Jim Odle was born in Lenora, Kansas on February 2, 1938 to Percy and Lucille Odle. In 1939, he and his family relocated to a farm near Kuner, Colorado, where he grew up alongside his sister, Billy Lou. Jim's father farmed and his mother was a schoolteacher. He attended grade school and junior high in Kuner and graduated from Greeley High School where he was active in football, basketball, and baseball. He was a member of the National Honor Society and was also a member and officer of the Future Farmers of America.
On December 18, 1959 he married Ruth Ann Dunn of Eaton, Colorado. They farmed and ranched near Kuner, Colorado from 1958 t o 1969, during which time Jim started his auction career. He worked sorting cattle at local auction markets, and in 1962, Claude
Redman provided him with his first opportunity as an auctioneer. He also worked as an auctioneer with Austin and Austin in Greeley, Colorado from 1962 to 1964.
I n 1964, he purchased an interest in the Weld County Livestock Commission Company in Greeley, Colorado. In 1967, he sold that and Joined Brush Livestock Commission Company in Brush, Colorado, which he purchased i n 1969 and sold in 1976. He also
owned and operated Amarillo Livestock Auction in Amarillo, Texas from 1994 to 1996.
James Lee "Jim" Odle
Superior Livestock Auction
Jim is an accomplished "self-taught" auctioneer, having won the World Livestock Auctioneer Central Region Championship in 1972 and the World Livestock Auctioneer Western Region Championship in 1978. Early in his career, he auctioneered at various markets throughout Colorado and Wyoming, including the Denver Stockyards and the National Western Stock Show feeder calf sales. In 1972, Jim Odle and Chuck Cumberlin founded Odle Cumberlin Auctioneers, a
dispersal auction business based out of Brush, Colorado. They sold farm machinery, real estate, business liquidations, and heavy equipment and in the fall of 1979, they began conducting seasonal video cattle auctions. Their video auctions took place in a hotel ballroom, where buyers who had traveled t o the sale location watched video tapes of the cattle while bidding on them. They held their "Labor Day" auction each September and the "Bellinger" auction each January in conjunction with the National Western Stock Show in Denver.
In 1986, Odle sold his interest in Odle Cumberlin Auctioneers to his partner but retained the video cattle auction division of the company. He then founded Odle Auctions and in September of 1986 he conducted the annual "Labor Day" auction in Denver. He conducted another auction in October of that year and at that auction he was approached by Buddy Jeffers, who owned Amarillo Livestock Auction and Amarillo Livestock Video Auction in Amarillo, Texas, with a proposal to combine their two video cattle auctions and incorporate satellite broadcast technology. In December of 1986, Odle and Jeffers merged their video cattle auctions, founded Superior Livestock Auction, and created a nationwide livestock market for America's cattle producers.
Though video cattle auctions by satellite faced skepticism, Superior Livestock Auction took the chance and held its first satellite auction i n January 1987. The auction took place at the National Western Stock Show i n Denver and received strong acceptance from the very first event. Superior combined competitive bidding with modern technology and as video and satellite technology advanced through the years, Odle always kept Superior in the forefront. When the Internet became viable, they incorporated it into their operations. With offices i n Brush, Colorado and Fort Worth, Texas, Superior Livestock flourished to become the nation's largest livestock auction with Jim Odle being the driving force in advancing Superior to its prominence in livestock marketing.
In June of 2007, Jim and his partners sold Superior Livestock Auction. In November o f 2009, Farm Credit West acquired Superior, and they hired Jim to serve a s General Manager. In June of 2012, Superior sold to National Livestock Credit Corporation and a group of investors headquartered out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They asked Jim to continue to serve as General Manager and h e held that position until December of 2013. From 2013 to 2016, Jim continued to assist Superior as a management consultant.
Odle was a member o f the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and served on the NCBA Marketing Committee. He was also an active member of the Livestock Marketing Association, National Western Stock Show Association, National Auctioneers Association, and the Colorado Auctioneers Association.
Odle was honored with induction into the Colorado Auctioneers Hall of Fame in 1995, and two years later, in 1997, was the Record Stockman's Man of the Year in Livestock. Jim and his partner in Superior Livestock Auction were awarded the 2006 Beef Industry "Vision Award", which is presented annually by the National Cattlemen's Foundation to recognize individuals in the cattle industry who have incorporated innovation into their operation that enhanced not only their business, but the entire livestock industry. In 2012, they were honored with induction into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame for their significant role in advancing livestock marketing within Texas. In 2015, Jim was inducted into the Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame. In 2017, he received the Livestock Publications Council "Headliner Award" for his outstanding contributions t o the livestock industry. In 2019 Odle was honored with induction into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame & Museum's "Hall of Great Westerners", recognizing his outstanding embodiment of western values and his major influence on the history of the American West. Jim was honored with the Cattle Feeders Hall o f Fame "Leadership Award" in 2019, and two years later in 2021, he became a member o f the National Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame. In 2025 Jim and Ruth Ann were recipients o f the Morgan County Colorado Fair & Rodeo's Watrous Pioneer Award.
Jim has served his community as a member o f the Brush Chamber of Commerce; Board of Directors of the First National Bank of Brush; Morgan County Economic Development Committee; Morgan County Commissioners Variance Committee; East Morgan County Hospital Board and the RE-2 School Board.
Odle was one of the founders of Cowboy Church that airs on RFDTV. He currently serves a s Executive Producer of Cowboy Church. and is on the Board of Directors of RFDTV. Jim is also a member and elder of the Rankin Presbyterian Church in Brush. Jim and Ruth Ann reside on their ranch south of Brush, Colorado where they operate a cow-calf and feeder operation, farm and raise quarter horses. They have four children, Deanna, Ted, Amy, and Tom. Deanna is married to Brian Christensen, and they have homes in Brush, Colorado & Fort Scott, Kansas. Ted and his wife Michele reside in Weatherford, Texas. Amy is married to Kevin Needens, and they live in Mesa, Arizona. Tom and his wife Amber reside in Brush, Colorado. They have thirteen grandchildren, sixteen great grandchildren and two more on the way in 2026.
Awards:
1972 World Livestock Auctioneer Central Region Champion
1978 World Livestock Auctioneer Western Region Champion
1995 Inducted into the Colorado Auctioneer Hall of Fame
1997 Record Stockman's Man of the Year in Livestock
2006 National Cattlemen's Foundation Beef Industry "Vision Award"
2012 Inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame
2015 Inducted into the Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame
2017 Livestock Publications Council "Headliner Award"
2018 National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum "Hall of Great Westerners"
2019 Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame "Leadership Award"
2021 Inducted into the National Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame
Professional Affiliations:
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
National Cattlemen's Beef Association Marketing Committee
Livestock Marketing Association
National Western Stock Show Association
National Auctioneers Association
Colorado Auctioneers Association
Community Service:
Executive Producer of Cowboy Church.tv
Member and Elder of the Rankin Presbyterian Church Brush, Colorado
Previously Served:
First National Bank o f Brush Board of Directors
East Morgan County Hospital Board of Directors
Morgan County Economic Development Committee
Morgan County Commissioners Variance Committee
RE-2 School Board
Brush, Colorado Chamber of Commerce