The Richland County Junior Fair welcomed a new king and queen after Sunday evening’s pageant and coronation crowned King Sam Boyce and Queen Morgan Volz. Boyce and Volz were crowned out of three king contestants and five queen contestants at the John Hartz building on Sunday.
Each contestant was asked to answer a question on stage before the judging panel met to make the final decision. The judges included three former Richland County Junior Fair Queens Jennifer (Villard) Eckenwiler, Amy (Spoerr) Bays and Maggie (Blum) Phillips.
“There was so much suspense and they took so long deciding,” said Volz with a laugh. “When they announced the winners I finally breathed again.”
Volz, representing Ready 2 Ride 4-H Club, was asked whom she would like to thank for becoming the person she is today. Volz first thanked her mother for “making all this possible,” 4-H Extension Educator Dr. Judy Villard Overocker, and finally her stepfather.
“Of course my stepdad, because he’s looking at me right now,” said Volz with a laugh. “He’s awesome, he’s always supporting me and helping me get out and talk to people.”
Boyce, a member of the Shelby FFA, was asked his opinion about the importance of dress code for the Richland County Junior Fair.
“Your dress is what defines you, you can tell when a person is sharp and takes care of everything they have,” he said. “By dressing nice it shows everyone else what kind of organization we are. We’re an organized group and uniform, we all come together and everything turns out nicely.”
Other contestants voiced their appreciation for the Richland County Junior Fair. First runner-up for queen Carley Circosta of the Country Champions 4-H Club noted being a part of the Junior Fair royalty last year gave her the experience of being a good leader. Second runner-up for queen Christy Reynolds of the Lucky 4-H’ers 4-H Club said she would look for honesty and uniqueness in a Junior Fair king or queen.
“I would look for somebody honest, a role model that portrays themselves as a very unique individual that is going to set a good example for young kids, and who is fun and energetic and loves being at the fair,” said Reynolds.
Second runner-up for king Brennan Moore of the Richland Raiders 4-H Club and the Shelby FFA complimented the way the entire fair turns out every year.
“The whole fair is great, the way it comes together,” he said. “My favorite thing is showing the animals because you work with them all year and you want to see your hard work pay off.”
Other contestants for king and queen included Luke Given of the Farm Gang 4-H Club and Crestview FFA, Alaina Lucius of the Richland Raiders 4-H Club and Shelby FFA, and Mikka Messmore of the Blackfork Friends 4-H Club.
Husband and wife MC team David and Patty Fackler said they have enjoyed hosting the Richland County Junior Fair for the past 18 years and seeing their story come full-circle. The Facklers themselves were once contestants for king and queen, with Patty Fackler winning Richland County Junior Fair Queen in 1989.
“First it was kids that were our age, we were crowning their kids,” said David Fackler. “Now we’re crowning kids that were our campers, and they’re having kids, and it’s like, ‘Wow I’m really getting old.’ It’s neat to see the growth and the continuity, people that stick with the program and how it affects their lives.”
Boyce said he considers the position of king an honor, and hopes to serve as a role model for younger kids in FFA and 4-H clubs.
“I’m going to try to help everybody who doesn’t know what’s going on. I’m kind of a newbie at this, this is a new year for me and I figured I’d give it a try, so I want to help the younger kids through all this stuff,” he said.
Volz agreed, noting she was excited to attend all the Junior Fair events and hand out ribbons to the winners. She advised younger 4-H members to get involved as much as possible.
“I’ve had the most fun of my life these past four years,” said Volz. “Get involved and do everything you can. It really is the best.”
“There was so much suspense and they took so long deciding,” said Morgan Volz with a laugh. “When they announced the winners I finally breathed again.”
