One boy and three girls will compete for the title of 2023 Highland County Fair king or queen when the annual contest is held Sunday at the fair.

The lone king contestant is Brendan Hagar from Lynchburg-Clay High School while the three queen contestants are Emily Hawkins from Whiteoak, Addyston Knauff of Hillsboro and Kathryn Ogden of Hillsboro.

The king and queen contests take place starting at 4 p.m. Sunday at the fairgrounds.

Following is a short bio on each of the candidates:

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. He has shown goats for 10 years and has widened his 4-H education by completing a large variety of special interest projects. He plans on enlisting into the Army in the following year to serve his country.

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 in arts and science degree. She is part of the Concord Junior Farmers 4-H Club and Mowrystown FFA Club. She has shown her dogs, Duke and Millie, since I was 10 years old. She has also shown rabbits since she was 9 and in the Clover Buds program in previous years. Over the years she has won 23 first place trophies with her dogs at The Ohio State Fair. “I can’t wait for the magic in the air at the Highland County Fair and good luck to all the exhibitors,” she said.

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. She is passionate about the community and aspires to make a positive impact on the future of Highland County and its residents.

Ogden in a 10-year member of Highland County 4-H. She serves on 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 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, she 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 become fair king or queen, contestants must complete four different parts of the contest.

No. 1 — The contestants will be judged on their ability to answer the questions on the application. They will be judged on content, grammar and spelling.

No. 2 — A personal interview which will be judged on their ability to answer questions, their poise/posture, and conversational ability by a panel of judges.

No. 3 — A speech about the fair theme during Sunday’s contests. The contestants will be judged on their ability to prepare and present a two- to five-minute oral speech on the Highland County Fair theme of 2023: “There’s Magic in the Air at the Highland County Fair. It will be judged on the contestant’s speaking ability, content and poise/presence.

No. 4 —Two fishbowl questions will be give to each contestant and they will be judged on their ability to answer the 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.