Detwiler is 2016 fair queen

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Expressing surprise after being crowned 2016 Junior Fair Queen of this year’s Champaign County Fair by 2015 Fair Queen Heather Lowry during Sunday’s grandstand ceremony, Kylie Detwiler recognized all fair queen candidates and those who make the fair queen contest possible.

“I’m shocked,” Queen Kylie said following the ceremony. “The girls are amazing,” she said of the other candidates.”

Ashton Arnett and Kayleigh Metz were named first and second runner-up, respectively.

The daughter of Andy and Corkey Detwiler, Queen Kylie is active in 4-H and FFA and is a 2015 graduate of West Liberty-Salem High School. She is a Business Marketing major at the University of Cincinnati.

On her fair queen application, she lists as special interests marketing, psychology, business, ag business and entrepreneurship. She noted she enjoys being with friends and family, being outdoors, hiking, riding horses, boating and helping others.

The 2016 Junior Fair Queen has held 4-H offices and, at fair, has shown market and breeding goats and beef steers. She has won grand and reserve champion awards with goats and was successful in showmanship. She was King of the Ring in 2014 and received 2nd place with beef steers. Honors include earning the 2015 Todd Conrad Herdsman Award.

The fair queen stressed in her application the bond she has with fellow 4-H club members and the fulfillment of participating in the fair.

She also notes her FFA activities and appreciation for being able to attend state and national FFA conventions. Other activities have included Ag Science Day each high school year, adopting a highway to pick up roadside trash, and activities with FCCLA such as organizing a dodge-ball tourney at the high school.

For the next year, Queen Kylie will represent Champaign County at county fairs throughout the state.

The Fair Queen candidates numbered 11 this year, and each was asked to write an essay on the following topic: How has your involvement in the Champaign County Fair better prepared you for the future?

Queen Kylie’s application essay

“As far back as I can remember, only a young lady, strutting around in my cowgirl boots, I’ve always had a strong passion for this county fair. A fire that continues to build year by year. The years before I was of showing age I was always counting down time, almost to the hour it seems like, to when I would finally be old enough to become an exhibitor in 4-H. I could not wait to finally leave my print in the mulch of that huge showring. As I traveled my journey through 10 years of 4-H and four years of FFA I soon began to realize that there is so much more hidden behind the scene of those two amazing organizations. Participating in 4-H is not just about boots and halters. It’s about personal growth, bettering yourself and the community, responsibility, leadership and family. I have learned more from simply becoming a FFA and 4-H exhibitor than I ever believed possible. The three skills I have picked up from my involvement here at the Champaign County Fair that I believe will better prepare me for a successful future are responsibility, teamwork and leadership. Owning livestock takes a massive amount of responsibility. Not only are you responsible for the animals basic needs such as food, shelter and water, but it is also your responsibility as a showman to prepare and present your animal to the best of your ability even if it requires late nights and early mornings. 4-H also takes a great amount of teamwork. Teamwork with your family at home, your club at meetings, community service, etc, and also teamwork with your fellow showmen. Lastly, my 4-H club consists of many younger showmen. Leadership is a very necessary skill when involved in 4-H. There are many young, excited exhibitors ready to learn. My leadership skills also began to strengthen with the involvement of family and friends. I am blessed to have younger family members and close friends who share the same passion in the showring as I do. The ability to give them advice and pointers when they need it for an activity we both love deeply is such an amazing feeling. The only thing that is more rewarding than actually being successful yourself is getting to be a part of the success of a loved one knowing the amount of work, sweat and effort it took to get them there. 4-H is powerful.”

Others honored at ceremony

Other awards presented at Sunday’s event included:

4-H Girl of the Year Maile Moyer

4-H Boy of the Year Shem Pond

4-H Advisors of the Year Jerry and Jerreta Aldridge

FFA Girl of the Year Ashley Dailey

FFA Boy of the Year Jared Weller

Mark Sommers Memorial Award Recipient Garrett Jordan

Read about these individuals in the Daily Citizen’s Tuesday edition.

Kylie Detwiler was crowned queen of the Champaign County Junior Fair on Sunday.
https://www.urbanacitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2016/08/web1_FairQueenFront.jpgKylie Detwiler was crowned queen of the Champaign County Junior Fair on Sunday. Steve Stout | Urbana Daily Citizen

By Kathy Fox

[email protected]

Kathy Fox can be reached at 937-652-1331, ext. 1773.

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