Decatur County 4-H royalty crowned

Jul. 8—GREENSBURG — This year's 4-H royalty has been selected for the 2022 Decatur County Fair.

The 4-H King and Queen are the 4-H Ambassadors of the annual event and are also expected to promote and represent 4-H at many opportunities throughout the year.

Candidates can earn 190 participation points by attending events, volunteering in the community and conducting community service. They are each interviewed by three separate judges, allowing them to earn another 190 points. They are also allowed to earn 190 points based on the neatness and completeness of their applications.

Those numbers are tallied, and the highest totals win places in the Fair Court.

Competing for the title of 2022 4-H Fair Queen were Camille Deaton, Hayley Smith, Lizzey Fisse, Jessica Williams and Savannah Bower.

Of those, Hayley Smith was chosen as the 2nd runner-up, Fisse was chosen as the 1st runner-up, and the Queen's crown went to Bower.

There were two competitors for the title of 2022 4-H Fair King, Charlie Kramer and Jack Cathey. Cathey was chosen as the 2022 4-H Fair King.

The newly crowned royalty were escorted into office by 2021 King and Queen Charlie Kramer and Abbie Hartmann.

Bower was surprised by her win and said, "It feels really good to be here to represent and promote 4-H. I love being at the fair. It's my favorite time of the year."

Bower is a 10-year 4-H member and plans to attend Purdue University to study veterinarian nursing.

Cathey had more to say about his win.

"I feel like this is a high position, more like a leadership ambassador. It's a nervous challenge, but I'm here to lead others who are curious about 4-H," he said.

He said what he loved most about being involved with beef and swine is the little kids around the ring during shows.

"I love to teach them how to show, how to feed them, and how to keep their animals healthy," he said. "That's the highlight of my life, when I'm teaching someone. I like to be a role model."

Cathey is a nine-year 4-H member in swine and a 10 year member in cattle. He has also been a Junior Leader for 6 years.

The young man said he is excited about competing in both swine and cattle, but is most excited about participating in the Tom Swain competition.

"Winning the Tom Swain show is always my goal, but it's good to listen to the judges' compliments as well as their critiques. That's how we learn, and that's what it's all about," he said.

Cathey will attend two years at Vincennes University and two years at Purdue. He wants to find a government position in Conservation Agriculture.

Contact Bill Rethlake at 812-651-0876 or email bill.rethlake@greensburgdailynews.com