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FAMILY MAN RECEIVES LIVESTOCK JUDGING COACH OF THE YEAR HONOR
arker Henley’s grandfather Norman Henley instilled a passion for agriculture in the lives of his family. A legacy of family and agriculture is something Oklahoma State University and Parker Henley have in common. “Parker’s Grandpa Norman is his idol,” said Christy Henley, Parker Henley’s wife.“His grandpa always prioritized family and how important it is to always take care of family.” Parker Henley grew up on a century-old family farm in the fescue hills of Eugene, Missouri, where his family still raises Charolais, Angus and commercial cattle. As a youth, he exhibited cattle, sheep, and swine and judged livestock. “We spent a lot of time with Grandpa Norman growing up, and he taught us the general principles of managing the livestock and the ground,” Parker Henley said. “Things seemed to be second nature to him. He was a natural teacher, and that is where a lot of my passion for agriculture has come from.” Parker Henley is extremely close to his family, who all work on the farm, his wife said. The family enjoys attending games, livestock shows, graduations and other events together, she added. But, the Henley family grew when the couple moved to Stillwater in 2020
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for him to coach the OSU Livestock Judging Team. “The team is really an extension of our family,” Christy Henley said. “Before we had our son, Norman, our livestock judging students were our kids. They are our family.” The Henleys said they enjoy hosting the team for dinner. Parker Henley also tries to include his wife and their son in everything he can, he said. “It takes a supportive family to make it all work,” Parker Henley said. “I’m very lucky here at Oklahoma State. We have a lot of things really close, and so it allows me to balance my work and family life pretty well.” Christy Henley said she does not think of their lives as a balancing act because they care about their students so much. Her husband loves to coach and wants to help prepare his students for life, she added. Parker Henley uncovered his passion and success in livestock judging during his time at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas, he said. While a student at Butler and then at Kansas State University, Parker Henley competed on both livestock judging teams. After earning his bachelor’s degree at KSU, he then attended the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign for his master’s degree in animal science and doctorate in
animal science while serving as the livestock judging head coach at UIUC. “He loves teaching so much,” Christy Henley said. “That’s definitely something he learned about himself at the University of Illinois — how much he enjoys seeing a young person learn a new skill.” Henley is a competitive person and instills in his students the desire to compete, but that comes second to his passion to teach and to mentor young people, said Dan Shike, UIUC animal science associate professor and former livestock judging coach. “I am confident that whether the next team is the national champion or not, those students still will have benefited from everything that Henley taught them and from all the personal development and career preparation gained through livestock judging,” Shike said. Expectations at OSU are high, Shike said. Not only did Parker Henley step right into that, but also he didn’t let it intimidate him and had success right out of the gate. Livestock judging is an OSU legacy, said Mark Johnson, OSU animal and food sciences professor and former livestock judging coach. Coaching Cowboys is no easy task, but Parker Henley does it with ease, Johnson added. Due to his hard work, Parker Henley received 2021 Coach of the
