Rylee Glazier was working her way through the show ring.

The Lomega senior made sure to keep good eye contact with the judge while also assuring Meathead, her 245-pound Hampshire barrow, was constantly in the presence of the judge as well.

Several other exhibitors in the ring were all attempting the same at the 93rd annual Kingfisher County Livestock Show.

The judge turned on his microphone and began to speak on the virtues of the pigs he was considering for grand champion of the entire show.

He then pointed directly to Rylee Glazier and Meathead.

Her first move was to shake the judge’s hand.

Then she saw her father, Dale Glazier, who was standing outside the south end of the show ring.

Rylee reached across the fence for an embrace with Dale that’s been years in the making.

••• The Glazier family is as entrenched as any when it comes to showing swine in Kingfisher County.

Tom Glazier, Dale’s father and Rylee’s grandfather, has been the swine superintendent at the county stock show for more than four decades.

Dale and his two brothers showed pigs growing up and Dale himself was an ag instructor and FFA adviser for 20 years.

His two daughters Whitney, a 2020 Lomega graduate and Rylee, who will graduate this year – carried on that tradition.

“We work at it and work at it very diligently. It’s our sport for a lack of better terms,” Dale said.

“If you go to school at Lomega, if not a great basketball player, you have to make your way in the world in a different respect. I’ve had several family members who were great ball players.

My daughters chose FFA as their way to make their mark.”

And they started young. “My sister and I both started showing when we turned 2 years old,” Rylee said.

And they put in the work it takes, which isn’t minimal.

“It is A LOT of work,” Rylee said. “I expect my pigs to bring their best every day I walk into the barn and they expect the same from me.”

Early-morning feedings before school. Walking them after school, no matter the temperature. Brushing them every night. Cleaning pens. Nighttime feeding.

“Spending every spare second with my pigs, making them your best friends, really matters,” Rylee said, “because when you are out in the ring showing, you are a team that can accomplish success when working together.”

Rylee has had her share of success during her FFA career.

Actively involved in Lomega’s chapter since her eighth grade year, she’s already served officers roles of president and reporter and is currently the vice president.

She’s a two-time state proficiency champion and was a national finalist in the diversified crop production proficiency area.

She’s placed at the state level in speech contests and has numerous accomplishments in livestock judging. (Note: Rylee will attend Northern Oklahoma College and be a part of that school’s livestock judging team after high school.)

She’s a member of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry Youth Council and was recently awarded Oklahoma Youth Expo Academic All-State.

“I’m very proud of the accomplishments I’ve been able to achieve in my FFA career,” she said.

But one thing has alluded Rylee - and her sister, for that matter.

They’ve never been able to exhibit the grand champion barrow at Kingfisher County’s show.

“They’ve been close so many times,” Dale said. “I’d say, combined, they’ve had more reserve grands than anyone else.”

Dale estimated the two have pulled down that honor six or seven times over the years.

And the expectations for this year’s show with Meathead weren’t great…almost none, in fact.

“We mostly had that barrow on a plan to be ready for OYE (Oklahoma Youth Expo),” Dale said. “We had kind of given up on the county show, basically.”

But Meathead won his class and later earned the title of breed champion.

As the judge was speaking, it was clear his choice was down to Meathead and the champion crossbreed shown by Cashion FFA’s Zoe Lukasek.

He pointed at Rylee. After years and years of near misses, the Glazier family had the grand champion barrow.

“It was a whirlwind of emotions,” she recalls. “There was the excitement and feeling of accomplishing a goal, just like any individual sets.”

Rylee’s sister was there to witness it as was their mother, Lori.

Of course Tom was right there as were Lori’s parents, Wyman and Karen Nemecek.

Wyman was an ag instructor for 35 years, mostly at Checotah.

“He was very successful in the swine show arena,” Dale said.

They all got to witness Rylee’s accomplishment.

“I was just so grateful for the win. It takes a team and village to achieve great outcomes in the show barn,” Rylee said. “I’m so thankful that I have my whole family and the Lomega show team to support me and surround me throughout my last show season.”

And right there was Dale, where he’s been throughout Rylee’s career.

The two hugged for a few seconds before she gathered her championship banner and left the ring with Meathead.

“It was the moment we finally did it,” Rylee said of her thoughts during the embrace.

Dale knew what it meant to Rylee.

“It was a validation of all her work and effort and something both of my girls have worked at and strived for,” he said. “It came to fruition when we said we didn’t think it could happen.

“It’s just one of those things that had been a goal for our family. It’s something she’s worked really hard at and I’m really proud to see it happen for her.”

Earning that grand championship, shaking the judge’s hand and hugging her father were each just mere moments in time.

Together, said Rylee, they’re much more.

“It definitely will be a special moment for my family and I to look back on forever.”