KAREN BUTLER Maryland Correspondent Carroll County fair week was an especially busy one this year for Renata Ramonda. The 16- year-old Westminster youth knew that the horses, rabbits, and photography projects she entered in the 101st annual Carroll County fair, and the tractor driving contest she par ticipated in would keep her busy. What she hadn’t counted on was the fact that she would be crowned Carroll County farm queen during the 4-H/FFA fair, held at the ag center in Westminster. In addition to exhibiting her projects, Renata spent the week in a flurry of activity handing out ribbons at shows, working at the livestock sale, and greeting the public. Three young ladies competed for the title of farm queen in the dairy pavilion at the ag center. In addition to Renata, identical twins Emily and Jessica Hester, of Westminster, also participat ed in the contest. The 16-year old daughters of Greg and Beth Hester live on a hog farm, and exhibit both hogs and sheep each year at the fair. They ire both active in 4-H and FFA, and are also both members of the National Honor Society. Both sisters participate in sports, and are active in community service. Emily and Jessica will serve as alternates to the Carroll County farm queen. In her last official duty as the 1997 Carroll County farm queen, Jessica Fritz, the daugh ter of Daniel and Sharon Fritz, New Windsor, gave her farewell address and passed on the tiara. (Continued from Page B 7) ' up tails, on showing in hand, and have visited a farm to see and leant about mares ready to foal. Carroll County Fair Selects Busy Queen Instead of focusing on the impor tance of agriculture in her last speech, Jessica took the oppor tunity to make a heartfelt state ment about farmers themselves. “Farmers are the best people I know,” she said. “No one works harder or longer. Thank you to the farmers of Carroll County. I commend you and I want to tell you that I am so proud my fami ly and I are part of your commu nity.” Renata Ramonda, the daugh ter of DeAnn Ramonda-Pruitt and Arthur Pruitt, lives on a 14- acre quarter horse farm in Westminster, Pruitt’s Pleasure Quarter Horse farm. She attends Westminster High School, where she will be a senior this fall. She has a two year-old brother. The family raises, trains, and rides quarter horses, and also raises rabbits. Renata’s love of quarter hors es keeps her busy feeding, clean ing stalls, training, and riding the animals at home. She accomplished rider, both English and Western. She quali fied through her participation in the Maryland state team to go to the National Youth Activity team tournament. She took two of her horses to the event, and rode both English and Western. Renata has also been very involved in the Carroll County therapeutic riding program. The program takes place each spring and fall at the ag center in Westminster. “I’ve been involved in the program for a very long time,” she explained, “And I’ve become more active in recent years because I’m older. Basically, my job is to help out Gentle Giants Pull This summer the club members with the kids who are nuing, either being a side-walker or a leader of the horse. It’s been a wonderful experience to be able to work with the many children involved in the program.” At school, Renata is president of the Westminster High School FFA chapter. She attended the Maryland State FFA convention, and the 1996 National 4-H Congress. She is a member' of the FFA horse judging team at the state level. Her 4-H activi ties include being president of the New Kids 4-H club, and a member of the Carroll County horse judging team. She has also participated in the horse bowl trivia and hippology contests. She has taken several college level courses, including a fresh man agriculture class in animal science from Kansas State University through a distance learning program. She also took a college level horse judging course from North Carolina State University. As for her fair week activi ties, Renata said she was very busy, but she had a rewarding week. “We did pretty well. We did fairly decent in everything. It was fun!” she said. have been restoring a farm wagon that will be hitched to a mother daughter team of Percheron mares at the Carroll County fair. Heather Bankard will ride alongside on an other mare. The young people have made a banner with the slo gan, “4-H Pulls Youth Together.” And it’s clear that with this dedi cated group of horse enthusiasts, that slogan rings true. 7k# fii/W Renata Ramonda of Westminster is the New Carroll County farm queen. 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