Ten Solano County Girls to Compete in Royalty Court Competition

By Brianna Boyd
Special to Dixon Patch

The Dixon May Fair will crown its royalty on the opening night of its 136th
annual event.

Ten Solano County girls are vying for positions on the fair's royalty court. After months of anticipation and hard work, the sashes and crowns will be handed out at 7 p.m. May 4 on the Leber Garden Stage.

Royalty court coordinator Rhonda Rayn described the 10 hopefuls as "lovely ladies each of who are as beautiful on the inside as on the outside."

"It has been a treasure getting to know each and every one of them," she
said. "In our hearts, each and every one of them is a winner."

The girls who make up the royalty court are some of the most recognized individuals at both the Dixon May Fair and Dixon May Fair Parade. They receive thunderous applause every year when they ride their horses in the parade and are often competitors in some of the most popular May Fair competitions, including the hog calling and cow milking contests.

Proudly wearing their sashes and crowns, the girls serve as representatives for the historic fair throughout the year. The 2010 court rode in eight parades this last year, serving as ambassadors for the Dixon May Fair.

The Royalty Court competition is open to any Solano County youth between the ages of 9 and 18. Several boys have competed in the past, and serve as ambassadors. The contestants this year are all girls and they will compete within four categories ­ queen, princess, junior princess and little miss.

The fair's little miss award goes to a girl between the ages of 9 and 11. The junior princess contest is open to any girl between the ages of 12 and 14. All girls 15 years and older compete together, Rayn explained, and the teen with the highest score is crowned queen and the second place recipient is named the princess.

There are several components to the competition all the girls had to follow. As part of their application that was due in March, the girls included an essay addressed to the public describing why they wanted to be a representative of the Dixon May Fair.

They also had to include two photographs, one of just themselves and another with their horse. The photos will be used for both public review and judging.

All candidates are entered and must participate in the Royalty Court Horsemastership Class that will be during the Dixon May Fair Junior Horse Show.

The girls will also participate in interviews with Dixon May Fair board members, who will serve as the competition judges, prior to the fair's opening. The 2010 royalty court included Queen Sasha Lyons of Dixon, Princess Danielle McCants of Vacaville, Junior Princess K'la Duncan of Dixon and Little Miss Macy Neilson of Dixon.

The 2011 Dixon May Fair Royalty Court candidates include:

• Shelby Cooper, at 9, is the royalty court's youngest contestant. She lives in Dixon with her parents Jeanine and Al Cooper and two sisters. An honor roll student and cheerleader, Shelby will show her horse "Mater" and her hog "Miss Piggy" at the Dixon May Fair.  Her future goal is to beat diabetes. Her motto is "Keep on moving, keep climbing, keep the faith, it is all about the climb." Her sponsor is WJ Cutting Horses of Dixon.

• Abigail Gustafson is 10 years old and lives in Dixon. Her family includes her parents Mark and Cathleen and one brother. Abigail is showing her 4-H project lamb, dried meat, cakes, and cookies at the fair. In the past, she has also shown her horse, "Willoughby". Her goals include graduating from the University of California, Davis' veterinary school. Her motto is "Never give up." Abigail's sponsor is Cool Patch Pumpkins of Dixon.

• Ashley Cooper, 10, lives in Dixon with her parents Al and Jeanine  and her two sisters. Ashley has participated in the Dixon May Fair over the years by being on her softball team's float in the parade, riding at the Junior Horse Show, and dancing on the Leber stage. Her goal is to one day be a professional barrel racer. Ashley's motto is "3 barrels, 2 hearts, 1 big dream." Her sponsor is WJ Cutting Horses of Dixon.

• Kylie Goetz is 11 years old and lives in Dixon with her parents Marianne and Brian and her brother. Kylie loves to ride horses and motorcycles and is an accomplished marksman with her rifle. Most would never notice she has a disability that effects her hearing and thought process. She is exhibiting her pig "Penelope," her horse, photography and flowers at the fair. Her motto is "It's all about attitude and heart." Her sponsors are Superior Auto Body, Stephanie Riedel Photography and Cynde's Place.

• Kendra Atkinson, 11, lives in Dixon with her parents Jodeane and Mark and her brother and sister. Over the years, she has shown art, baked goods, lambs and horses at the May Fair. Kendra is on the honor roll at Anderson Elementary and is very active in the community. Her goals include one day getting a horse of her own. Her motto is "A real champion is someone who gets up even when he can't." Kendra is sponsored by Dixon's Atkinson Hay Company.

• Macy Nielson, 10, the 2010 Dixon May Fair Little Miss, lives in Dixon with her parents Matt and Annmarie and her brother. She is showing her horse "Sissy," lamb, baked goods, table settings, and potted plants at the May Fair. Macy is also active in 4-H, dance, softball, soccer and swimming. Her motto is "Begin and end each day with a smile and a positive attitude." Her sponsor is Lise Von Uhlit Performance Horses of Winters.

• Karin Aksnes, 12, lives in Fairfield with her parents Ted and Kay and her sister. Karin attends B. Gale Wilson Elementary School, where she is enrolled in the Dual Immersion Program and studies two languages. She plays the flute and tuba and is also involved in martial arts. Her goal is to one day become a biologist. Karin's motto is "In riding a horse, we borrow freedom." Karin is sponsored by The Olde Wagon Station Horse Ranch in Dixon.

• Madison Lowrie, 14, lives in Dixon with her parents Allisson and Josh, two sisters and a brother. She takes pride in earning good grades at CA Jacobs Middle School while balancing extra-curricular activities including softball and basketball. Madison is exhibiting baked goods, horses, lambs and an educational display at the fair. She hopes to attend UC Davis and run her own farm in the future. Madison's motto is "You never fail in life unless you fail to get back up." Her sponsor is Lise Von Uhlit Performance Horses of Winters.

• Alexandria Atkinson, 15, lives in Dixon with her parents Mark and Jodeane and her brother and sister. Alex is active in the Bids for Kids junior program, and has raised hundreds of dollars towards the purchase of youth's animals who may not have a buyer at the Dixon May Fair Junior Livestock Auction. She is showing  two horses, a lamb and photography at this year's fair. Alex hopes to one day attend California State University, Fullerton and graduate as a dietician. Her sponsor is Atkinson Angus of Dixon.

• Katie Berg, 17, lives in Vacaville with her parents, Del and Mija and a brother. She is a senior at Vacaville High School and maintains above a 4.0 grade point average with honors classes. Katie is a member of the California Scholastics Federation, past treasurer of FFA, holds the coveted FFA State Degree and is working on her American Farmer Degree.  She is showing a lamb project, educational poster display and her horse at the fair. Her dream is to one day work with the big cats ­ tigers and lions ­ at a zoo.  Her motto is "Never let go!" Her sponsor is Ranchotel Horse Center of Vacaville.

The 136th annual Dixon May Fair will open Wednesday, May 4, and entertain
thousands of visitors through Mother's Day on Sunday, May 8. For more
information, visit www.dixonmayfair.com