Neither age nor size seem to be a deterrent for what’s to come for Grayson Haydn-Myer. The 16-year-old high school junior has been wowing audiences for a few years now with what appears to be an innate skill at auctioneering.
“I started auctioneering when I was in fifth grade,” Grayson said of her days at Fair Oaks elementary school.
Growing up in a ranching family, Grayson shared she’s always known what an auctioneer was and with her quick dialect, was often encouraged to give it a try.
Initially her father partnered her up with well-known local auctioneer and OHS alum Travis Johnson to start giving her lessons. By seventh grade, she shared she was taking lessons from World Champion Auctioneers at Turlock Livestock Auction Yard.
“From there I really started to love it, so I started doing fundraisers,” Grayson said. “So now it’s my job and by the time I’m 18 years old, I’m going to be a world champion auctioneer.”
Her confidence is unquestionable as the teen has set her sights on a goal which has not yet been achieved by a female auctioneer. A detail which doesn’t seem to bother her, as she does let gender play in to the art of being good at the craft.
In addition to her world champion goal, Grayson would like to be a beef cattle rancher for a living. With a desire to continue her dad’s existing cattle operations, she would like to also be an auctioneer.
On the auctioneer side she shared she enjoys the business and raising the most money possible. She did admit that it can get overwhelming, especially when there are multiple jobs and keeping everything straight.
“Some weekends I may be selling a hundred-thousand-dollar auctions by myself, other weekends I might be selling a couple hundred dollars,” she said. “I’ve sold a gallon of milk for $750 and a live turkey for $1700.”
The trick to getting great response at an auction is to know the items you’re selling and to be in tune with the audience, the 16-year-old veteran noted. Paying attention to the speed in which things are going can also factor in to getting the optimum price.
“Sometimes you have to go really slow. That way people understand where you’re at,” she shared, adding that her biggest compliment is that people have shared they understand everything she says.
Her skill, however, does keep her busy and thankfully her mom and dad are ready to roll to wherever that might be.
“The majority of these are all on the weekend and I have a very generous family so they help me go anywhere that I want,” Grayson acknowledged.
She’s also participated in an Auctioneering Competition in Kansas City, Missouri, where she earned the title as National Junior Angus Association Intermediate Champion Auctioneer. For her title-winning efforts, she also received a check and a gavel.
As for her World Champion goal, that may actually have to wait until she’s 19.
“Since the competition’s in the summer and my birthday’s in October, it’s going to have to be when I’m 19,” she said. “It will give me more experience I guess.”
But while livestock may be her passion, her father would still like her to pursue college and an education. Grayson has decided she may attend MJC and study psychiatry to help understand how the brain works in relation to auctioneering.
“I absolutely love it. It’s so hit or miss,” she said of working cattle while she’s not running an auction to sell them. “You have to do everything right to a tee. You have to make sure your vaccination program is up to date, that way you’re making the most healthy cattle possible. I love the cows and calves. I just like the circle of life, I guess you could say.”
She also feels being an auctioneer was a path she was destined to follow.
“Everybody says I’ve gone too fast since I was little, so they were super excited when they heard I wanted to be an auctioneer, because talking fast works for me.”
Every day escapades on the 16-year-old’s active ranch life can be found on her Instagram page graysonhadynmyer.
