2023 Highland County Jr. Fair Royalty Contestants announced

The 2023 Highland County Jr. Fair King and Queen contestants have been announced.

Running for Fair King is Brendan Hagar. The Fair Queen candidates are Emmy Hawkins, Addyston Knauff and Kathryn Ogden.

• Brendan Hagar is a 2023 graduate of Lynchburg-Clay High School. He is the son of Amy Hagar and Jon Hilliard and has been a member of the Highlands Best 4-H club for 12 years. Hagar has shown goats for 10 years and has widened his 4-H education by completing a large variety of special interest projects. He plans to enlist in the Army in the following year to serve his country.  

•  Emmy Hawkins is the daughter of Tony and Denise Hawkins. She graduated from Whiteoak High School and did College Credit Plus to obtain an associate’s degree in arts and science. She is a member of the Concord Junior Farmers 4-H Club and Mowrystown FFA. Hawkins has shown her dogs, Duke and Millie, since she was 10 years old. She has also shown rabbits since she was 9 and in Cloverbuds in previous years. Over the years, Hawkins has won 23 first-place trophies with her dogs at The Ohio State Fair.

• Addyston Knauff is the 16-year-old daughter of Jeff and Amanda Knauff. She attends Hillsboro High School and is an active member of Highland County Shooting Sports 4-H Club; Fur, Feathers, & Friends 4-H Club; Hillsboro FFA; Highland County Jr. Leaders; Highland County Jr. Fair Board; and Girl Scout Troop #134. Knauff is passionate about the community and aspires to make a positive impact on the future of Highland County and its residents.

• Kathryn Ogden is a 10-year member of Highland County 4-H. She serves in Highland County’s Jr. Leaders Club as Vice President, the Family and Consumer Science Board as Vice President, Jr. Fair Board and is Treasurer for the Concord Jr. Farmers. Alongside county 4-H, Ogden also serves on the Ohio State Teen Leadership Council as a committee member, served a term on the Ohio State Fashion Board and is a member of the ODNR Conservation Teen Advisory Council. Through Hillsboro High School, Ogden is the Section Leader of the Hillsboro High School Drumline, a member of the Symphonic Band and Pep Band, PR Officer of the Symphonic Choir, a member of the Hillsboro High School FFA Chapter and has been inducted into the National Thespian Society through her participation in musicals and plays.

In order to compete for the Highland County Jr. Fair King and Queen Contest, contestants must complete all four different parts:

Part 1: Application due Monday, Aug. 21. The contestants will be judged on their ability to answer the questions of the application. It will be judged on content, grammar and spelling. 

Part 2: Personal Interview, in which contestants will be judged on their ability to answer questions, their poise/postur, and conversational ability by a panel of judges.

Part 3: Speech about Fair Theme on Sunday, Sunday, Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. at the Multi-Purpose Building. The contestants will be judged on their ability to prepare and present a 2-5-minute oral speech on the Highland County Fair theme of 2023. No other topics will be accepted. No props of any kind may be used. The speech will be judged on the contestant’s speaking ability, content and poise/presence.

Part 4: Two fishbowl questions on Sunday, Sept. 3 at 4 p.m. at the Multi-Purpose Building. The contestants will be judged on their ability to answer two random questions in front of the audience and panel of judges. The contestants will be judged on their ability to answer the question, speaking ability and poise/presence. 

An accumulation of all four parts will determine who will represent the Highland County Jr. Fair as royalty.