Miss Adams County Fair one of 15 finalists at state pageant

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Miss Adams County Fair Jersey Hesse was honored as one of 15 finalists during the Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Pageant in Springfield this past weekend.  She competed against more than 70 county fair queens from across the state.  The pageant is the highlight of the weekend-long Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs annual convention.

“Would I have pictured myself in the top 15 on July 28 when I received the Miss Adams Co. Fair title? Absolutely not,” Hesse said in a press release. “It happened only with the support of my county, past queens, my directors and friends and family.   If each person hadn’t played their part in my journey, I would never hit center stage with the confidence to represent my amazing county the way it deserves. I wanted to give Adams County the credit they so overly deserve from their support by receiving top 15.”

Hesse said the encouragement from everyone at home played a big part in her performance.

“Adams County always had my back and was always in the back of my mind as I competed on stage,” she said. “Every appearance I gave that weekend was for those who supported me first. I needed to give back to my community with everything I had in me that night. I knew my county would be proud of me simply because I did not hold anything back.”

Hesse is a freshman agriculture communications student at the University of Illinois. She now returns to college and looks forward to the rest of her year representing the county.

“Local county fair attendees know me from the show barn and my ability to control a 1,000-pound animal with a halter,” she said. “Now as Miss Adams County, they know my background. They have never stereotyped me into being a diva who is rumored to follow the crown. Of all my years attending the fair, each and every queen we’ve had was down to earth, easy to communicate with and always supported their fellow queens and county. That is a reputation that I love to now be a part of.”

Hesse, 19, is a daughter of Nicole Hesse and Curt and Amanda Hesse of Ursa. She lives in Urs and graduated from Unity High School in May 2021.  

She is the 56th Adams County Fair Queen to be crowned since the pageant began in 1965.

Hesse has worked for several area farms for many years. In her spare time, she tends to cattle on her own family farm and enjoys showing cattle at area county fairs.  She has been showing cattle at the Adams County Fair for 12 years.