11-year-old’s rise to fame shows the power of love through animals

(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — In a now viral post on Facebook, an 11-year-old boy from Yoder is getting some much-deserved praise after placing in his first show alongside his lamb at the El Paso County Fair.

It was picture-perfect this week for 11-year-old Gage Graves, but getting to this moment wasn’t an easy road. At age three, Gage was diagnosed with Autism and used to be non-verbal. His path forever changed when a four-legged friend walked into his life.

“We got him a horse to start doing hippotherapy because we heard animals and kids with autism do really well,” said Tonya Perdue, Gage’s mom. It went so well, in fact, the family would make another big decision—a move from the mountains in Teller County to the Eastern Plains in Yoder.

“We were living in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment in Divide and we were boarding the horse, so we decided it would be a whole lot cheaper if we could buy a house with some land to bring the horse home and they’d have more time together,” said Perdue.

For a fraction of what it would have cost in Divide, Perdue said she and her husband, Robert, were able to buy 40 acres of land in Yoder.

“So of course, 40 acres you have to fill it, right?” laughed Perdue. “So the more animals we bought, the more curious he got, and he loved touching them and feeling them… and would learn to say what animal it was and say things about them,” she explained.

Fast-forward five years and Gage’s love for animals would only continue to grow, and the next step, which Tonya and Robert knew was a big one for Gage, was 4-H.

“I’m like, ‘I don’t know if he can do it,’ I honestly had a little freak out about it and my husband was like, ‘Well, let’s just try it,'” recalled Perdue.

After meeting with Lori Carneal, the Leader of the Ramblin Wranglers 4-H Club in Rush, Tonya and Robert knew it was the right fit for Gage.

The next step was getting an animal for their son to work with, which brought them to meet the owners of Purple Mountain Livestock, Melissa and John Durham, along with their daughter, Jolenne. “They picked two of their best little twin lambs,” said Perdue, who added that Gage immediately grew a strong bond with both.

Carneal’s daughter, Carly, who has been part of the 4-H program her entire life, was instrumental in guiding Gage through the process. “It has definitely helped him feel like he has a friend because she is right there helping him, every step of the way,” Perdue said.

Carly, who is now a sophomore at Miami-Yoder High School, started showing animals at the age of four and is someone the younger kids can look up to. “We are incredibly proud of her leadership skills and her willingness to always help the kids who are new to the club,” said her mom.

Perdue echoed Carneal’s sentiment, saying that everyone welcomed their family and Gage with open arms. “The Ramblin Wranglers were so awesome; they were like, ‘Whatever he needs we are there to help support him 100% of the way,’ and that’s what really pushed us to do it, is knowing we had their support and their inclusion to help him through it,” she said.

Soon, Gage’s days would be filled with caring for his lambs.

“We just made it part of his routine,” explained Perdue. “Every morning he would get up, get dressed for school, and have his breakfast, then he’d go out with dad who would help him feed the lambs in the morning, and then as soon as he got off the bus, we’d go feed and walk them.”

Practice makes perfect, but when show week came along this past Tuesday, and as any parent would be, Perdue was nervous for her son. “He’s attached to my hip, so I wasn’t sure if he would go into the ring without me and I planned to go in with him if he needed me to, but I watched and I stayed back.”

Knowing how hard her son had worked to get here, she was just grateful for him to experience something new.

“We had previously worked out his accommodations, what he needed to even be able to go into the ring, which was his headphones, his teddy bear, and his little, cooling neck thing that he wears,” she said.

When it was Gage’s time to show his lamb, “Lambo,” Carly was right there by his side. “I told her what to say and how to guide him and she just took my advice and just stood there and supported him,” Perdue explained.

Allowing mom to watch the moment she would never forget.

“I started bawling the second he stepped in there and didn’t look back and say, ‘Come on, Mom, are you coming with me?’ That’s when I lost it, just for him to be able to go into the ring by himself was a huge accomplishment for him.”

Gage took third in his Market Lamb class but will always be first in his mom’s heart.

“I said, ‘Gage, I am so very proud of how well you did today,’ and he looked at me and said, ‘Thanks, Mom, thank you, thank you, thank you’ and it just melted my heart.”

Praise that didn’t only come from mom, but strangers too, with Gage’s mom thanking the woman who posted the now-viral photo . “Carrie Terroux-Barrett with the Colorado Horse Rescue Network, her daughter is in the Ramblin Wranglers with Gage, so for her to post the photo she did and for it to go viral, we are just so humbled and grateful for the outpouring of love and support.”

The Ramblin Wranglers were rallying behind their teammate, too. “The entire club was so excited to watch Gage enter that show ring and handle his lamb. We all knew what an extraordinary accomplishment that was. I know every one of the show moms had tears of joy and pride,” said Carneal, who hopes that others will consider joining the team after hearing Gage’s story.

“The true heart of 4-H is giving everyone a sense of belonging, while also learning business management and record keeping, public speaking, and leadership skills,” explained Carneal. “Our 4-H youth are incredible young people who exhibit what hard work and kindness can do to affect real change.”

As far as next year goes, Gage plans to take part in 4-H again. He will also be at Saturday’s Jr. Livestock Sale with his other sheep, whom he calls Shep.

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