MOUNT VERNON – When Brayden Freeman was little, he used to go to the Knox County Fair and spend most of the week looking upward.
“I was just a little kid, shaking in my boots,” he recalled. “I was looking up at these guys that seemed 20 feet tall and I was like, ‘Man, look at that guy up there. How did he get like that?’”
He always admired the Junior Fair kings; in fact, he spent most of the week chasing them around, becoming their friend, and watching their every move. He wanted to be just like them.
This year, Freeman will finally have his chance.
Freeman was named the 2019 Junior Fair King on Sunday, chosen from a pool of three candidates that also included Josh Gaddis and Anthony Gilmore.
“I’m really surprised. I’m really happy,” Freeman, a 19-year-old from North Liberty, said afterwards. “Ever since I was a little kid, just like I said, I wasn’t faking it. I really wanted to do this ever since I was a little kid. I’m one of those guys.”
He was joined in fair royalty by Gambier’s Emma Laymon, who was named Junior Fair Queen. Laymon shared a similar reaction to receiving the honor:
“I never thought I could be the girl that had the queen tiara. I’m the country little tom-boy and I was like, ‘I don’t want a tiara,’ but I really looked up to all those girls,” Laymon said. “Actually having that as my own now, I want the next little girl to look up to me.”
Friends and family filled the grandstands on Sunday morning to watch each candidate give a five-minute speech on why they should be selected as king or queen. Contestants had to fill out an application beforehand, which included two essay questions, and also complete an interview.
There were seven girls and three boys in the field this year, marking one of the most competitive king races in recent history, event coordinator Bobbi Maleszewski said. In the queen race, Laymon competed against the likes of Lacey Blubaugh, Alexa Jones, Laura McDonald, Mikayla Hinton, Taylor Chattin and Jadelyn Evans.
After giving a speech, each candidate was asked to answer a random question. Most were designed so that the three-judge panel could see how candidates would respond to certain situations, and how they planned to represent Knox County at other events across the state.
Both Laymon and Freeman delivered thoughtful answers when the lights shone brightest. When asked about what she’s most proud of in Knox County, and what she would tell others about her hometown fair, Laymon mentioned the new 4-H activity center being built up the hill. The 4,600-square-foot facility will host club meetings, livestock judging and other essential 4-H gatherings for years to come.
When asked about an experience that made a lasting impact on his life, Freeman answered with a story. He spoke about his father, who worked long hours as a trucker to provide for Freeman and his eight siblings. He rarely was home, Freeman recalled, due to his work hours. But he made sure never to miss the Sunday night tractor pull at the Knox County Fair.
“Nobody got in the way of that,” Freeman recalled. “And when we were down here, he’d spend a lot of time with me and he’d teach me a lot of things. That’s where I really picked up that, when you find your passion, don’t let anything stand between you and it. If that’s what you’re meant to do and that’s what you love, that’s what you have to chase after.”
Freeman and Laymon will spend the rest of the week parading around the Knox County fairgrounds, attending every show and speaking to youngsters. They’ll travel to fairs across the state in the coming months, sporting their red Knox County sashes while representing their hometown fair.
A determined king
For Freeman, becoming fair king was a dream realized. He has been a member of 4-H for nine years and has been the president of his club for the past five. He is also currently a member of the Junior Fair Board. Freeman said that when he was younger, he wanted to try everything at the fair in hopes of one day becoming the Junior Fair King.
“I tried to make a point to get involved in every show, every kind of sale, every kind of shift,” Freeman said. “I spent time at everything so that I know at least something about every organization here at the fair, because it means so much to me.”
Freeman said 4-H “built me into who I am today.” He found his love for automotive technology through the organization’s small engines course, which he first took at the age of 12.
Freeman said he knew “right away” that’s what he wanted to do. Now, he works as an equipment mechanic at Terra Valley Excavating, having graduated from the Knox County Career Center with a degree in automotive technology.
“The 4-H program… I think if you have the passion, that connects you with what you want to do,” Freeman told the crowd. “And that means a lot to me.”
Freeman hopes to teach local youth that, with determination, anything is possible. He moved out of his parents’ house at the age of 18 (due to reasons he did not discuss on-stage) and has lived on his own ever since. He has his own house and pays his own bills. Freeman said he quickly realized that, in the real world, “nobody’s going to help you.” This is where his 4-H experience – which taught him independence and work ethic – paid off.
“It taught me that strength and perseverance clears a path for success,” Freeman said. “When you’ve got something standing in your way, you put your head down, you do what you need to do, and when you look up it’s behind you. And that’s what I’d like to convey to these younger guys and gals is the hard work and perseverance, because that’s what the fair’s taught me a lot of.”
A confident queen
Laymon is currently studying to become a pediatric nurse. She said her 4-H experience has been invaluable, as it allowed her to gain confidence and develop leadership skills. Once a shy beginner, Laymon addressed the crowd Sunday with the poise of a professional.
“I always wanted to be a figure that our youth could look up to,” Laymon said of her time in 4-H. “Not only inside the show arena, but outside as well, in all aspects of life.”
Laymon walked into her first 4-H meeting at nine years old. Soon after, she found her passion for showing dairy steers, and she eventually won the prestigious Herdsman Award at the 2016 Knox County Fair. In 2017, she won grand champion in senior showmanship for her beef steer. And last year, she was named the Knox County Beefmaster. She received a scholarship from the Mount Vernon Kiwanis Club for her accomplishments.
Laymon thanked her family for encouraging her through the learning process, and allowing her to chase her passion for steer showmanship over the years. She said the greatest reward has been a byproduct of her success: that she’s fallen in love with teaching and serving others. OSU extension educator Larry Hall set her up with the 4-H leadership program years ago, where she became a camp counselor, and the rest was history.
“I learned that I had the ability to teach others while still growing myself,” she told the crowd.
When Laymon’s name was called on Sunday, her mother jumped from her spot in the metal bleachers and threw her hands to the sky. She couldn’t help but get emotional over her daughter’s accomplishment; Emma’s grandmother died from cancer three years ago, and the two used to go to the Bellville Street Fair every year together.
They developed a special connection through the fair, and Jade Laymon said her mother would be proud to see all Emma has accomplished in 4-H since.
“She’s not here today, so I know she’d…” said Jade, her words trailing off as she burst into tears. “[Emma’s] just done amazing things, we think, in 4-H, and it’s just helped her grow as a person. So I’m excited.”
After seeing her mother break down, Emma rushed over to give her a hug.
“We did it,” Jade told her daughter.
Yes, they did.
