The 2021 Logan County Fair royalty contest returns to fair’s show arena at 4:15 p.m. Sunday, July 11, following the opening ceremony at 4 p.m.
The competition features three contestants vying for the title of queen and two young men seeking the title of king, along with five girls seeking the title of princess and one prince candidate.
Queen candidates
Hannah O’Brien, a 2020 Logan County Fair queen runner-up, is daughter of Bo and Billie Jo O’Brien of West Mansfield.
The Benjamin Logan High School graduate is in her third year as president of the Master Mix 4-H Club. She also is a United Way of Logan County Youth Allocations member, and at her school, participated in volleyball, wrestling, basketball, show choir, band, Key Club, Interact and other activities.
In 2015, she was crowned the Logan County Swine Princess. Hannah has participated in the state fair for market swine, and also has received top finishes at the Logan County Fair market swine contest, along with showing market poultry and participating in cake decorating.
Through her roles in 4-H and playing team sports like volleyball have taught her about leadership skills and the value of empathy, she said in her application essay.
“Empathy is a quality I have gained through these experiences and is equally as important as communication. A leader should be able to listen, communicate and empathize with their community and people around them.”
Riverside High School senior Malaina Jenkins also is a queen candidate. A daughter of Brad and Darcie Jenkins of Quincy, she has been involved in 4-H and has served as club president for two different clubs.
Her leadership roles have included serving on the Junior Fair Board; class president at her school; president, parliamentarian and committee leader for Business Professionals of America; a Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader; and a Pirate Advisory Committee member.
A varsity golf and varsity softball athlete, she has qualified for the state fair in sewing for a number of years and also has been a state fair horse qualifier. She said one of her favorite childhood fair memories was watching the royalty contest.
“There was a certain magic I felt being able to watch pretty girls in beautiful dresses become a representative for the fair I love and to observe their leadership skills, kindness and confidence that inspired me to become something like them one day,” she wrote in her essay.
Bridget Littlejohn, a Riverside High School graduate, is a the third queen candidate. A daughter of Anthony and Angela Littlejohn of DeGraff, she has served as an Interact member, 4-H, National Honor Society vice president, student council member and Junior Fair Board member.
Also in high school, she participated in the all-county choir and was a Business Professionals of America state and national qualifier. Her previous fair projects have included exhibiting market goats and breeding goats.
A co-founder of Haven’s Helpers, she shared about the initiative in her essay.
“Haven’s Helpers started as a school project; however, through determination and drive, it became real. Another student and I put our ideas into action and raised both monetary and supply donations for an animal shelter in Urbana called Barely Used Pets.”
King candidates
This year’s king candidates are Chase Davidson, a son of Rachelle Davidson and Lyn Davidson of DeGraff, and Garrett Richardson, a son of Jenny and David Richardson of West Liberty.
Chase is a Riverside High School senior whose leadership roles have included serving as a 4-H vice president, Junior Fair Board secretary and vice president, National Honor Society county vice president, Business Professionals of America state vice president and treasurer, Ohio Attorney General’s Office Teen Advisory Board member, United Way of Logan County student representative and junior class treasurer at his school.
Among his school activities have included golf and 91.7 FM WDEQ radio crew member.
Through his various leadership positions, Chase said he has enjoyed being able to mentor others and serve as a role model.
“Being someone that others look up to and go to for advice is something that is very special to me,” he wrote in his essay.
“Life is hard and there isn’t always a clear sign that you’re making the right decisions or doing that right thing. We don’t always know how people perceive us, but when people look up to you, it’s a sign that you’re doing something right.”
Garrett is a West Liberty-Salem High School graduate and at his school, he participated in football, track, Key Club District Board, 4-H, Teen Leadership Council, Science Olympiad, mock trial, Quick Recall and a number of other activities.
He also served as a 4-H camp counselor, senior class treasurer, Ohio 4-H Teen Leadership Council , Riverside Hustlers 4-H president and Junior Fair Board reporter.
Through taking various 4-H projects and animals to the fair and his other extracurricular activities, he said these experiences have impressed upon him some of the qualities important to a fair king.
“By learning manners, respect, responsibility, organization, punctuality and the many other positive skills I’ve learned through 4-H, I feel I’m able to not only take on the role of junior fair king, but excel at it,” he wrote in his essay.
Prince and princess candidates
West Liberty-Salem Schools seventh-grader Silas Krabill is the prince candidate. A son of Joel and Katie Krabill of West Liberty, he is involved in wrestling, baseball, football and 4-H.
Natalie Snapp of Bellefontaine is one of the five princess candidates. She is a daughter of Ron and Kathy Troyer and Tom Snapp and will be a eighth-grader at Bellefontaine Middle School.
She serves as the president of the Manes and Reins 4-H Club and has received a Pride of the Tribe Leadership Award at her school. At the Logan County Fair, she has received a number of equine awards, including first place in showmanship and horsemanship in 2020.
Fellow princess candidate Sage Futrell is an Indian Lake High School junior and a daughter of Tracy Futrell of Huntsville. A recent Greenhand Award recipient, she is also Junior Fair Board member and 4-H member who earned a grand champion rabbit award at the Logan County Fair.
A daughter of John and Colleen Bodin, contestant Winnie Bodin is an eighth-grader at Benjamin Logan Middle School. She has served as a student council secretary, Master Mix 4-H reporter.
At the fair, she has exhibited market meat chickens, winning reserve grand champion in 2019, along with poultry and rabbits, and qualified for the state fair in the public speaking contest.
Lorena Irene Knox also is a candidate in the contest and she is a daughter of Lorena Knox of Russells Point. An Indian Lake Middle School sixth-grader, she has completed a variety of projects at the fair, including in photography, scrapbooking and cooking.
She is a Girl Scouts member and participates in 4-H and cheerleading.
Benjamin Logan High School junior Jessi Daugherty is the final princess candidate. A daughter of Billie Daugherty and Randy Daughterty, she is a member of the Premier Livestock 4-H, serving as treasurer, and also participates in FFA and Junior Fair Board.
Jessi has exhibited market hogs at the fair and has submitted an archery project.