50th 4-H Queen to be Crowned
As the 152nd Great Frederick Fair gets underway tonight, another milestone in fair history will be made. Frederick County 4-H will crown its fiftieth 4-H Queen and thirty-seventh 4-H King. The Frederick County 4-H Royalty Contest will be held at the fairground’s Dairy Show Ring at 7:00 p.m.
The contest began as the Frederick County 4-H Queen Contest in 1965. In the beginning, young ladies were nominated by their 4-H Clubs. Their names were placed on a wheel, and a spin of the wheel chose the lucky winner. Over the years, the program evolved to include judges, interviews, fish bowl questions, resumes, and a court of 4-H Princesses. In 1978, male contestants became involved as 4-H chose its first 4-H King and 4-H Princes. A few years later, the court expanded to include 4-H members under 14 years of age with the 4-H Junior Princess and 4-H Junior Prince. Junior royalty submit an essay entitled, “Why I Would Someday Like to Be 4-H Queen or King.”
In the 1990’s, former 4-H Royalty worked to secure scholarships from The Great Frederick Fair and other generous donors. Those efforts led to scholarship prizes of $1,000 for the 4-H Queen and 4-H King, and $500 for the 1st Runners-Up to the 4-H Queen and 4-H King.
The 4-H Royalty Contest has been the opening attraction of The Great Frederick Fair since 1965. Unitl about ten years ago, the contest was held at the Grandstand and received the fair’s top billing. About ten years ago, the 4-H Royalty were moved to the Dairy Show Ring to make way for horse pulling events on the track.
The 4-H Royalty do more than hand out ribbons at the fair. All year long, they represent 4-H at banquets, community events, and schools. They meet with the Governor and other elected officials to promote 4-H. Ian Sanville, the current Frederick County 4-H King, remarked Wednesday that he has eaten “a lot of chicken dinners” over the past year.
The Glade Valley area has often been well represented in the 4-H Royalty. Some recent 4-H Royalty from Glade Valley Area 4-H Clubs include:
- Jocelyn Figgins, the current Frederick County 4-H Queen
- Austin Welty, the current Frederick County 4-H Junior Prince
- Jackson Kuster, 2012-2013 4-H Junior Prince
- Megan Toms, 2011 – 2012 4-H Queen
- Levi Hooper, 2011 – 2012 4-H King
This year’s contestants includes some local faces.
Ashley Fuss, who is a member of the Walkersville 4-H Club. Ashley graduated from Walkersville High School last year where she was very active in the Walkresville FFA. She raises and shows sheep through 4-H. Her 4-H activities include Beef, Sheep & Swine 4-H Club, Walkersville 4-H Club, 4-H Princess, 4-H Camp Counselor, and 4-H Camp & Activities Center volunteer. Ashley’s parents are David and Christy Fuss.
Chase Ferguson, a member of Johnsville 4-H Club, attends Walkersville High School. He is also a member of the Walkersville FFA. Chase shows raises and shows hogs through 4-H. His activities include Beef, Sheep & Swine 4-H Club, Johnsville 4-H Club, and Livestock Judging. Chase’s parents are Colby and Stacy Ferguson.
Other senior contestants include Rachel Summers, Sarah Highland, and Garret Buckmeier.
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