With perfectly cut hair, professionally done makeup and shiny belt buckles, the princesses of the Umatilla County Fair Court exude class from every angle.

Underneath their custom-fit cowboy hats, though, Katie Hennings, Cheyanne Lancaster, Catherine Doherty and Hailey Loiland lead a personal life filled to the brim with extracurriculars, summertime jobs and big dreams ahead.

Hennings, Lancaster and Doherty are from Hermiston, and Loiland is from Athena.

Each January, the fair selects high school girls for the court and to represent the Umatilla County Fair for the entirety of the calendar year.

The fall of 2023 brought seven girls vying to get on the court seeking, while the biggest turnout was in the fall of 2022, with 11 girls.

Princesses in the public eye

The responsibilities of a princess on the Umatilla County Fair Court range far and wide, with the court traveling throughout most of Oregon and Washington.

“Their job is to represent and invite people to the fair, but also support other special events in the community, and really give agriculture a voice,” said Rebecca Manning, Umatilla County Fair Court chaperone. “That could be by attending parades, chamber lunches, doing speeches at banquets and attending rodeos.”

Each princess on the court undergoes long days of visiting other fairs, luncheons and countless parades, but Manning knows the work far exceeds that.

“You know, they’re not just a pretty face with a crown,” Manning said. “They have a job to do. This is a job. We treat it like a job.”

Although a requirement to be on the court is to be in high school as well, many of the princesses have wished for this honor since they were little.

“It means a lot to me,” said Lancaster, an incoming sophomore from Hermiston. “I’m really proud that I was chosen for this position, and it’s really cool to be around someone that young girls look up to, just like I looked up to the rodeo and fair princesses when I was a little girl

While their schedules remain busy throughout the year, each princess is involved in countless sports, clubs and strives to be an outstanding member of their community.

Katie Hennings

Hennings is involved in 4-H and Future Farmers of America, which led her to run for a spot on the court this year as opposed to later.

“I chose to run my freshman year because I knew it wouldn’t overwhelm me as I ran for other leadership positions in FFA or 4-H in my years to come,” she said.

Besides her involvement with school and showing, Hennings has picked up a sport as well, and it is safe to say she is excelling in it.

Archery has been on Henning’s mind and heart since she was 5 years old.

She has traveled to state three times for the sport and last year made her debut appearance in The Vegas Shoot.

The Shoot brings in archers from all over the globe, and last year boasted an impressive number of 5,000 participants.

“It’s like the Super Bowl of archery,” Hennings said. “In my flight of similar skilled archers, I placed 10th for my first year.”

In her future plans, Hennings aims to obtain a degree in agriculture, return home and work with either 4-H or the youth development side of agriculture.

Cheyanne Lancaster

Lancaster and Hennings are the youngest members of the court, both starting their sophomore years in the fall. Lancaster is following in the footsteps of her family.

“My mom was on the Umatilla Landing Days princess court, and my cousin did flags for the Farm-City Pro Rodeo, so I have wanted to get involved for some time now,” Lancaster said.

Lancaster’s extracurriculars have benefited her in preparation for her time on the court as well.

She was an FFA chapter president, she said, “and that led me to be able to increase my public speaking skills.”

Her pattern of high goals does not stop at academics either, with the princess planning to graduate high school not only as a valedictorian, but with an associate’s degree as well.

After high school, Lancaster’s plans turn to her fixation for the past few years — criminal psychology.

“I want to go into criminal psychology and work with the FBI to make profiles,” she said.

University of Oregon, Oregon State University and Corban University all are on the top of her mind when considering her future education.

Catherine Doherty

Doherty and is an upcoming junior this fall. While many girls on the court have dreamed for this position, Doherty knew it was her destiny 10 years ago.

“For me, it goes back to when I was 5,” she said. “My grandpa was the county commissioner at the time, so we were going to all the parades and fairs, every single thing to do with the court.”

She recalled looking up at the court princesses and seeing their beauty and grace.

“So I always, always, always wanted to be a princess,” she said.

Sports come easily to Doherty, with her position this year as captain of the softball and volleyball teams. Similarly to the other princesses, Doherty spent her time in FFA as well as the chapter vice president.

For her further education goals, she plans on touring colleges next summer.

Doherty’s sister attends Stanford, and her father attended Claremont Mckenna, the two schools she is most interested in.

“So obviously, I’m shooting really, really high,” Doherty said. “But you know if you shoot for the moon and you don’t make it, you land among the stars.”

Hailey Loiland

Loiland is eldest princess on the court, entering her senior year this fall.

As a previous FFA president, she is eager to get into the world and make a difference.

Loiland plans on applying to Montana State University in Bozeman. One of the two main career paths she is considering is a labor and delivery nurse.

“I have always had a passion for being close to the children and being there for the mama,” she said. “I want to be the person who’s pushing that mom and helping her be the person that she can lean on when she’s ready to bring a new person into the world.”

Loiland’s other possible future is a very different environment, where she would be an agriculture teacher.

“I have always been good with kids, and I feel that agriculture is a part of this world. If we didn’t have agriculture, our world would not be able to function,” Loiland said.

This may not be the last time Loiland is seen representing her community as a princess, she hopes to be on the Pendleton Round-Up Court in the future.

“My cousin was the queen last year on the Round-Up Court,” Loiland said. “I’ll probably have to take a year off college, but I will definitely go out for it.”

“My mom was on the Umatilla Landing Days princess court, and my cousin did flags for the Farm-City Pro Rodeo, so I have wanted to get involved for some time now.”

— Cheyanne Lancaster, Umatilla County Fair Court princess, on why she wants to be on the court

“I have always been good with kids, and I feel that agriculture is a part of this world. If we didn’t have agriculture, our world would not be able to function.”

— Hailey Loiland, Umatilla County Fair Court princess, on considering a career as an agriculture teacher

“I chose to run my freshman year because I knew it wouldn’t overwhelm me as I ran for other leadership positions in FFA or 4-H in my years to come.”

{p style=”text-align: right;”}— Katie Hennings, Umatilla County Fair Court princess, on trying to get on the court

“For me, it goes back to when I was 5. My grandpa was the county commissioner at the time, so we were going to all the parades and fairs, every single thing to do with the court.”

{p style=”text-align: right;”}— Catherine Doherty, Umatilla County Fair Court princess, on how long she has wanted to be on the court