Halls’ graduate surveyor set for YFC national auctioneering final

Kate Oakes, 23, from Penkridge and a member of Chase YFC, qualified at her county YFC auctioneering competition and, last weekend, was victorious in the West Midlands regional competition at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern.

Now she goes through to the national final at Staffordshire Showground, Stafford on July 6 where she will compete against half a dozen rivals from across the country.

In the regional final, Kate had to value and catalogue six lots and then sell three of them, which were randomly selected. Three of the items were non-agricultural.

She works for the Rural Professional Services team at Shrewsbury-based Halls, one of UK’s leading independent firms of estate agents, chartered surveyors, auctioneers and valuers, with offices across Shropshire, Worcestershire and Mid Wales.

To help her training as a rural professional, Kate has been shadowing auctioneer Jonny Dymond, who manages Shrewsbury Auction Centre. She also stood on the rostrum for the first time at Halls to sell some of the lots at the recent Shrewsbury Plant and Machinery Sale.

“The regional final at the Three Counties Showground was very competitive and it was held on the main stage, to add extra pressure,” she said. “I was very pleased to win.

“I really enjoy auctioneering and think it fits in well with my job as a graduate rural surveyor. I would love to develop my skills to sell livestock in the future."

“I have always been interested in auctions, having attended quite a few with my family when buying and selling horses and livestock.”

A keen horse rider, Kate owns a small flock of award-winning Poll Dorset sheep. Her parents run a smallholding where they specialise in breeding standard bred horses for harness racing.

A Rural Enterprise and Land Management graduate of Harper Adams University, she was joint best graduate in her cohort and won three other awards at the graduation ceremony last year.