2026 Award Recipients

Ralph Wade has been selected as the guest of honor for the 121st Kingdom of Callaway Supper.

Kingdom of Callaway Supper President John Smart said selecting Wade to be the guest of honor was an easy decision.

"Ralph exemplifies those that are chosen to be the honored guest -- someone who is highly respected and successful in their profession," Smart said.

He said Wade has led a "remarkable" career as an auctioneer. Smart -- who is also an auctioneer-- said Wade "gladly gives his time and expertise back to help other auctioneers in their careers."

"He truly is a legend in the auction world," Smart said, adding "I have heard Ralph share his life story several times. The one thing that I admire about him most is Ralph says he was given a God-given talent to be an auctioneer, so all the 'thank yous' go to God."

Wade was born in 1944 on a farm north of a small farming community in Callaway County. He attended New Bloomfield School, playing basketball, baseball and track. He was active in 4-H, showing cattle from his home ranch at county fairs, the Missouri State Fair, and the Kansas City Royal.

Wade realized his talent for auctioneering in high school and helped local churches and Lions Club with their fundraising auctions.

After graduating from New Bloomfield High School in 1962, Wade tried to join the military but was rejected due to a back injury. Instead, he attended auctioneering school in Mason City, Iowa.

After returning from auction school, Col. Ed Buckner -- the first World Champion Livestock Auctioneer -- asked Wade to work for Central Missouri Livestock Market in Mexico, Missouri, where he expanded his knowledge of the auction method of marketing under Buckner's leadership.

Wade moved to Montgomery, Alabama in 1973 and established a new marketing platform for Hodges Bros. Markets.

He moved to Brush, Colorado in 1974 and joined Livestock Exchange's marketing team. They asked him to represent them at the World Livestock Auctioneer Championship held at the World's Fair in Spokane, Washington.

Wade was cast as an auctioneer in the 1977 movie "Stroszek" and the 1988 movie "The Girl in a Swing."

Wade formed North American Cattle Co., ordering cattle for some of the largest feedlots in the country, exporting cattle from Mexico, and leasing ranches in California and Wyoming -running a cow-calf and stocker operation.

In 1987, Jim Odle asked Wade to join Superior Livestock Auction. He is still the lead auctioneer 39 years later. He has witnessed it grow to the largest livestock marketing concept in the industry, selling over 2 million cattle annually.

Wade was the lead auctioneer at the Oklahoma National Stockyards for 17 years.

Wade met his wife Karen in 1990 and they moved to Oklahoma, where they began breeding and showing cutting and working cow horses. Today, they continue to enjoy raising horses, cattle and marketing cattle with Superior.

He was named reserve world champion livestock auctioneer in 1971 and 1972 and world champion livestock auctioneer in 1974. Wade was named reserve international livestock auctioneer in 1994 and international champion livestock auctioneer in 1995.

In 2022, Wade was inducted into the Cattle Marketing Hall of Fame. 

He is the father of Parish and Stephanie and stepfather to Natalie and Megann. Wade has seven grandchildren.