4 minute read
Making It Count
Making It Count
A third-generation cattlewoman raised in Sweetwater, Oklahoma, Chloe Sue McEntire has lived a life full of ranching Red Angus cattle, competing in sports, and spending time with family. One of her newest designations, and one she is humbled to claim, is Champion Charolais steer at the 2023 Oklahoma Youth Expo.
For McEntire, having success in the Big House has been a lifelong dream of hers. Being awarded a ride in the prestigous OYE limo prior to the Grand Drive is a moment she claims she will never forget, and for reasons other than her champion title.
“It wasn’t just a win to me,” McEntire said. “The most meaningful part of it all was how big of a moment it was for my immediate family and show family. We got to see the hard work all of us put in day after day pay off, whether it was with a ribbon or not,” she added.
As a young student who began showing steers and heifers at just eight years old, her biggest and boldest dream has always been to make her time in the ring count. As she approached turning 18 years old and embarked on her last OYE, she said the vision has remained the same throughout her time in the ring: to “go out with a bang and push my hardest to make it count.”
Though her big moment was a year ago, McEntire remembers it clearly. From moving in her Maine-Anjou and Charolais steers, to hugging her dad’s neck after securing a blue ribbon, to the excited nerves that fluttered in her stomach while walking on the red carpet, these moments have shaped her and impacted her life for the better, she said.
“The experience was great all the way through,” McEntire said. “It was a great reminder that I’ve been fortunate enough to meet lots of wonderful people throughout the years, and it’s instilled in me the desire to work for what I truly want because it can bring you to become the person you truly are and are capable of becoming.”
Despite the 2023 OYE being filled with hard-earned victory for McEntire, it was less successful for her other half and younger brother, she said.
“The day of the steer show, my brother didn’t do as well as I did, but he didn’t even miss a beat or think about himself,” McEntire said as she smiled through grateful tears. “He was right by my side supporting me the entire time. And when I go to college next year, you can bet I will be back here, right by his side, supporting him through his career, too.”
McEntire said this reminded her of all of the previous years she has come up short from her big dreams but still learned invaluable lessons along the way. Truly understanding how to graciously lose, find the indisputable good in every situation, and failing forward despite obstacles that occur are just a few of the insights she’s gained from the highs and lows that come with exhibiting livestock, McEntire said.
From her work in the barn to the commitment she puts forth in the FFA classroom with speeches and livestock and land judging, McEntire’s passion has only continued to blossom with time and experience, she said.
“I can’t even put into words how this industry has helped me become the person I am today,” she said with a smile. “It’s been the biggest opportunity to just do what I get to do. My parents support me and help me to do my best in chasing my dreams. It means a lot to have people in my life who support me all the way through my career,” McEntire said.
Today, McEntire is a Southwestern Oklahoma State University freshman pursuing a degree in agribusiness. Her career aspirations include returning home to operate and improve McEntire Red Angus ranch alongside her hero, her dad.
Though she will no longer be stepping into the ring inside Jim Norick Arena as an exhibitor, McEntire said she is very much looking forward to spending another spring break at OYE to cheer on her brother and doing her part to help him make it count.
– Written by Emile Mittelstaedt
