By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
When eight Wood County Junior Fair members were tapped for the 2023 Junior Fair Royalty Court last summer, they had no idea what the year commitment would bring.
The year included an exhausting week of late-night events, early-morning media interviews, handing out ribbons and awards at all the livestock shows, and representing the fair to junior fair members and the public during the week of the fair.
“It’s a very busy week when you are helping at the fair,” said 2023 Wood County Junior Fair King Drew Thomas. That was the hard part. “But when we got to go to all the different country fairs–and we tried to go to as many as we could–that was fun,” he said.
During their trips to other fairs and events in the past year, they also found a community of like-minded, dedicated, supportive, and genuine friends who represented Wood County and worked together to make a difference.
On July 15, the night of the 2024 Wood County Junior Fair Royalty interviews, the 2023 crew gathered to reminisce about their year together and share some tips for junior fair members who aspire to the royalty court.
“I was nervous coming into being on the royalty court,” said Elle Ruffner, third runner-up queen. “It was a lot of work, but the court has been amazing. It’s given me the ability to travel and see what other fairs have done and possibly bring that to my fair.”
Sally Nietz, whose father, Dave, has been a member of the senior fair board for as long as she can remember, grew up at the fair. She recalled that as a child she was starstruck by the junior fair queen, king and court. They would be at every fair show and event wearing their sparkly crowns and sashes.
Being on the royal court “was everything” to second runner-up queen Emma Ruffner. She enjoyed the role of being an important connecting point between the fair and the junior fair youth and the public.
“Our main goal is to be that middle ground for the community and show that the fair is such an amazing and involved place that everyone can enjoy whether they are showing projects or just attending,” she said. “It’s important for us to be that outreach.”
Jimmy Russell, third runner-up king, appreciated being able to connect with the younger junior fair members during the fair and at 4-H club meetings.
“It’s nice to be able to give back and help to lift those younger members up, particularly for members like myself who might be shy,” he said, recalling the fair and 4-H were “very daunting” when he was younger.
He told younger members how 4-H helped him get out of his shell. “Being in 4-H helps fine tune those skills that you are going to need for the rest of your life, like public speaking meeting new people and making friends,” he said.
First runner-up king Carter Lampe benefited from the opportunity to network with people he otherwise wouldn’t have met. “I’ve been active in the livestock world, but meeting people on other courts and at other fairs allowed me to get new ideas and share about our fair,” he said.
More than just a crown
Beyond representing Wood County and the fair, this year’s royalty knew they wanted to do more and to make a difference in their community.
“Being on the royal court gave us a platform and an area to remain involved in the junior fair and be able to make positive change while we could,” said Katie Oestreich, 2023 Wood County Junior Fair Queen, who represented the county at the Ohio Fairs’ Queen competition and won second runner-up.
The royal members have made it part of their mission to spread the message to younger junior fair members in 4-H clubs and FFA chapters across the county.
They also have expanded their outreach through a partnership with Bowling Green’s Brown Bag Food Project. The royalty court will help with a food drive during the fair by promoting the project and keeping an eye on the items dropped off to a truck inside the front gate of the fairgrounds.
“We knew we wanted to do something in the community, and we asked, ‘How can we give back to the community?’” Oestreich said.
When the food pantry reached out to the senior fair board asking to place a collection site on the fairgrounds during fair week, the opportunity aligned perfectly with the royal court’s community service mission.
“Having that platform to work with community partners is something we are really excited for,” she said.
“I think every court has done an amazing job representing Wood County in the past,” said Nietz. “Community outreach was always part of our plan. We really wanted to focus on that for our impact.”
A tradition of excellence
Wood County is known for a strong junior fair ethos, as evidenced by the large number of candidates that vie for the coveted junior fair royalty crowns each year.
“The fact Wood County has high numbers of candidates each year compared to other counties that have three or four candidates shows that cycle of excellence here,” said Oestreich. “It’s definitely a tradition of excellence that has passed down through generations that makes Wood County special and makes us stand out as a community.”
Each member of the 2023 royal court understands the impact they have on younger junior fair members. From the beginning, they took their roles seriously to set good examples through their actions and their presentations.
When asked what they tell junior fair members about the road to success in 4-H or FFA, Lampe said, “Be involved,” as the rest of the royalty nodded in agreement.
“Start building your resume at a younger age in the fair world and also in school, National Honor Society, clubs, student council, and sports,” Nietz said. There are also many opportunities in 4-H and FFA such as leadership and junior fair boards and honor court.
Whether they are striving for the opportunity to earn a crown or just wanting to make the most of their time in 4-H or FFA, those experiences “help build resumes and topics that can be discussed during the royalty or project interview process,” said Thomas, who is also involved at the state level as a member of the Ohio 4-H Teen Leadership Council.
“Don’t be afraid to try new things because you don’t know whether or not you will be good at it,” said Elle Ruffner.
“Get out of your comfort zone and start conversations with others. You will learn what they are good at; they can teach you, and you can teach them,” said Russell. “The more you can talk to others about your projects or other experiences, the better you get.”
Royal lessons, strong bonds
“As the royalty court (for Wood County), our job is to be knowledgeable about the fair, everything the fair has to offer and share that with 4-H, FFA, and the community, as well,” said Emma Ruffner.
County fair knowledge came a little easier to this group because they all served on the junior fair board. Junior fair board members’ involvement in the fair goes beyond showing livestock or completing other projects. They are the heart and hands of all junior fair activities. Together with the senior fair board, they help plan the shows and assist judges and officials with show ring chores before, during and after the shows.
“Knowing your strengths and weaknesses” is important going into the interview process, Nietz said. The interviews are a quick seven minutes, “so you have to spill a lot of information in a short amount of time.”
The judges don’t ask “cookie-cutter questions,” Lampe said.
“You have seven minutes to make or break the judges’ opinion of you, so it’s important to be ready to show them that you are prepared to network and present your fair to the community,” said Emma Ruffner.
“The best thing to do is tell them your love of 4-H, your love of one activity, or something that you love to do in this community,” Elle Ruffner said.
“It’s important to remember that being on the court is not an award for something you did. It is more of a commitment to do something,” Russell said. “When you put on the sash, you think, ‘What am I going to bring to this role?’”
Oestreich offered another important perspective for Wood County junior fair candidates: “It’s good to prepare for if you get it, but because there are so many competitors in Wood County, it’s important to consider the very real fact that you aren’t going to get it. That’s not a bad thing, but you have to know your worth is not determined by a sash.”
Throughout the process, “staying kind and genuine” is paramount to the role, Oestreich added. “On the royalty court, we were asked to do that all the time.”
And when they looked back on the past year, they each noted a sincere appreciation for the experience, but even more so for the deep bonds they developed.
Along the way over the thousands of miles they traveled across the state, they learned what it meant to be a team and to trust one another that the work would get done.
Lampe said, “We didn’t think that because we weren’t the king or the queen we didn’t have to do all this. Instead, we all played a part in helping one another grow and to make the fair better.”
Everyone got along, worked together well, and helped to fill in the times and places when a member couldn’t participate. “Sometimes the experiences aren’t all that glamorous, like when we had to push a car out of a mud puddle,” Oestreich said with a laugh. “But all the experiences brought us together.”
Elle Ruffner, who missed some of the activities because she now lives in Iowa, knew her team members would fill in as needed. They always had each other’s backs.
“We have a king and queen, and a first, second and third runner-up, but we are all pulling the same weight. If someone is busy, there are seven others to represent the fair and to help pull weight for one another,” she added.
“We all shared the same interest of wanting to make the best better. We were able to combine all eight efforts, ideas, passions and energies for a good outcome of reaching out and helping people get involved,” Russell said.
The court’s last official duty is at the Junior Fair Parade and King and Queen ceremony on Sunday (July 28) at 7 p.m. in front of the grandstands. They will be on hand to congratulate the new Wood County Royal Court, pass the torch, and hope their community outreach legacy lives on.
