Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Gabbi Carpenter wins Clay County Fair crown
Participants in the 2021 Clay County Fair Queen competition, pictured from left to right: Kaylee Iedema, Lizzy Findling, Queen Gabbi Carpenter, First Runner-Up Shayler Van Gelder, Jazmine Edwards and Elisabeth Wallace.
First Runner-Up Shayler Van Gelder (left) and 2021 Clay County Fair Queen Gabbi Carpenter.
Residents of Royal might want to consider changing the town's slogan.
Known as "A Prince of a Community," the city is now home to a queen. Gabbi Carpenter on Sunday was picked from a field of six candidates to serve as the new Clay County Fair Queen. She is the first fair royalty in the county since 2019, as the coronavirus pandemic canceled festivities last year.
Carpenter, 19, is the daughter of Mel and Rick Brichta. She attended Clay Central/Everly High School prior to its closure in 2019, participating in FFA, volleyball, basketball, track, choir, fall play, musical and 4-H. She then pursued her diploma online through Iowa Lakes Community College.
Carpenter's ties to the fair run deep. She has been involved in 4-H since she was in third grade, and has a strong passion for rabbits.
She started Clay County Bunny Bootcamp with her mother to help inform both 4-H kids and the public about rabbit care, handling and safety. Carpenter then later created the Clay County Rabbit Wranglers 4-H Club, serving as president for four years along with being a youth representative on the Clay County Rabbit Committee for six years.
This isn't Carpenter's first stint as royalty. From 2018-19, she served as queen of the National American Mini Lop Rabbit Club and also was a youth liaison for the organization. She has used her experiences in rabbit showing to become a judge for youth contests at local county fairs recently.
Carpenter is currently a student at Iowa Lakes Community College double majoring in Agriculture Production Technology and Agriculture Business. She wants to pursue a career in agronomy and seed sciences.
First runner-up in the fair queen contest was Shayler Van Gelder, of Spencer, daughter of Jay and Shantel Van Gelder. Other candidates included Jazmine Edwards, of Spencer; Lizzy Findling, of Royal; Kaylee Iedema, of Spencer; and Ellie Wallace, of Spencer.
Carpenter will reign over the fair, which runs. Sept. 11-19. She will also represent Clay County in the Iowa State Fair Queen competition in August.
