June 4, 2008. Amarillo, Texas. Cattle Auction.

Yesterday we went to the cattle auction, but we did not buy a thing. This cattle auction sells more cattle in a year than any auction house in the country. Yesterday they were auctioning off one thousand head of cattle. We arrived at 9:30, in time to see the cattle prior to the start of the action at 10:00, and we watched as several trailers rolled up to unload the cattle to be weighed. Ten minutes before the auction there were ten of us in the stands and I felt for sure this sale would be a bust, as two people were not buying. It was interesting to watch the good folks who were waiting. All men, all wearing straw cowboy hats and jeans and boots, like a uniform, and all carrying a cell phone. By the time the sale began, the number of buyers was up to 40, and when we left at 11:00 there was over 100. It was a very interesting sale, as most of the time I could not figure out what was happening.

Many factors led to my inability to track the sale. No list of cattle offered for sale was given to prospective buyers. This made sense as the cattle being sold had just that morning brought into the cattle yard, but it was different for me not to have a list. Then the sale moved very fast. The cattle was brought into the ring and left there for just a minute or so, and then the next cow was brought in so the sales moved very quickly. Also the prices were sometimes sold by dollars per pound and sometimes by total price, so it was difficult to tell the difference. But the most difficult thing about this auction was I could never tell who was doing the bidding. A few times I spotted the bidder, but the nod of the hand resting on their knee was the only sign to the auctioneer. Some of the men who we watched unload their cattle were also buyers, so these men in jeans and hat were there to be business. We were just there to enjoy the show, and we did.