TGS | Shaped By the Showring

For Arcadia native Katie Eisenhauer, her journey in agriculture and into the goat ring she’s called her second home the past 10 years began with… bottle calves.

Growing up, Katie and her younger brother, Mason, spent much of their upbringing on their grandparents’ farm, familiarizing themselves with livestock from the time they could walk.

At a young age, Eisenhauer said she knew she was going to be part of the Junior Livestock Show Program. With deep family roots in the agricultural industry and her mother working for the Youth Expo for now more than two decades, the Oklahoma Youth Expo and the showring have always been part of her life, whether she was competing or not, Eisenhauer said.

From the moment she received her first goat to “try out” in the showring, Eisenhauer said she was hooked and never looked back.

Eisenhauer not only had a bit of an untraditional start in the show world, but also an untraditional collective experience, she said.

Being a student at Oklahoma Christian Schools, Eisenhauer did not have the chance to join her school’s local 4-H or FFA chapter because neither were offered as part of the OCS system.

However, this roadblock did not stop her or her brother from making their mark in the livestock world. Rather, they joined their county 4-H club and began what would eventually become a jampacked livestock show career, Eisenhauer said.

“This is why the one piece of advice I always give to young kids coming up into this program is to value every single moment,” Eisenhauer said sincerely. “Because whether it’s your first time or last, whether you have a conventional start to your journey or not, you don’t know when special memories get to come along, so it’s critical to value them all.”

Now a freshman at Oklahoma State University, Eisenhauer said she reflects back on her time in the Junior Livestock Show program with nothing but positivity and joy.

Some of her most stand-out memories are her first ride in the famous white Hummer limo during the OYE Grand Drive as a mere eight-year-old in 2015 and winning the OYE Wether Dam Breeding Doe Show later in 2021, she said.

But what resonates with her the most, aside from the life-long memories and cherished life skills she’s learned during the past decade, is the gratitude for all of the hard work and dedication that goes into hosting what is now revered nationally as #TheGreatestShow each and every year, Eisenhauer said smiling.

“I am fortunate to have seen so much of what it takes to host such a grand event and meet many people who work diligently to make the dream into a reality,” Eisenhauer said. “I appreciate the gift we have in OYE and the leadership who support it here in Oklahoma – it’s a key part of Oklahoma agriculture today that we certainly need to be thankful for and continue building upon,” Eisenhauer added.

Though she’s now traded afternoons in the barn preparing for shows for classes across OSU’s campus, Eisenhauer said she is still taking every opportunity to support her brother on his show journey and get back in the barn.

“I realize my time showing goats has shaped me significantly,” Eisenhauer said, “not just as a showman, but in garnering invaluable lessons like learning that life is full of success and failures, so it is essential to learn to tip your hat to others while being proud of yourself, too.”

Having spent nearly every March of her life in Oklahoma at the World’s Largest Junior Livestock Show, she is eager to continue on that path and experience OYE in new roles – being her brother’s biggest cheerleader, interning, and supporting her friends – all while valuing every single moment.

Watch Katie's full story here.