Since the 1950s, Lewistown Livestock Auction in central Montana has been helping livestock producers market their livestock. And even though the auction market has new owners, its legacy will continue.
As a little boy in the mid-1980s Kyle Shobe had a dream of becoming an auctioneer and someday owning his own auction market. Well, through hard work, perseverance and help from his family and friends, that dream is now a reality. He and his wife, Jodie, are the new owners of Lewistown Livestock Auction.
“I grew up working the sheep sales here. I worked in these very alleys with a sheep shaker, with a milk jug and some rocks in it, just moving sheep up into their pans,” said Shobe. “And you know, I was four or five years old and my mom would cart me down. Dad used to do the radio reports here when Ted Dirkson owned the yards. I would always come with him and pretend like we were having a sale.”
He says having grown up in central Montana, as the new owner of Lewistown Livestock Auction, it’s more than just a business.
“This community is such a part of us,” said Shobe. “It's a remarkable community that supports itself so well. This business is such a huge facet of the economy here. We're fortunate to have some industry here. We have a lot of the professionals, the medical, the education system, because it's such a hub for some of these smaller communities around central Montana. But this livestock auction means a lot to local producers. It's our privilege to be able to step in ownership and carry on a legacy that's been here since the 1950s.”
Kyle and Jodie Shobe have purchased Lewistown Livestock Auction from longtime owners Lyle and Jan Allen. Lyle Allen says they can’t think of a better family to carry on the legacy of this important auction market in central Montana.
“We've been thinking about it when you've got a good young family man that has grown up here auctioneering,” said Allen. “This is where Kyle sold his first cattle here like 12 years ago, and then went on to become world champion, with us, supporting him the whole way. He's done great and the market will continue to do great. And we feel like it's a good opportunity for us to turn it over to a great young family.”
Regular sales will continue every Tuesday at Lewistown Livestock Auction. For more information, you can visit www.lewistownlivestock.com.
