By Victoria Leitch
\nvleitch@prairiepress.net<\/p>\n
Miss Edgar Co. Fair Briana Reese<\/p>\n
For Briana Reese, hearing her name announced as the 2026 Edgar County Fair Queen was a moment she had dreamed about for years. When it finally happened on Sunday, July 19, her first reaction was disbelief.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid they really call me?\u201d Reese recalled. \u201cDid they say contestant number six? I think more so than anything, I was just in shock.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moments later, the reality of the accomplishment began to settle in.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kept touching the crown the whole time,\u201d she said. \u201cLike, is it really on my head? But after it kind of settled in and the adrenaline wore off, I was like, wow, we really did it. And I\u2019m really proud of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
The newly crowned queen said one of the first people she wanted to celebrate with was her mother, who has supported her throughout her pageant journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s been so supportive,\u201d Reese said. \u201cHer smile is infectious. She\u2019s just so proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reese\u2019s path to the crown began in 2022 when she watched Caroline Smith compete in the fair queen pageant. Seeing the event in person sparked a goal that would stay with her throughout high school.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw it and thought, \u2018You know what? That looks like so much fun. I want to wear a pretty gown,\u2019\u201d she said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew when I graduated, it was something I wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Through three years of competing, Reese found friendships, confidence and personal growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first year was amazing. I had such a blast,\u201d she said. \u201cI got to know the other contestants so well, and I still talk to them today.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year, Reese approached the competition differently than she had in the past.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe past two years, I came in like a bull in a china shop,\u201d she said. \u201cI had my speech memorized before the tea. I knew exactly what I was going to wear. I was thinking about it constantly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rather than stressing over every detail for her final year, she focused on enjoying the experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was like, \u2018You know what? It\u2019s your last year. Let\u2019s just go out there, have fun and no pressure,\u2019\u201d Reese said. \u201cObviously, that paid off. It was so much more rewarding when I wasn\u2019t so stressed out and was just living in the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the pageant may appear to be a competition against fellow contestants, Reese said her biggest challenge was overcoming self-doubt.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was really competing against myself more than I was competing against the other girls,\u201d she said. \u201cEverybody was so supportive of each other. The hardest part was getting out of my own head and telling myself I could do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said some of her proudest moments came during the interview and swimsuit portions of the competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cWalking out of the interview, I was like, \u2018Oh wow, I did good,\u2019\u201d Reese said. \u201cIt was a huge improvement from the past two years, and I was really proud of myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
As she begins her year representing the fair and Edgar County, Reese hopes to use the title to give back to the community she loves.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to pay back as much as I can for what they\u2019ve given me and the doors they\u2019ve opened for me,\u201d she said. \u201cI want to make them proud and represent them well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among her goals are community service projects, while serving with integrity and respect.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo do this with integrity, to represent the fair with respect and integrity, and to make the fair board proud,\u201d she said. \u201cMore than anything, I want to have fun and give back to the community that gave so much to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Growing up, the Edgar County Fair was a place where Reese made memories with friends and family. As she got older, she enjoyed attending grandstand events and spending time with her grandfather during the truck and tractor pull.<\/p>\n
\u201cI got to hear all the stories,\u201d she said. \u201c\u2018Oh, that was a good pull. That was a full pull.\u2019 Those are some of my favorite memories.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, truck and tractor pulls and the rodeo remain among her favorite fair attractions.<\/p>\n
Though she is still adjusting to her new title, Reese said the honor is one she does not take lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means a lot,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s very humbling. I think I\u2019m still absorbing it a little bit that I am the Edgar County Fair Queen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reese is eager to meet people throughout the county and make the most of every opportunity that comes with the crown.<\/p>\n
\u201cNever be shy\u2014come say hi,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019d love to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n
And for those looking for a fun fact about the new queen? Reese has one ready.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m double-jointed in both of my elbows, and I can pop my shoulder in and out of socket,\u201d she said with a laugh. \u201cPeople find it a little gross, but it\u2019s kind of my party trick.\u201d<\/p>\n
For now, however, Reese is focused on enjoying her moment and embracing the year ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m super excited,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to get out and meet everybody, welcome people to the fair and see what this year brings.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Little Miss Edgar Co. Fair Ariella Groover<\/p>\n
The sparkles on her dress may have caught her eye first, but it was the fun of the experience that made Sunday night\u2019s Edgar County Fair pageant unforgettable for Ariella Groover.<\/p>\n
Crowned Little Miss Edgar County Fair during the pageant on Sunday, July 19, Ariella is already looking forward to representing the fair alongside newly crowned Queen Briana Reese.<\/p>\n
When asked what she enjoyed most about the pageant, Ariella had a simple answer: \u201cHaving fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
She especially loved wearing her sparkling pageant dress.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sparkles,\u201d she said with a smile when asked what her favorite part of the dress was.<\/p>\n
Like many children, Ariella has plenty to look forward to during fair week. Her favorite animals to visit are the bunnies, and when asked if she planned to chase one, she enthusiastically replied, \u201cAll of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Outside of the fairgrounds, Ariella enjoys reading at school, with The Mad Cat among her favorite books. When she\u2019s not reading, she can usually be found playing with friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to play hide and seek,\u201d she said, adding that she usually prefers to be the one hiding, although sometimes she does take a turn seeking.<\/p>\n
If she could bring anyone to the fair, Ariella said she would choose her brother because he enjoys watching the events and playing at the fair.<\/p>\n
As she begins her reign as Little Miss Edgar County Fair, Ariella is excited for the adventures that lie ahead, from attending community events to making memories throughout the year. With her bright smile, love of fun and excitement for the fair, she\u2019s ready to represent Edgar County\u2019s youngest fairgoers with enthusiasm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Victoria Leitch vleitch@prairiepress.net Miss Edgar Co. Fair Briana Reese For Briana Reese, hearing her name announced as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":305000,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[9,24,63,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-304999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/304999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=304999"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/304999\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/305000"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=304999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=304999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=304999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}