Hailey Lane is persistent. After competing in the Brown Fair Queen and Princess Pageant for four years — and winning Miss Congeniality once — she is finally taking home the big crown.

“I was absolutely in shock due to this isn’t my first year doing this. I’ve been working really hard for this, putting in a lot of time. I feel it has paid off.” she said after being named the 2021 Brown County Fair Queen Sunday night. Her first try was in 2017.

“I don’t give up easy.”

Her parents, Christy and Jason Lane, agree.

Christy begins to tear up when talking about how she encouraged her daughter to compete one last year before she was too old to do so. Hailey had not wanted to compete this year. “I said, ‘One more time,” Christy said.

“I am glad I pushed her. I am very glad I pushed her. I really thought that she would regret it if she didn’t.”

Christy and Jason describe their daughter as outgoing, a hard worker and a person who would do anything for anyone.

“She is a good rounded kid. She really doesn’t ask much from us. She does it on her own. She is very independent,” Jason said.

“She is one that is a go-getter all the time,” Christy said.

Hailey has already overcome a lot in her life already. Her sophomore year of high school she was hit in the face with a softball while playing and her eye socket broke. This was around the time she began competing.

Last year, there was no fair queen pageant and no fair because of COVID-19. This year, there were two other girls competing for the crown. Cheyenne Dinsmore was named first-runner up and Miss Congeniality. Rebecca Billings was second-runner up.

Unlike past pageants, when Dinsmore was announced as the first-runner up, Hailey knew she had won because she was the only contestant left on stage without a title.

“I just started crying,” she said.

She said she’s glad everyone was a winner and walked away with flowers and a sash at the end of the night.

“Everyone worked so hard over the week at practices. We are really close,” she said.

Shelby Mayo was the only contestant vying for the fair princess crown, but that does not mean she was not still nervous while standing up on stage in front of the audience and judges.

During her first practice she was told she was the only contestant, but it was not a guaranteed win and she had to still impress the judges. “I was just like, ‘OK, I’m still going to be super, super nervous,'” she said.

She had also competed multiple times in the Brown County Fair Junior and Littles Contest. Now she is moving her way up the fair royalty ranking with the princess crown on her head.

Mayo is not a big fan of dresses — she prefers jeans and boots — and she said that dressing up was her least favorite part, but the pageant was “really fun” nonetheless. She looks forward to talking with people at the fair this week, going to the mud bog and enjoying her favorite fair food: A tenderloin.

Lane most looks forward to spending time with kids. She requested a day off from work for Kids Farm and Fun Day on Tuesday.

“That is my favorite part. I love being around kids. I love their honesty. If I look funny, they are going to tell me,” she said.

“I like being looked up to and being a role model.”

She also cannot wait to watch the 4-H Swine Show and see all the hard work of the 4-H’ers pay off. Her last year in 4-H, she brought home the grand champion banner for showing her hogs.

Her other favorite part? Mud bogs. “Everyone comes and it’s such a nice feeling to just feel like, ‘This is Brown County. This is it,'” she said.

She also plans to use her crown and new title to get more involved in her community by attending various community events throughout the next year.

“I know with COVID and everything, it’s been crazy, but now that we’re getting back and everyone is vaccinated, I feel like we can do a lot more,” she said of the community.

At the end of the evening, Hailey’s mom and dad said they were proud of their “awesome little girl.” Then, Christy paused.

“Sorry,” she said with a laugh. “She’s not a little girl anymore.”

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Pageant gallery” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

[sc:pullout-text-end]

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Queen’s court” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

A new Brown County Fair queen, princess and court were crowned Sunday night to reign at this week’s fair. They’ll be in charge of handing out trophies and ribbons to winners of various events. The queen will advance to the state fair queen pageant.

QUEEN CANDIDATES

Rebecca Billings

Second runner-up

Age: 18

Parents: Amanda and John Hardin

School and work: Senior at Brown County High School

Activities and honors: Brown County 4-H Bit and Bridle Horse and Pony Club; Muddy Paws 4-H Dog Club; 2019 Brown County Fair princess; New Life Church youth group member; Come As You Are Ministries member in Columbus; C4 dental program student; barrel racing; fishing and hunting; animals; and spending time with family.

Goals: Plans on going to Ivy Tech to study criminal justice and become a K9 officer. After college she plans on being a jailer and starting her career in law enforcement. She plans on going to boot camp to learn more about her career path and what it takes to reach her goal.

Quote: “Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” — John Wayne

Cheyenne Dinsmore

First runner-up and Miss Congeniality

Age: 18

Parents: Bret and Leann Dinsmore

School and work: Graduated from Brown County High School summa cum laude with academic and technical honors; plans to study agriculture at Ivy Tech; interned for three summers at Eagle Manufacturing, the student-run business at the high school, where she was the production manager being promoted to sales manager.

Activities and honors: Brown County Antique Tractor Association; National Honor Society; thespian; Governor’s Work Ethic Certificate recipient; four-year member of the high school’s Interact Club; enjoys riding horses and her RZR off-road vehicle; crocheting, including making blankets and other small items; working on trucks; rebuilding a truck with her dad.

Goals: She hopes to one day own her own large-scale ranch and to earn her welding certificate.

Quote: “Everything happens for a reason.” This is important to Dinsmore because it reminds her that God has a plan for her and is in charge of her life.

Hailey Lane

Queen

Age: 20

Parents: Jason and Christy Lane

School and work: Graduated from Brown County High School; studying medical assisting at Ivy Tech; working as a clinical medical assistant at Johnson Memorial Hospital.

Activities and honors: Volunteer with the Glass Slipper event where she helps girls pick out their free prom dresses, shoes and accessories; youth group member; bowling with family and friends; hiking with her dog; going to baseball games with family.

Goals: She wants to go back to school to get her degree as a registered nurse and become a traveling nurse.

Quote: “If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours.” — Dolly Parton. This is the quote she lives by because a person should always have the intention to help others and lend their own happiness to others.

PRINCESS

Shelby Mayo

Age: 17

Parents: Carrie and Rob Mayo

School and work: Early graduate of Brown County High School

Activities and honors: Volunteering at a horse farm; helping the elderly work on home projects and get their groceries during the COVID-19 pandemic; taking care of her great aunt; putting together Mary Kay skin care packages for women in the community; sewing more than 100 masks for the community; barrel racing; helped collect recycling in school; church member; making jewelry.

Goals: To become a veterinarian.

Quote: “God wouldn’t give you this life if you weren’t strong enough to live it.”

[sc:pullout-text-end]