovered his love for the fast paced and demanding car auction world.  In 2008, he won the Colorado State Auctioneer Championship and the 2009 World Automobile Auctioneers Championship World Champion Ringman.

After the past nine years of flying over 200 flights per year and working five auto auctions weekly in four different states, Shawn decided to slow down, be at home more and shift his business focus more to his Fundraising Auction business and to start a new venture.  Shawn feels that he has been blessed in the auction business and wants to give back to the profession that has given so much to him.  Shawn and his long-time friend Vaughn Long, 2007 WAAC World Champion Ringman, have started a new school, World Champion Ringman College, to train Ringmen.  Shawn feels that there is a large need for more advanced Ringman training and that while Shawn and Vaughn both received several years of on-the-job training at the auto auctions while under the tutelage of World Champion Paul C. Behr of World Wide College of Auctioneering and several other world class auctioneers, not many new auctioneers and Ringmen ever get that opportunity to learn and develop their skills and they want to give them that opportunity.

This year Shawn is also using his Professional Speaking background to give motivational speeches, emcee all the concerts at the Greeley Stampede and to also speak at several State Auctioneer Association Conventions.  He looks forward to the next several years of serving on the CAA Board of Directors and hopes be able to once again give back to a great association that has given him so much over the past 15 years.

Each professional auctioneer who competed became a better auctioneer because of the contest and should be congratulated for taking part.

Thank you to AuctionFlex for providing the auction clerking software and clerking the auction

Tony Wisely

2023

Shawn Hagler

2018