For a decade, Lauren Hughes would kick-off her fair week by watching the young women vying to be the Johnson County Fair Queen.
Hughes noticed their poise and the pretty, comfortable looking sundresses and white sneakers that have become a staple of the fair queen and her court.
And she knew that the fair queen gave back to the fair and 4-H. For years, Hughes knew she would run for fair queen in her last year of 4-H. She wanted a way to give back to an organization that had taught her about goats and steers and had allowed her to develop deep friendships.
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On Sunday, she was crowned the 2019 Johnson County Fair Queen.
“I felt like it was a good way to go out,” Hughes said. “This is a great way to serve and give back.”
The Johnson County Fair Queen is the face of the fair. She must be prepared to spend between and eight and 10 hours daily at the fair, handing out ribbons and attending events, said Becky Dixon, fair queen superintendent.
The first three days of the fair are jam-packed for the queen, with her handling out ribbons at every livestock show and attending most events. The last few days are more flexible, but still busy, Dixon said.
Hughes knew how hectic it would be and still wanted the job.
She spent hours upon hours preparing for the pageant. She set up a mirror in her living room on the east side of Franklin and practiced walking in front of it, wearing her high heeled shoes. She watched and tweaked her facial expressions in the mirror. Friends and family conducted mock interviews to make sure she was prepared for the judge interviews that would comprise half her score.
Hughes knew she needed the perfect gown for the formal wear portion of the contest and chose a white, flowy gown with a beaded bodice she believed was perfect for her personality. The fitted, beaded bodice is the organized part of her personality. The flowing bottom represents her ability to go with the flow, she said.
Tears streamed down her face when she was crowned about 9 p.m. Sunday. Countless photos and videos were taken of her and she knew her reign had started.
“I did not think I would be so confident in myself,” Hughes said. “I didn’t expect to win.”
She was the queen and she was immediately ready to do her part. She climbed into a golf cart with her court, took a victory lap around the fair grounds and soaked in the moment. She learned what would be expected of her this week and then went home and fell into bed, exhausted.
“I started crying, I worked so hard for this. I really wanted this,” she said.
Hughes is a 10 year 4-H’er who got started in 4-H in third grade after her father, Joe Hughes, accepted two wether goats as payment for pouring concrete.
She loved and cared for the goats and showed them at the fair 10 years ago. She was hooked to 4-H, she said.
One aspect of showing livestock was difficult for her. In the days leading up to the livestock auction, her Dad tried to prepare her to sell her new friends. As the hour of the sale ticked closer she could not bear it.
She cried and instead of selling the first two goats, they were given to a cousin who keeps the animals, Hughes said.
“I was like, I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t let them go,” she said.
Her favorite memory at the fair is winning the 2016 grand champion with a wether goat everyone thought was too small to win, she said.
Gus was scrawny and small. Hughes had a feeling about him.
Everyone told her he wouldn’t place. Hughes spent hours daily washing him and working with him. At the fair that year, they earned the top prize in his division.
“No one believed in him, he was so scrawny,” she said. “He was just like a little dog walking around.”
For the past few years she has shown steers as well. This week she will show her steer, Peyton Manning, named after the No. 18 tag he received from his herd. Two more wether goats of hers are being shown this year too, Tito and Jim.
Now that she is queen, she is glad she had the confidence to enter the pageant, she said.
She woke up on her first morning as the Johnson County Fair Queen and thought she had to make a quick run to the store to get the ubiquitous white sneakers worn by the queen’s court. Her mother, Michele Hughes, brought out white sneakers she had already bought on clearance.
The sneakers were paired with a navy blue sleeveless sundress. She pinned her sash on, placed her crown on her head and spent her first day giving out ribbons, greeting fair goers and showing Peyton Manning.
“It’s making sure we attend everything and make everyone feel special,” Hughes said.
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Name: Lauren Hughes
Title: 2019 Johnson County Fair Queen
Parents: Joe and Michele Hughes
Education: Graduate of Franklin Community High School. Will attend University of Indianapolis in the fall.
4-H involvement: Shows goats and steer
Career goals: Wants to be an ultrasound technician.
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Here is the Johnson County Fair schedule for today:
11:30 a.m.: 4-H exhibits open to the public.
Noon: Peach baking contest entries due at the Johnson County Extension Office.
1 p.m.: Peach baking contest judging.
1 to 5 p.m.: Kiddie Day on the midway; $15 for an unlimited ride bracelet.
4-6 p.m.: Robotics Club demonstration, Magill Hall.
5-8 p.m: Cooking demonstrations in the Farm Bureau building.
7 p.m.: Pedal tractor pull
7 p.m.: Horseshoe pitching
7 p.m.: Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League Truck and Tractor Pull
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