A Firm Foundation

A Firm Foundation

There once was a young man from western Oklahoma, with a passion for the agriculture industry and a fire in his belly to someday leave a lasting impact on not only the industry itself, but also upon the people in that industry he cares for deeply. He was raised on his family’s farm, learning the importance of a hard day’s work and the value of a handshake, both pillars of Jimmy Harrel’s foundation.

After college, he returned home to teach agricultural education and work with young people, assisting them in finding their passion within agriculture. Together, Harrel and his wife, Marilyn, settled in western Oklahoma, working to mold the minds of Oklahoma’s future agricultural leaders and prepare them for success. He continued to strengthen the love he uncovered in his high school years – livestock. This is something Harrel continued in his adult life and is a fondness he passed down to his children and his students.

A renowned Oklahoman, Jimmy Harrel has served as a pillar of the Oklahoma Youth Expo.

Throughout the years, Harrel cultivated relationships that took him beyond the classroom. In the 1980s, he had the opportunity to enter the banking business and has since worked every day to make the Bank of Western Oklahoma a predominant agricultural lender in Oklahoma, serving the industry he cares intently for.

Though he may have traded his blue jeans in for a suit most work days, he still spent plenty of time in the barn and attending livestock shows across the country with his daughter and grandchildren. Harrel’s infectious aspiration to find the next great steer and never shying away from the hard work necessary to later find victory in the ring always fueled his drive.

In Oklahoma, there is certainly no shortage of stock shows. Whether it be the 1980s or today in 2024, the opportunities to exhibit livestock in this great state are ample. Yet, one has always held a special place in Harrel’s heart. The Oklahoma Youth Expo, formerly known as the Oklahoma Spring Livestock Show, was a show he exhibited at as a young man and one that his family and students frequented. However, just like any century-old organization, there were good times and challenging times.

In the early 2000s, which proved to be a difficult time for the show, Harrel and Bob Funk, both accredited Oklahomans with a true affection for agriculture, saw an opportunity to resurrect the Oklahoma Spring Livestock Show with goals of putting the show and state on the map. In 2002, the pair officially formed the Oklahoma Youth Expo, a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting agricultural youth and providing an environment for them to showcase both their livestock and hard work each Spring.

Harrel knew from his personal experience in the showring that making it an exhibitor-friendly event was critical for the show’s long-term success. Together, he and Funk set out to find a dedicated staff who shared their understanding of putting a day’s worth of work in and who also called the livestock industry home.

With great effort and collaboration, these men secured funding, promoted the show and encouraged young agriculturalists to exhibit at OYE. Harrel’s wife also saw an opportunity for women like herself who shared an admiration for the industry to support this growing cause and formed the Diamond Hats, a women’s organization with the goal of encouraging the youth of Oklahoma as they pursue their agricultural endeavors.

The Harrel duo worked concurrently to ensure the success of the Oklahoma Youth Expo, continually looking for ways to better showcase exhibitors. With earnest effort and devotion to the task at

hand, they helped dream up and begin the iconic Grand Drive that the livestock world knows of today. From the initial days of involving Funk’s Clydesdales and Marilyn’s red carpet for the champion exhibitors to parade down, the OYE Grand Drive has evolved into the spectacle it is today. And – this duo has been there every step of the way.

Jimmy and his wife, Marilyn, are two constants of the Oklahoma Youth Expo and its exhibitors.

Today, Oklahoma is the proud home of ‘The World’s Largest Junior Livestock Show,’ no small feat. It is indisputable that OYE is a true testament to the commitment leaders like Jimmy and Marilyn Harrel instilled in the organization.

The Oklahoma Youth Expo will forever be grateful for this young agricultural education teacher who possessed a fiery passion for the agriculture industry and Junior Livestock Program. Harrel’s belief truly changed the course of the show industry in Oklahoma, as well as the United States. Stock shows across the country turn to the home we all know and love as a model for ways they can elevate their ag youth, several even attempting to recreate the acclaimed OYE Grand Drive.

When other organizations ask for advice on how they can grow to be of the size and caliber of the Oklahoma Youth Expo, President Tyler Norvell always states, “You don’t have the two things we have: Mr. Jimmy Harrel and Mr. Bob Funk.”

Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Youth Expo are forever thankful for the long-time loyalty and quality that shines through figures like Harrel. Without his unwavering vision, continuous support and passion for agricultural youth, OYE never would have become and proudly remain, “The Greatest Show.”

– Written by JD Rosman