Twelve local youth have been named members of the 2022 Montgomery County Agricultural Fair’s Royal Court. They were selected based on; leadership, involvement in the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair (MCAF), 4-H and their communities and public speaking ability. The 2021 Fair King and Queen, continue their reign until this year’s Coronation on Sunday, August 14, 2022 at 6 p.m. Coronation follows the annual Fair parade which begins at 5 p.m. at the Fairgrounds.
Gabriella Bentley is 17 years old and entering her senior year at Williamsport High School. She has been involved in 4-h since she was a clover, starting as a member of the Montgomery County poultry club then becoming a member of the Montgomery County sheep and swine club. This is Gabriella’s second year being a part of the royal court, and has always aspired to be a part of the court since her early years at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair. Gabriella’s favorite part of being a part of the royal court last year was being able to interact with the public and advocating for the future in agriculture. Gabriella enjoys raising her swine and lambs throughout the year, as well as learning about the importance of agriculture through caring for her animals. Gabriella also enters a variety of baking, photography, woodworking and sewing in 4-H indoor. In off seasons Gabriella enjoys reading, hunting, fishing and spending time with her family. Gabriella hopes to acquire the skills and opportunities she has been rewarded with becoming a veterinarian technician in the future. Gabriella is thrilled to have been given the opportunity of being an advocate for agriculture and the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair.
Eric Guernsey enjoys leadership opportunities and is excited to be the Vice President of Programming for the Lucky Clovers as well as a returning member of the Fair Court. He is also a member of the 4-H State Council where he helped with exercise and nutrition activities during Maryland Day to address the Public Issue and Launch into Leadership initiatives. Eric is a Life Member of the fair with 11 years in 4-H including four years as a club officer. He has guided others while exploring projects in public speaking, crafts, cooking, horticulture, electricity, computers, aerospace and Adventures in Science. He looks forward to entering his favorite projects in the fair and has earned special awards in food, electricity, computers and rocketry. In the past four years, Eric spent over 200 hours planning and presenting STEM workshops in the community. He helped present the National 4-H Science Experiment on topics ranging from designing fitness trackers to designing drones for surveying crops. At the Galaxy Quest STEM workshop he taught participants how to build a hydraulic powered harvesting tool and how to use the engineering design process to optimize attachments for harvesting different types of crops. He also recorded story time videos to encourage kids to learn about farms and growing food. Eric earned Diamond Clover levels 1 through 6 in 4-H as well as a trip to National 4-H Congress in 2021 and 2022. He enjoys public speaking and won the State Radio Spot Contest in 2021 and 2022. He is a junior taking honors and AP courses at Sherwood High School and he plans to have a career in environmental science or engineering.
Andres Guerra is 16 years old and a rising Junior at John F. Kennedy HS where he is a member of the Regional IB Cohort and the Leadership Training Institute. This is his fifth year in 4-H and his second year as President of the 4-H Lucky Clovers. As a member of the Maryland State Council, Andres has participated in many 4-H Leadership events such as National 4-H Conference, Teen Leadership Summit, Launch into Leadership, and is excited to attend the Camp Miniwanca National Leadership Conference this summer. Over the last few years, Andres has led the local 4-H Stem Challenges for 2019-2021 and the Ag Innovators 2021’s Curbing Our Carbon Appetite Program.
Andres is a member of Advisory Council for the Student Member of the Board of Education, MoCo for Literacy, and the Aspen Hill Library Teen Advisory Board. He participates in Kennedy Varsity Boys Volleyball, the SGA, and the Key Club. Some of Andres’ other interests are science, photography, and music.
This is Andres’ third year on the Montgomery County Royal Court. He has entered many works of photography, acrylic painting, and other art at the Fair, and has enjoyed volunteering. Andres would like to thank his family and the Lucky Clovers 4-H Club for their support, and all the volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to putting together the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair every year.
Annika is 17 years old and attends James Hubert Blake High School. She has been in 4-H for over 8 years and has raised many different kinds of livestock, including sheep, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, goats, and pigs. She is currently a member of the Montgomery County Poultry Cub, Rabbit Club, and Sheep and Swine Club. One of Annika’s favorite places at the fair is the Moo-terninity ward next to Old MacDonalds Barn. This is her second year on the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair Court. Outside of agriculture, Annika enjoys singing, acting, rock climbing, and reading and wants to be a veterinarian in the future.
Lily Luther is 15 years old and a freshman at Damascus High School. She has been a part of 4-H since clovers. This is Lily’s first year being a part of the royal court. She started 4-H in the Montgomery County Sheep and Swine Club and is currently in the Montgomery County Beef Club raising two angus steers. Lily is also a member of the National Junior Angus Association and loves traveling to shows and meeting new people. Lily enjoys raising an angus herd at home learning more about animal nutrition, judging, and showing. She’s also a part of the Damascus Varsity Poms squad. In her free time, she enjoys working with her cattle, baking, woodworking, and spending time with friends. In the future, Lily hopes to continue raising cattle on her own. She hopes to gain more agricultural knowledge and relationships while on the Montgomery County Fair Royal Court. Lily is thrilled to be a part of the royal court this year!
Hello! My name is Tony Martone. I am 14 years old and will be a freshman at James Hubert Blake high school this coming fall. I have been a member of 4-H for 8 years and have been in the Livestock Clovers, Poultry, Sheep and Swine, and Rabbit clubs. I am currently serving as the secretary of the Poultry club and have previously been the secretary of the Rabbit club and historian for both the Poultry and Rabbit clubs. I have really enjoyed entering all sorts of projects at the fair, including market animals, citizenship exhibits, food preservation items, educational exhibits, and many more. I enjoy taking care of my sheep, rabbits, and turkeys, and especially enjoy working in the barns at the Fair. I am also on the Maryland 4-H State Council and am the current American Rabbit Breeders Association Duke. Outside of agriculture, I enjoy rock climbing, playing games, and spending time with my siblings. I am extremely excited to be able to serve on Royal Court and make the Montgomery County Fair a better experience for all.
Alexis Miskelly is 17 years old and is approaching her Senior year at Northwood High school. She is ecstatic for her second year on royal court. Alexis started 4H when she was 5 years old as a clover, and has been going to the fair for as long as she can remember. She is in her third year as the president of the Montgomery County 4H rabbit club. She got her first rabbit when she was 5 and has raised show quality Netherland dwarfs ever since. She has traveled all over the country to compete in educational rabbit competitions. But, nothing brings her as much joy as the fair. She is also a member of the 4H dairy goat club. She joined the club just this past year after falling in love with goats at the last fair. This year she leased a young dairy goat named Jasmine and is so excited to show her at the fair. Finally, she is a member of the 4H Lucky Clovers club, which she joined this past year as well. Her projects include rabbit showing, community service, Dairy Goat husbandry, public speaking, miscellaneous arts, gardening, animal science and baking. Through 4H Alexis has gained a love of zoology, ethology, environmental science, writing, public speaking and so much more. Alexis is a member of the poetry club, The GSA and is on the SGA House of Representatives at Northwood as well as co-founding Northwoods Hacking For Change club whose mission is to create social change through computer science. Alexis would like to thank her family, her 4H club, and the fair for making her the person she is today.
Cody Mullinix is 15 and just finished up his Sophomore year at Damascus High School. This is his second year on the royal court. He has been in 4-H for 11 years and is looking forward to many more. Cody has done a variety of projects that include livestock, woodworking, horticulture, handicrafts, baking, and photography. Cody and his family live on a farm in Damascus where they raise pigs on pasture year round, beef steers and poultry. Cody is looking forward to serving as an ambassador for the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair.
Gracie Ray is 16 years old and a rising junior at South Carroll High School. Gracie has been in the Meat Goat Club for 6 years and has been secretary for the past 2 years. Before joining the Meat Goat Club, she was a part of Clovers for 2 years. Gracie is the secretary of her school’s FFA chapter and her Food Science CDE team placed 2nd in states this year. When not working with her goats you can find her reading a good book, fishing with her dad, or singing on a stage. You may have heard Gracie singing the National Anthem at the fair or at Taste of Maryland. She works hard to achieve good grades in school, good roles in musicals, and to do good in the show ring. She plans to pursue a career in theater or education.
Liam Reed is 16 years old and is a rising Junior at Gonzaga High School. This is his 11th year in 4-H and first year on the Royal Court. He has been coming to the fair his entire life and first joined the 4-H poultry club as a clover when he was 5 years old. Liam then joined the Meat Goat Club when he was 9. He is currently the vice president of the Meat Goat club and has shown Myotonic (Fainting) goats and market Boer goats, as well as an assortment of chickens, ducks, and turkeys. He has also exhibited cakes, photography, and vegetables in the 4-H building and antiques in the Old Timer’s building. He is a past member of the 4-H State Council and is going to be a “Kingdom Leader” at the 4-H camp this summer in western Maryland. Liam lives on a small farm in North Potomac. He can’t wait for his first year on the royal court and is excited to teach people all he’s learned about the fair and his animals.
Layla Shepard is 15 and lives in Damascus where she raises dairy heifers, beef steers, market hogs, market sheep, and market turkeys. She is a rising sophomore at Damascus High school and is a JV hornet cheerleader. Layla has been in 4-H for 11 years and is Vice President of the Montgomery County 4-H Poultry club, and a member of the 4-H beef club, the Sheep and swine club and the Damascus livestock club. In addition to Layla’s livestock projects, she also carries projects in sewing, baking, arts and crafts, and flower arranging. In her free time Layla loves swimming, dancing, and playing with her chocolate lab Brownie and golden retriever, Mazie.
Layla is a 4th generation volunteer of the Fair and is eagerly working towards becoming a life member. She also volunteers at her church and as a coach for younger cheerleaders. After graduating she hopes to attend the University of Maryland in pursuit of a nursing degree. She is very excited to be on the 2022 royal court and share her love of volunteering, animals, and exhibiting at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair with others.
Jacob Udovich is 17 years old and lives in Rockville. He is a rising freshman at the University of Maryland College Park. This is Jacob’s 12th year in 4-H and his fourth year as a member of the Royal Court. Jacob has been in the Montgomery County Rabbit Club for 12 years and in the Kids-N-Dogs club for 3 years. Jacob has raised and shown Netherland Dwarfs, Mini Rex, and New Zealand rabbits. His main 4-H projects are rabbit judging and showing rabbits. Jacob has traveled to many rabbit judging and royalty competitions at the state and national level. Some of his travels include Pennsylvania, Texas, Oregon, Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, California, Nevada, and Massachusetts. In 2018, he served as Duke for the American Netherland Dwarf Club and received 2nd place for Intermediate Rabbit Breed ID at the National level. He has won many awards with his favorite rabbit, Whiskers. Jacob enjoys swimming and diving for the Manor Woods Swim and Dive Team and Rockville High School. He also enjoys playing Volleyball for the Rockville High School Varsity Team. Through all of his experiences in 4H he has met amazing people, has learned many skills and has made great memories.
