The Oklahoma Youth Expo hosted the largest single day shotgun sports contest September 7, 2022, at the Oklahoma Trapshooting Association in El Reno, Oklahoma, and Silverleaf Shotgun Sports in Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Hosting both trap and sporting clays contests, 65 individuals and 109 teams totaled more than 600 seventh through 12th grade Oklahoma 4-H and FFA members.
“The most exciting part of the Inaugural Shotgun Sports Contest was seeing a completely different group of competitors,” OYE’s President of the Onward Foundation, Tyler Norvell said. “These are students who are rooted in agriculture, but they pursue other opportunities within the industry rather than showing livestock, and I believe it’s our job at OYE to provide events for as many students in agriculture as possible,” Norvell said.
The event was created to not only inspire competition but also to promote proper gun safety. Prior to competing, all contestants were required to have passed a Hunters Safety course and have practiced with a supervisor for a minimum of eight hours.
Cordell FFA had two teams who shot both trap and sporting clays at the event.
Junior Team: Dylan Edison, Caden Eldridge, Kinzer Todd, and Hayden Melzer.
Senior Team: Josh Wilson, Carlie Banks, Corben Dobbs, Thomas Reimer, and Joe Wilson.
Freshman Corben Dobbs will be awarded for ranking in the top 10 for 9th graders in the Sporting Clay Division at this event.