Auctioneer is one of a kind

Despite a strong dose of nerves and with his notes nearby, Riley Cludy built up the courage to conduct his very first live auction, realizing a goal he’s been thinking about for a year and half.

“He would have never picked up a microphone and talked into it in front of anyone — anyone at all,” said his mom, Mary Lou Fiala. “This is a huge step for him.” Cludy is 18 years old and has a highly functioning form of autism. He became interested in auctioneering through his other passion: horses.

“I met my first auctioneer at a horse show,” Cludy recalled. “He told me about a school in Mankato and gave me his card.”

Continental Auction School in Mankato agreed to train Cludy. Dewey Johnson was one of Cludy’s classmates during the grueling, week-long training. “At first, we all thought, ‘What is he doing here?’ I mean, you wanted to know,” said Johnson. “But he became the whole star of the whole class because he improved daily. By the end of it, he got a standing ovation from everybody!”

Cludy recently got the chance to conduct his first live auction at an annual fundraiser for St. Mike’s in Stillwater. His family attends the church, so the familiar faces made his first auction a bit easier. He hopes to make a career out of it and run horse auctions someday. (Source: KMSP-TV)

 

Special needs stable gets a facelift

Riding a horse can be great therapy for veterans and children with disabilities. A Lakeville riding center needed some repairs. In May more than 100 people helped make improvements to Majestic Hills Ranch.

Honeywell employees and students from Robbinsdale Cooper High School worked side-byside to create a safer, more enjoyable place for those who ride the horses at the ranch. Majestic Hills offers horseback riding therapy for children with disabilities and military veterans… and it’s free for veterans as long as they have a doctor’s note.

The May event was the ranch’s largest-ever volunteer turnout. According to Majestic Hills owners, to get all this work done without volunteers would cost $15,000 to $16,000. (Source: KSTP-TV)