News : One Queen, two Princesses to rule Benton County Fair

2009 Fair Queen Macy Krug helps 2010 Queen Taylor Davis with her sash after Taylor was named Queen.

Macy Krug waves to the crowd while her father, Dan, drives her around the track where he has raced.

2009 Fair Princess Paige Sears.

Kevin Sears carries Paige to the stage.

2009 Fair Princess Emily Schmidt.

2009 Princesses Paige Sears and Emily Schmidt pose after coronation.

The candidates and their escorts on the stage.

Macy Krug congratulates Taylor Davis after crowning her Queen Thursday.

Princesses Paige Sears and Emily Schmidt will assist 2010 Benton County Fair Queen Taylor Davis in handing out trophies at livestock shows and other events through the week.

The Queen and Princesses were crowned Thursday night in the traditional ceremony. They were the only three candidates in this year's Queen contest. While Taylor scored the highest among the judges, the other two tied, so both were named princesses.

2009 Queen Macy Krug crowned the new Queen, with the assistance of 2009 Princess Chelsea Schminke.

The young ladies were accompanied to the stage — a flatbed trailer — by their fathers or grandfathers. Macy's father, Dan, used to race at the Benton County Speedway. He led the parade of convertibles around the track while driving his daughter to the ceremony.

In addition to being named a 2010 Princess, Paige also won the grand championship in the Dairy Goat contest earlier on Thursday. Her father, Kevin, accompanied her to the stage, carrying her so she would not have to walk on the dirt track in her high heels.

About the Queen and Princesses...

Angie Becker of Vinton again organized the Fair Queen Contest. She collected this information from the candidates.

Queen Taylor Davis

Taylor is the daughter of Shanon Janey of Watkins. Taylor has an older sister Lynette. Taylor attends Benton Community High School and will graduate in 2011. When Taylor graduates from high school she plans on attending Kirkwood to major in criminal justice/forensic for two years, then transfer to Iowa State or Georgia Tech.

Taylor is involved in her church group and FFA. In school Taylor was on the Benton FFA Officer Team as Junior Class Officer and chair of the swine spring show. She has received many awards in school such as leadership, Green hand and chapter degrees, small animal, fruit, swine, and vegetable production, has attended the national and state conventions. She attended the Washington Leadership Conference this past year.

Taylor has been involved with Adopt A Highway, helped individuals clean up after storms, and has participated in her church as a Sunday School and Bible school teacher.

Emily Schmidt

Emily is the daughter of Regis and Debra Schmidt of rural Watkins, Emily has one sister Erin and one brother Will. In the fall Emily plans on attending Iowa State University.

Emily has participated in 4-H for nine years with the Florence Go-Getters has held all offices is also a part of the 4-H County Council. She is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Walford, helped with summer day camps and helped with ditch and cemetery clean up.

In school, Emily has participated in volleyball for four years and is an active member of the FFA chapter. She has been chair and co-chair for the spring livestock show over the past years, has been chapter secretary for Benton FFA. She has earned the Green Hand, chapter and Iowa degrees. Emily likes to spend time working on fair projects and spending time with family and friends.

Paige Sears

Paige is the daughter of Dawn and Scott Karr and Kevin Sears of Dysart. Paige has two older sisters Erin and Amanda and two younger sisters Peyton and Madison. Paige just finished her junior year at Union High School.

She has been involved in many different service groups and activities in her community. She has been part of the Monroe Happy Hustlers since 2003 has served as the club president for the past two years and is involved with the 4-H County Council. She has shown lambs, horses and swine at the county fair. She also has participated in her 4-H club road ditch clean up and community improvement in Dysart. She is active with the fall festival and is part of the Christmas shoebox operations (this is where each member is given $20 to fill a shoe box and send it to kids in need). At Christmas time she helps her chapter put up Christmas trees around the school and local businesses.

Paige has been active in LaPorte-Dysart FFA since 2007, where she has participated in leadership conferences, contests, and is the 2010-11 chapter president. In school Paige has been involved in choir, speech, cross-country where she has been part of three state championships, and track, where she has been a state qualifier.