Oklahoma FFA auctioneering champion builds career behind the microphone 

Logan Snider’s first experience behind an auction microphone came at age 14, when she competed in the inaugural Oklahoma FFA Auctioneering Career Development Event. 

She did more than compete. Snider, then an eighth-grader at Chisholm High School in Enid, Oklahoma, became the first Oklahoma FFA Auctioneering CDE champion. The following year, she won the state title again. 

Now a junior in high school, Snider has continued developing her skills through benefit auctions and other auctioneer competitions. In 2026, she was named International Junior Auctioneer Champion by the National Auction Association. She is the 2026 Rookie Auctioneer Champion and Ringman Champion for the Oklahoma State Auctioneers Association. 

Snider’s interest in auctioneering began when Oklahoma FFA added the contest to its list of CDEs in 2024. Her agricultural instructor, Wayne Simpson, encouraged her to learn about the auction industry, develop an auction chant and compete. 

Snider said the contest has gained popularity in Oklahoma partly because of the state’s long tradition of multigenerational auction families. 

“I also think a big part of it is the ag teachers really working with the FFA students and pushing them to try something new,” she said. 

A hobby turned career aspiration 

What started as an FFA competition has developed into a career aspiration for Snider. Before discovering auctioneering, Snider planned to become an equine veterinarian. 

“I was really set on doing that,” she said. “It wasn’t until about a year and a half ago that I decided, auctioneering is an actual career for me. That’s when I really started working hard to build momentum and create a foundation within the auction industry. This is the path that God is leading me down, and it’s something that I want to pursue full-time.” 

Her interest in horses has not disappeared; it has evolved with her introduction to the auction industry. Snider hopes to use her skills as an auctioneer at horse sales. 

“It’s been a dream to stay connected with horses and use my connection and love for them in a different way,” Snider said. 

For Snider, 2026 is an opportunity to explore different areas of the industry. 

“I want to use this as an exploratory year to dive deeper into different parts of the auction industry,” she said. “I am doing a lot of benefits right now, which I absolutely love.” 

She also has enjoyed working around car auctions, where she said the pace and atmosphere offer a different experience. 

“You get to do your chant super fast, and there’s a lot of excitement and energy in the room,” Snider said. “You also get to sell old cars that go for thousands or even millions of dollars.” 

Snider has completed auction school and plans to attend Oklahoma State University after high school, where she intends to major in agricultural business. Her long-term goal is to open her own auction company. 

Auction preparation 

Snider said she goes through a routine before every auction or competition. She practices her chants, reads through descriptions of the items she will be selling at the auction and goes over her opening and closing words. She also listens to Christian worship music to keep her calm and prepared for what the day will bring. 

“It just gets me in the mindset of like joy and happiness and positivity and knowing that whatever happens that day is God’s plan, so that’s kind of a ritual that I’ve started for myself,” Snider said. 

While the auction chant is important, Snider said successful auctioneers also need to understand presentation and audience interaction. 

“How do you present yourself on stage? Are you nervous? Are you excited to be there? Do you present your items well? Do you make pitches to your chant that will reconnect the audience to your item?” 

She has also learned that building relationships with buyers and sellers is another important part of the auction business. Snider said teamwork and networking are important to developing connections that can lead to future business. 

“Your buyers and sellers are a big part of everything that you do in the industry,” Snider said. “If you don’t get along with your seller, then you’re not going to bring the amount of money that you know that they deserve. If you don’t get along with your buyers, then they’re not going to want to bid on the items.” 

Reading the crowd also is part of the job. Snider said auctioneers need to watch buyers’ body language and respond to the information they provide during an auction. 

The future of the auction industry 

Although women are in the minority among auctioneers, Snider said there are more female auctioneers like herself entering the industry with the next generation. 

“I have a lot of female mentors who I look up to as heroes that I want to be like. It makes me feel great being in an industry with women I look up to.”  

She said being a female auctioneer can have some advantages. 

“Everybody says women have a better connection to the audience,” she explained. “We have a soft touch, we are less intimidating, and so it helps when you can draw the crowd in a little bit more than the men can.” 

Snider is also watching how technology is changing the auction industry. She said some auction companies are moving from traditional in-person auctions to online sales, reducing the need for auctioneers to work behind a microphone. 

While she recognizes the benefits of online auctions, Snider said she believes buyers still value the personal experience of attending an auction. 

“Obviously, the next generations are very important because when the older generations start retiring, you need someone to come fill their shoes,” she said. “But it’s going to look different from now on.” 

Despite those changes, Snider said the relationships built through auctioneering are what makes the career meaningful. To her, auctioneering offers more than the opportunity to sell items.  

“I like the one-on-one interaction I get to have with a community and a crowd,” Snider said. “It also makes me feel good at the end of the night when I know that I have solved a problem, like raising money for a cause.” 

Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or [email protected].