AUSTIN, TX (6/22/04) - Brent Graves of Lubbock, Texas won the title of 2004 State Champion Auctioneer on Saturday, June 19^th at the Texas Auctioneers Annual (TAA) Convention held at the Del Lago Resort on Lake Conroe. Brent competed against 18 other auctioneers from around the state of Texas to receive the most prestigious honor awarded to any auctioneer on the state level.

"This is a dream come true for me. I am still in disbelief; I competed against what I consider to be some of the very best auctioneers in the country, and to walk away with this honor is still unbelievable to me”, Graves stated as he accepted his new title at the TAA's Annual Awards Banquet.   

Graves grew up in the rural town of Chillicothe in North Central Texas, where he was exposed to farm, livestock and estate auctions. As a young child he was in awe of how the auctioneer could talk so fast. Graves said, "I had this dream of becoming an auctioneer when I started college at Texas Tech University and went to work for an auctioneer in Lubbock.  It just took me 10 years to buckle down and pursue it as a full time career."  Once Graves made the decision to commit to his auctioning career, he sought out the best in the business to learn from.  Neal Davis, of Bebee, Arkansas mentored and instructed the new champion in perfecting his auction skills, education and chant.

Graves works as a contract auctioneer who specializes in wholesale automobiles, benefits/fundraisers and real estate. To learn more about Graves and the Texas Auctioneers Association visit their respective websites at www.brentgraves.com or www.texasauctioneers.org.

Thank You to the Following Contest Sponsors:

Adesa Dallas          Adesa Austin         CarMax Auto Auction

Dallas Auto Auction         San Antonio Auto Auction

Antique Week        CareFree Auto Auction         Houston Chronicle

Dallas Morning News        Insurance Auto Auctions        

Texas Lone Star Auto Auction