King and Queen enjoying busy week at Richland County Fair
Long before either was tall enough to ride the Ferris wheel or lead a steer into a show arena, Caroline Tilton and Carson Abbott both knew they wanted to be fair royalty.
The duo of 17-year-olds have been living that dream this week during the Richland County Fair, and they hope their example inspires the next generation of 4-H youth to continue the tradition.
So far, it seems the fair's king and queen are doing just that.
"One little girl tapped me," Tilton said. "She said, 'Can I try your crown on?' So I let her put the crown on. It's cool to see the expressions on their faces because they get so excited."
Busy week made busier with office duty
The 2022 Richland County Fair kicked off Sunday and runs until the end of Saturday night. Admission is $6, and children 48 inches and shorter get in free.
Tilton, of Bellville, has been in 4-H for nine years, as has Abbott, of Shelby. Both were first runner up in the royalty contest last year.
"It was a lot of fun," Abbott said of last year's experience. "We got to go to a lot of fairs."
Although they were named king and queen on Sunday, both have been busy all year. It started during the winter with their duties on the Junior Fair Board — Tilton is the board president, and Abbott a committee chair.
They both have to work shifts throughout the week in the junior fair office, and the president-turned-queen also has to stop by when any issues arise.
They also visit various shows and events throughout the fair week as ambassadors to the public.
"It's been busy," Tilton said. "But it's been good."
Livestock shows all week long
Then, there's their 4-H projects. Tilton has a beef breeding heifer.
"We showed this morning," Tilton said.
She was reserve champion for "All Other Breeds," a title she was happy to accept.
Abbott shows both dairy market steers and llamas. He was fourth in his market class with the steer. Llamas went a little better.
"I got champion for showmanship and champion for obstacle," Abbott said.
Earning those awards may have been nice, but they were far less exciting for him than becoming royalty.
"Getting fair was the highlight," Abbot said. "It was cool getting the sash and representing the fair."
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: King and Queen enjoying busy week at Richland County Fair
