Marietta ag mechanics continues to roll over their competition, this time at the world’s
largest junior livestock show, the Oklahoma Youth Expo held March 11 through 21 at
State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. The agricultural mechanics entries in OYE have
exploded from 50 in 2020 to 350 in 2025, but if it had been 3,500, that wouldn’t be
enough to intimidate advisor Josh Bazor’s kiddos, who are in the habit of winning
wherever they go.
OYE offers more than $2,000,000 in prizes to exhibits and $400,000 in scholarships.
Despite those numbers, Bazor said that for them, OYE is more about bragging rights
than anything, and his kids left OYE with several things to brag about.
Waylon McKinney’s carpet ball table won third in class and third in division. Joan Vega’s
cattle guard and gate won first in class. Schuyler Blevins’s two-team welding trailer was
first in class and third in division.
Kevin Bain, who exhibited a hunting bed for a Polaris Ranger, was first in class and a
division winner.
“This is the best I have done at an ag mechanics show,” said Bain. “It was a rewarding
feeling to hear my name be called for first in class and division winner.”
Zade Bone’s bumper pull trailer was judged second in class, Timber Campbell’s duck
blind was fourth in class, and Cooper Prince, a ten-year-old Marietta 4-H member, won
third in class with his excavator bucket stove.
The group’s best finisher was Bazor’s son Brody, whose bulk sheep handler won first in
class, division winner, and reserve grand champion overall.
“I was super excited and glad that my hard work paid off. I spent many long hours and
late nights in the ag building shop trying to finish it,” said Brody.
As far as Brody’s dad is concerned, seeing all his kids win big at OYE is great, but it’s
secondary to the knowledge that as they develop their projects from conception through
completion, students are also developing a valuable skill set, one that can conceivably
earn them a living right out of high school.
“We were just tickled to death with our results at OYE,” said Bazor. “We were all
exhausted with having so many shows in such a short time span, but it worked out.
Anytime you win a class and a division up there, it’s huge, and we won four classes and
two divisions.
“Our kids are getting a lot of exposure and a lot of recognition, and it’s great to see that
happening. When you see ag teachers from all over complementing our kids, it’s a big,
big deal.”