Now entering the ring, class two commercial breeding ewes. Austyn Densmore has two entries in this class. He walks into the Super Barn Arena with his lambs. Five months ago, no one thought this moment was possible, and without the help of his classmate Sadie Sherman it would not have happened.  

The Oklahoma Youth Expo is the largest junior livestock show in the country. It is held in Oklahoma City each March. The ten-day event hosts multiple competitions for more than 7,000 4-H and FFA students across the state. This year 25 Chandler students showed cattle, goats, sheep, and pigs at OYE. In addition, 4-H and FFA members participate in skillathon and showmanship competitions. A few came home with blue ribbons, some were excited about the experience setting new goals for next year, most honed their showmanship skills, but one Chandler senior was fortunate to even be there.

On October 11, 2022, Austyn Densmore was in a serious automobile accident. He was intubated and life flighted to the trauma ICU at OU Medical Center where he remained in a coma for 11 days. His parents were told he had a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI), in addition to a fracture at the base of his skull, a fractured right clavicle, three broken ribs, a lacerated spleen, multiple fractures in his pelvis, and a chip from his pelvis in his hip. Only 10% of patients with DAI regain consciousness. That was also the same night his family was supposed to be bidding on sheep for him to show as part of his FFA project work. Showing sheep now seemed very far from their minds as they stayed at the hospital around the clock praying for their son’s recovery.

“When Sadie found that out, she and her parents coordinated to get a couple of sheep for Austyn to show just in case he was out of the hospital by spring,” said Anora Densmore, Austyn’s mom. “He was miraculously home in time to show at the local, county, and OYE shows!”

Sadie is a senior and the Chandler FFA chapter Vice President this year. She has been showing cattle since she joined 4-H in third grade, but she had never owned or worked with sheep before. In fact, she says she was more scared of sheep than 1,000 pound calves. When two sheep were donated for Austyn to show, Sadie recalls it was one of the happiest days.

“It was a feeling of pure joy and I got to help in a way I never have before,” said Sadie. “Austyn’s parents were so excited, and they knew Austyn was going to love them.”

Sadie credits fellow classmates Ethan Stone and Emma Cummings for their help walking and training the sheep as well. “Batty and Sally became my friends,” Sadie said. “They were a reminder of Austyn every day and kept me going.”

After spending 15 days in the OU trauma ICU, Austyn was transferred to the Children’s Hospital in Bethany where he would begin a long road to recovery. He spent the next three months working hard on his physical and occupational therapy. Though he was released on January 18, the therapy continues. In February, Austyn was finally able to return to school and begin caring for his sheep at the school farm. While Austyn did not place with either of his sheep at OYE, he was there. Five months after his accident, and many hours of hard work and determination, Austyn was able to walk into the show ring at OYE.

Anora said both of Austyn’s sheep were in the same class, so Chandler seventh grader Carsyn Ball showed one as well. Austyn was unable to squat to brace the sheep, so Sadie assisted him in the ring and braced for him at the local and county shows as well as OYE.

The FFA motto is Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve, and the 4-H motto is To Make the Best Better. The students participating in these youth organizations are learning life lessons that will last long after the ribbons fade. They are committed to succeeding and understand the value of hard work.

Congratulations to all the Chandler 4-H and FFA members who participated at OYE 2023! This show is the culmination of the many hours spent working with their livestock before and after school. For a lot of these students those hours are in addition to participating in multiple extracurricular activities. It has been several years since a Chandler youth made the Sale of Champions and this year two students made the sale. Christian Moehle with his first in class Dark Cross barrow and Tanner Vaughan with his class winning Shorthorn steer.

Chandler swine exhibitors were Matt Cleaves, Gabrielle Dawson, Harpar Kliewer, Lizzy Kliewer, Madison Marcus, Christian Moehle, Aiden Rednour, and Tanner Vaughan. Lizzy Kliewer placed 9th with her Berkshire gilt. Christian Moehle placed 1st in class 12 with his Dark Cross barrow, Bubbles. Christian went on to compete in the Division 3 drive, where he was Bronze in the division. In the overall Dark Cross drive for sale order, he was 5th overall. He made the Sale of Champions selling as the 3rd overall Dark Cross Barrow, for $3,500 to OneOK and OPAL. 

Exhibiting in the cattle show were Adler Ball who was 9th in class 5 with her Cross steer. Carsyn Ball placed 5th with both her Simmental and Maintainer class 5 heifers. Ridley Bendele was 5th in class 6 with his Simmental steer. Makenna Miller placed 4th with her class 3 Chianina heifer. Jhett Schafer placed 5th in class 4 Simmental heifers. Riley Schafer was 4th in class 4 Simmental heifers. Sadie Sherman finished 6th in class 2 with her Angus steer. Tanner Vaughan was 3rd place with his class 5 Limousin steer, and 1st place with his class 4 Shorthorn Steer. His Shorthorn steer was named 1st Alternate for the Sale, and ultimately made the Sale of Champions. Ava White was 5th place in class 5 of Shorthorn Breeding Heifers, 5th place in her heat in the LNC Showmanship contest, and she was also the Cattle Kids Care Incentive Program $500 Winner.

Sheep exhibitors were Austyn Densmore, Annabel McCarley, Cale Mitchell, Hayden Raper and Ethan Stone. Annabel McCarley placed 5th with her Dorset Ewe and Cale Mitchell was 14th in class 1 with his Hair sheep. Senior Ethan Stone exhibited two commercial ewes, participated in showmanship and had a Shropshire whether. Ethan also participated in the Legislative showmanship with Kevin Wallace, and placed fourth in the senior division of the OYE skillathon competition. The skillathon is a written exam based on cumulative knowledge over the four livestock species shown at OYE.

Exhibiting in the goat show were Shianne Miller, Sydney Stewart, Shelby Knight who placed 13th with her Breeding Doe, and Erika Russell who placed 9th with her Breeding Doe and 14th in class 12 with her Market Whether.

Top photo: Austyn Densmore and Sadie Sherman exhibiting one of his lambs at OYE

Click here for the complete OYE photo album


Christian Moehle with his winning Dark Cross barrow


Tanner Vaughan with his winning Shorthorn steer

Austyn with his two sheep, Batty and Sally. Assisted by Carsyn Ball and Sadie Sherman