Derek Yarnell, King & Eva Merritt, Queen are 2024 Pickaway County Fair Royalty

It was a warm night on Sunday when the members of the Pickaway County Fair Royalty were selected, and it matched the obvious warmth of the friendship between the contestants, who have been friends for most of their school days as members of their 4-H and/or FFA clubs in high school, and in many cases, also in middle and even elementary school.

All of the contestants displayed accomplished public speaking skills as they answered questions, including a random one drawn from a hat, about their agricultural background and interests.

The crowd cheered when the results were announced:

Derek Yarnell, King

Eva Merritt, Queen

Anam Havan, King’s Attendant

Emma Caudill, Queen’s Attendant

Isabella Capsel, Princess

Yarnell just graduated from Teays Valley High School and will attend the University of Cincinnati with plans to major in civil engineering. He has been a member of the Patriot Pioneers 4-H Club for 10 years. He is also a member of the Pickaway County Junior Fair Board. He played soccer for all four years in high school and, this year, was named the winner of the Mark Anderson Award as Pickaway County’s top boys soccer player. He was named starting goalie in the last game of this sophomore year and led the Vikings to 24 wins in the past two years. He loves other sports like football, basketball and baseball. He has shown rabbits as his main fair project.

Merritt, who also won the Teays Valley 4-H Service Award, served as last year’s Queen’s Attendant. She is a member of the Pickaway Shooting Sports 4-H Club, serving as a Junior Shotgun Instructor. She has been a member of the Junior Fair Board for four years, serving as an officer for three years. Merritt has attended 4-H camp for four years, and has served as a camp counselor. She also won the Teays Valley 4-H Club's Service Award on Sunday. She will attend The Ohio State University in the fall as an Honor Student with plans to major in biochemistry.