As Queen Hope and Princess Sarah prepare to conclude their terms as Clark County Fair Court ambassadors, they look forward to meeting the new candidates at this year’s tryouts.
The court ambassadors serve as the sole representatives of the Clark County Fair, participating in horse shows and parades throughout the year. Each year during the fair, a new queen and princess are chosen. Candidates bring their horses and are judged on the animals’ training and behavior, as well as their own communication skills.
Court Princess Sarah Payne, a Cowlitz County resident, has been riding horses since she was 6 and participated in her high school’s equestrian team. After graduating, she opted to try out for the ambassador program to continue her passion.
“I tried out because [after] I graduated I wasn’t ready to stop showing. I thought this was a good way to get to still be involved with my horse,” Payne said. “I thought this would be really fun to get more involved in my community.”
Training a horse for tryouts and events can be demanding. Candidates must prepare their horses for various events and practice controlling them for parades. Despite the challenges, Payne finds the effort worthwhile.
“A lot of kids have never seen a horse so close before. We really decorate them up when we go to parades, and they’re just like, ‘Oh my God, like your horse is so pretty,’ and it’s just so cute to see everyone’s faces,” Payne said.
Court Queen Hope Roberts, a Clark County resident, was inspired to join the program after watching her friends represent the court in previous years. She noted that maintaining a horse’s health and practice can be both expensive and exhausting. Roberts faces the challenge of giving her two Appaloosas equal attention while also finding time to practice. Rip, one of her horses, can be particularly demanding.
“He’s very obsessive with being touched. If you’re in the field, he’s gonna chase you down to be touched. He loves scratches. He’s just a goofball,” Roberts said.
Despite the challenges, Roberts and Payne have enjoyed their year as ambassadors. In their final weeks as court representatives, they will judge herdsmanship competitions and award ribbons during the Clark County Fair.
People can watch tryouts at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11, at the Kids’ Park Stage at the Clark County Fairgrounds. A crowning ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. the same day.
