Agricultural News
Oklahoma Youth Expo Expects Another Record-Breaking Year in 2019 - Deadline to Enter is Feb. 22
Mon, 07 Jan 2019 13:02:30 CST
With the first week of the New Year already expired, it won't be long before the 2019 Oklahoma Youth Expo gets underway once again. With that in mind, the OYE staff is reminding youth exhibitors to enter their show stock before the February 22nd deadline arrives. Only livestock previously nominated will be eligible to officially enter OYE, the nation's largest junior livestock show which returns to Oklahoma City this year on the week of Spring Break, March 13-22, 2019.
According to OYE Show Manager Kass Newell, who spoke this week with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, the nominations that have been submitted for this year already suggest that 2019 could be the show's biggest year yet.
"For the 2019 show for nominations of all species - we're up in numbers," she said. "We have about just over 16,000 hogs for the 2019 show and total nominations are around 24,000 for all species combined. So, the county shows should be strong this year along with OYE - one of the largest ones ever I'm assuming."
Just one year ago, total entries for the show came in at 19,477. Growth such as this suggested by the preliminary nominations for 2019, is typical for OYE. Newell reports that the most significant increase has obviously occurred in the number of hogs, but says growth has been seen across the board throughout all species. This has naturally presented some challenges with growing pains, although Newell remarks that this is a good problem to have.
"The biggest issue we always have is penning, especially with those hogs," she said, explaining some of the scheduling changes that have become necessary in order to make the show work logistically. "This year the commercial gilts will show before the purebred gilts and then the commercial heifers are actually being moved back a week. So, they're going to be showing with the market steers this year to allow for a little more space in the cattle barn during the heifer show."
Newell encourages exhibitors, ag teachers and parents to check in regularly with their website and their various social media accounts leading up to the show to stay current on any last-minute schedule changes like these as well as other important show updates and information that is shared - like their upcoming RV and VIP Parking Sales that will soon be announced.
For more information on this year's show, you can listen to Newell's complete conversation with Hays, by clicking or tapping the LISTEN BAR below.
Our Coverage of the 2019 Oklahoma Youth Expo is once again 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.
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 2019 OYE can be found on the Blue Green Gazette page- available here. We will be adding pictures daily to our official 2019 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.
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