Agricultural News
Oklahoma Youth Expo Kicks Off with a Full Schedule and a Record Number of Exhibitors Yet Again
Wed, 08 Mar 2017 15:35:54 CST
It is that time again, when 4-H and FFA members gather in Oklahoma City at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds for the nation's largest junior livestock show, the Oklahoma Youth Expo. The show's executive director, Tyler Norvell, visited Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays in studio this week to talk about the week and half long event that kicks off today, as students arrive at the State Fairground livestock barns with their gilts. You can listen to the discussion between Hays and Norvell about the upcoming events at OYE, by clicking or tapping the LISTEN BAR below at the bottom of this story.
"Our numbers are again bigger than last year and how it continues to grow I'm really not sure," Norvell said. "We have over 10,000 head of hogs entered to be at the Oklahoma Youth Expo and then our numbers are all the same in the different species - people are coming in like crazy."
In fact, the numbers have increased so dramatically, the hog show has moved from being a two day show to a three day show just to accommodate all the entries. The event will officially begin Thursday morning at 7:30 with the purebred gilt show, and after that, animals will be shown every day until March 16th. Breeding stock will show through to the weekend until Saturday, when the market animals will move in.
Norvell says, too, that there will also be more going on in these already packed-full days than just stock shows.
"There's so many activities going on for those young people between showmanship, the Legislative show, some of our achievement awards through doing academic tests," he said. "Just non-stop opportunities with those young people."
Those members being awarded for their efforts won't just be rewarded with recognition, they will also receive cash awards as well for the hard work and dedication they have put it every day to raise and exhibit their animals. Norvell insists that although we have been in some tough economic times recently, the OYE has not lost even one sponsor, and expects that like the previous two years, at least $1 million will be paid out to exhibitors during the Sale of Champions, which brings OYE to an end next Friday night at 4:00 p.m.
It is worth noting also, that this will be a very big week for the State Fairgrounds, which will be hosting the State Basketball Tournament as well the Auto Show, this first week of OYE. Norvell advises exhibitors and guests arrive early, or be prepared to park a long distance from the entrance.
Norvell will join Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays for his weekly In the Field segment on KWTV News9 in the Oklahoma City area on Saturday morning at 6:40 a.m.
Our Coverage of the 2017 Oklahoma Youth Expo is a service of ITC Great Plains, Your Energy Superhighway- learn more about this high voltage, transmission only utility and their commitment to the communities they serve which is the cornerstone of their business- click here for their website. We also salute the title sponsor of the 2017 OYE, McDonalds- click here for more information about how McDonalds sources USDA inspected beef from US ranchers- as well as the other responsibly grown food you enjoy under the Golden Arches.
Reports will be heard daily on great radio stations that cover Oklahoma and that are a part of the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network- on the internet- our reports of the 2017 OYE can be found on the Blue Green Gazette page- available here. We will be adding pictures daily to our official 2017 OYE Album of Photos on FLICKR, found here.
For more information about the Oklahoma Youth Expo, click here for the home page of the OYE website.
Click here for the complete schedule of all of the events at the 2016 Oklahoma Youth Expo.
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