With a rich family history in showing livestock, the Dooleys have had their share of grand champions.

But never one of the top spots at the world’s largest junior livestock show Oklahoma Youth Expo.

Until this year. Each year during the month of March, thousands of 4-H and FFA students from around the state gather at the state fairgrounds Jim Norick Arena to exhibit their cattle, hogs, goats and sheep, vying for top honors at OYE.

Of the 2,766 market wether lambs exhibited at this year’s event, only one could be crowned best of show.

As the judge made his rounds in the final competition examining each breed champion closely, 10-year-old Skylar Dooley, the daughter of Jake and Shawna Dooley, put her skills to work setting up her black-faced crossbreed lamb, Bandit, just as her dad had taught her.

Soon the judge began to make his way toward the winner, extending his hand of congratulations to Skylar as the winning exhibitor of this year’s 2025 OYE grand champion market lamb.

Said Skylar, “I was overjoyed,” a fourth grader at Lomega Public School and a 4-H club member.

Referring to the honor as a once in a lifetime deal, Jake said through all the years of showing, he, or his family have never won anything this big.

“Skylar put in a lot of late nights, early mornings, tears and smiles to get to this point,” he said.

“Being able to get the grand champion as a parent, it’s been nothing short of amazing. Shawna and I showed, but never had that kind of success on that kind of stage and to have your daughter do it is remarkable.”

An almost-year round effort, Skylar explained the many hours it takes to condition and train the lambs on a daily basis.

You want sheep to have really puffy-looking legs and you have to work at that, she said.

“We have these thick wraps we put around their legs to keep all the hair,” Skylar said.

As an example, over a period of approximately five hours on a given day, Skylar said she works with her dad to wash the sheep, condition them, wash them again, blow the hair out, put spray conditioner on them, blow them back out, comb them down and wrap each leg.

In addition, they exercise the sheep on a treadmill and an exercise walker several times a week.

At shows, there is much to be accomplished as well and Skylar is there from beginning to end, Shawna said.

Though it’s only her second year to show animals, Skylar has been helping her dad show the lambs he raises to potential buyers since she was 5 or 6 years old.

Having developed a passion nor only for showing sheep, Skylar loves learning from the judges’ critiques of the animals.

Of the six sheep Skylar exhibited this year, she took three wethers and one ewe to OYE.

She discussed what qualities she felt contributed to Bandit earning the top honor this year.

“The one that I won with, this judge at OYE likes it opened up more (in the rear of the lamb),” she said.

“Normally, it doesn’t have to be opened up, but he is smaller and more opened up, so he just stands out more.

“The other ones are a little taller with a little bit of belly, but this judge at OYE liked them more opened up.”

She also added that Bandit was the hardest to train and took a lot of extra practice.

“You have to set them up, fix their legs and make sure they’re good for you,” she added.

“If you don’t work with one and you take it to a show, it acts like it’s dumb, really dumb.”

Reflecting on the moment Skylar’s lamb was announced grand champion, Shawna said her reaction was just tears.

“I showed cattle growing up and as a mom being a part of it, it’s just different,” she added. “It’s cool and it’s a big family thing.

“Last year was Skylar’s first year when she was 9 and to see the progress that she’s made in one year is just remarkable.

“She’s grown into herself and the confidence that she’s gained is unmatched. When you push your kids, you hope it clicks, but just to see it click is incredible.”

Showing livestock is a family affair and this accomplishment has actually been somewhat of a full-circle moment for Jake.

He and Shane Clifton raise sheep together as a business, with their relationship beginning many years ago as Jake was completing college and assisting high school students with their show animals.

One of those students happened to be Shane and Mandy Clifton’s daughter, Chelsea Clifton (Castonguay), who went on to earn the same title of grand market lamb at OYE exactly 20 years ago.

Jake and Shawna also refl ected fondly on their memories of exhibiting livestock during OYE at the “The Big House,” which will be torn down later this year to make room for a new arena.

“Though it was not the lamb which won grand champion, Skylar showed in the very last class of sheep at the Big House, so that’s a fun fact,” Jake said.

Having already learned a lot and constantly wanting to learn more about showing sheep, Skylar said, “It’s just fun.”

“I feel more comfortable and the more effort I put into it, the easier it gets.”

When asked if she had any advice for other competitors, Skylar thought for a moment and repeated the fun phrase her family has adopted before entering the show ring: “Good luck, don’t suck,” - which just affectionately means do your best.

“Our goal as a family is to teach Skylar the responsibility, work ethic and perseverance through the hard times,” Shawna said.

“We’re not in it for the money or the banners, those are fun and definitely things to celebrate,” Shawna added.

But it’s about seeing Skylar figuring out how to set up her lamb when he’s not cooperating and getting up at 5 a.m. to go to a judging contest because she likes it, Shawna said.

It’s about being frustrated when she wants to be out helping her dad show sheep to potential buyers, but has to miss out, she added.

“It’s learning dedication to something and finding that passion and I think she has,” Shawna said.

“That is really why we do it as a family is to help teach them all those life lessons that you may not be able to learn fully anywhere else like you can in showing animals.”