MANSFIELD — The two newest members of the Richland County Junior Fair royalty are continuing a 50-year tradition.
The 2024 Junior Fair King is 18-year-old Anderson Roll of Freedom Wranglers 4-H and Shelby FFA. The Junior Fair Queen is 17-year-old Gracie Rodman of Richland Round-Up 4-H and Shelby FFA.
They join the ranks of 50 other pairs of kings and queens, going all the way back to 1974, as the Richland County Junior Fair King and Queen pageant celebrated its golden anniversary on Sunday.
All past kings and queens were invited to the fair this week to revel in old memories and celebrate the best of the junior fair in the past five decades.
Christy Keith, 1991 Junior Fair Queen and current vice president of the Richland County Agricultural Society Board of Directors, said she’s noticed a shift in family dynamics in the 33 years since her reign.
“Kids don’t always have the opportunities that we did, and that’s just back in the 90s,” she said. “These are the kind of experiences that I think are important for kids to have today, because they don’t necessarily have that at home.
“There are a lot of dynamics and experiences they can have within a 4-H or FFA program, and I think it makes them more well-rounded.”
Stiff Competition
According to Dr. Judy Villard Overocker, 4-H extension educator, the path to royalty is not an easy one.
It involves filling out an application, interviews, and answering an on-stage question at the pageant. Sixty percent of the judges’ score is based on the candidates’ involvement in junior fair activities, as well as leadership, poise and presentation.
“These kids have grown up in 4-H or FFA, so this is the culmination of their careers,” Overocker said. “They’re willing to step up and represent their organizations, and say to the community that they’re an ambassador for the Richland County Junior Fair.”
That is certainly true for Gracie Rodman, who said she first started showing goats at the age of four. This is her third year in FFA and 10th year in 4-H.
“As you get older, you advance and try new things, and I love learning more as I grow,” she said.
Rodman said she was very nervous but excited about being crowned queen. She described her leadership skills as “perseverance” and “responsible” in the on-stage question.
“I have a tendency to take negative things and make them better, and make a positive experience out of it,” Rodman said. “And I’m very strong-willed as a leader, I’m willing to do what it takes to make sure I succeed.”
Meanwhile, the journey to becoming king for Anderson Roll was very different: He didn’t start getting involved in fair activities until high school, inspired by longtime friend Micah Miller, the 2023 Junior Fair King.
“I started through Shelby FFA my freshman year showing dairy goats, and I loved it,” he said. “My parents are school teachers, and they worked two jobs to help me pay for my animals every year.”
Roll plans to study nursing at North Central State College in the fall, and anticipates his time as king to teach him valuable leadership skills.
“I want to be an example to younger kids that you don’t have to grow up in an agricultural family to represent this county in amazing ways,” he said.
A Queen’s Farewell
Last year’s reigning Junior Fair Queen also took an unorthodox approach to the job.
Sarah Smith, the 2023 queen, said she spent most of her year working closely with the Richland Area Chamber & Economic Development to attend over 30 ribbon cuttings for new local businesses — a job that is not exactly expected of a fair queen.
Her experience taught her that many people don’t fully understand what the fair represents, Smith said.
“The fair is more than just rides, livestock and fair food,” she said. “It’s about nurturing the next generation of leaders, and highlighting the vital role agriculture plays in our community.”
Since she took on such a unique responsibility, Smith said she often questioned whether she belonged at those events — until last week, when she attending the opening of Flourish Farm, a 32-acre urban agriculture site maintained by men who are incarcerated at the Richland Correctional Institution.
“After hearing passionate speeches from their program leaders, it clicked: I was meant to be in those uncomfortable situations to be an advocate for agriculture,” she said.
“Sometimes stepping out of our comfort zones is necessary for growth. I was there to share the importance of agriculture with people who might not have any connection to it.”
Keep scrolling for more photos from day one of the Richland County Fair:
