Chokio youth named State Fair's Poultry Prince
John DeBuhr, a 16-year-old from Chokio, and Alysha Thielen, a 19-year old from Zimmerman, were crowned as the first Poultry Prince and Princess at the 2010 Minnesota State Fair on Tuesday.
They received $1,000 academic scholarships, will have their portraits painted in royal garb by State Fair artist Deborah Voyda Rogers, and will serve as the state's first poultry ambassadors for one year.
The Poultry Prince and Princess Contest recognizes the knowledge, leadership and skills of Minnesota's youth in the poultry industry.
DeBuhr and Thielen each received the highest combined scores of any male and female contestant, respectively, in the Poultry Showmanship competition on Aug. 26, the Chicken Barbeque contest on Aug, 28, and the Poultry Prince and Princess final Stage Presence and Q&A round on Aug. 31.
The finals required contestants to answer four poultry-related questions with knowledge, confidence and personality, including one question that required clucking, walking or dancing like a chicken. The competition was Aug. 26-31, and was open to Minnesota State Fair 4-H participants who had completed ninth grade or higher.
Stevens County's John DeBuhr and Sherburne County's Alysha Thielen beat out dozens of male and female teenagers to become the first poultry royalty of Minnesota. Eli Gindele, of St. Michael in Wright County and Justin Goodroad, of Lindstrom in Chisago County, also competed for the Poultry Prince title. Poultry Princess finalists were Alyssa Nelson, of Worthington in Jackson County, and Whitney Sabrowsky, of Freeport in Stearns County.
