BROWNSTOWN — Two sashes, two trophies, two bouquets of roses, two titles, one cloak, one crown.
First, Morgan Branaman was announced as Miss Congeniality during Sunday night’s Jackson County Fair queen pageant at the fairgrounds grandstand in Brownstown.
Then emcee Katie Stam Irk, a Jackson County native who was 2009 Miss America, announced Rebecca Lucas as second runner-up and Carly Kaiser as first runner-up.
Branaman then heard her name a second time — as 2023 Jackson County Fair queen.
She’s the 66th fair queen and eighth woman to earn two titles in one year. Only three others — Susan Fox in 1978, Jamie Goen in 1983 and Victoria McKinney in 2010 — were Miss Congeniality and queen.
“When they said, ‘Contestant No. 6,’ I was like, ‘Contestant No. 6, who is that?’ and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh! That’s me,’” the 19-year-old Seymour resident said. “I was so honored. I was so proud of myself because I’ve worked so hard this past year to improve my interview skills and improve my stage presence.”
This was her second year in a row competing in the pageant. Last year, she didn’t make the court in her first year of eligibility.
“I learned that I really had to ask other people or reach out to grow my interview skills because I really struggled on that last year and I was super nervous,” she said. “I was giving the judges what I thought they wanted to hear instead of speaking from the heart, so this year, I really tried to figure out what I really wanted them to know about myself, and I really gave them the answers that were me and not what they wanted to hear.”
The 21 contestants interviewed with the three judges Sunday afternoon. Then that night, they modeled professional wear and evening wear, the latter after introducing themselves.
Branaman, a 2022 graduate of Brownstown Central High School, said she wanted to do the pageant again this year after pageant committee member Fayeann Hauer talked to her afterwards last year.
“I was a little upset and a little disappointed because I knew I didn’t perform my best, and she came up to me and she said, ‘We want you to do it again next year,’” Branaman said. “She’s a great example because she also did it her first year, didn’t win anything, her second year, she won queen and went to state and won second runner-up. She was a great motivation to me.”
Winning Miss Congeniality was a big deal to Branaman because that’s voted on by the contestants.
“That means about as much to me as winning queen because it’s such an honor, and it means a lot that my contestants thought that highly of me to vote me for that,” she said. “I was an open book. Anybody who had a question, I was always there to answer it, if they needed help with turns, and it helped that I did do it last year. They came up and asked me how the process went and everything like that.”
The daughter of Brian and Leah Branaman and sister to Trevor was sponsored by her mom’s business, Mann Bookkeeping and Tax Service. She’s currently attending Purdue University majoring in psychology with plans of becoming a school guidance counselor.
Now, she’s ready to turn her attention to representing the county’s largest annual event, which continues through Saturday.
“It means so much to me because growing up, I always looked up to the fair queen because they had the pretty crown and the sash, but as I grew older, I really appreciated how much responsibility this job is,” Branaman said. “I felt like I was really prepared this year to take on that job and responsibility.”
She’s excited to see the fair from a different perspective.
“The fair means so much to me,” she said. “Growing up here in Jackson County and always coming to the fair, it’s my favorite time of the summer, and I’m so happy that I get to look at it from a queen’s aspect, and I really, really appreciate it.”
She participated in 4-H for one year, but she kept herself busy with other aspects of the fair over the years.
“I came to the fair because a lot of my friends show animals, and I loved coming out here and supporting them,” Branaman said. “I came to the fair queen pageant, and I loved coming to the grandstand events. My grandpa, he would race on Thursday and Saturday, and my uncle was in the demolition derby, and I just loved coming out here to support all of them.”
She also likes seeing all of the people.
“You never know who you’re going to run into,” she said. “You could pass the corner and it could be an ex-high school teacher that you had or a coworker, and it’s just awesome that you get to see so many people in one place.”
Branaman is excited to spend the week with her two court members. After the fair, she will focus on preparing for the Indiana State Fair queen pageant in January 2024.
“I went to school with Becca, and I know Carly. They are both really sweet girls, and I’m super excited what the week looks like for us,” she said. “We’re going to have a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to this week.”
At 18, this was Kaiser’s first year of eligibility for the fair queen pageant.
“As a little girl, I always came to the Jackson County Fair queen pageant, and just seeing those girls and how confident they were, I wanted to be the same role model for little girls here in Jackson County,” she said of why she chose to enter.
Having practiced a lot in the weeks leading up to the pageant, Kaiser said she felt pretty confident. She was happy to see that work pay off.
“First of all, I was shocked because there were so many talented girls up here on this stage, and any of them had the opportunity to win it,” she said. “It was just a great feeling to see all of the supportive smiles and everything from all of the girls. It was amazing.”
Kaiser, a 2023 graduate of Seymour High School who is heading to Kansas University to study marketing, was sponsored by Tri Kappa Gamma Phi Chapter. Her parents are Troy and Susan Kaiser, and she has one sibling, Cole.
She’s among this year’s 10-year 4-H’ers.
“I’m just looking forward to being with this group of girls. They are amazing,” she said of her fellow court members. “I love their energy and everything that they have. Going to all of the events with them, it’s going to be an amazing experience, and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else.”
Lucas, 20, was one of 13 contestants in the 2022 fair queen pageant and decided to give it another go this year.
“I think I was a lot more prepared this year than I was last year, and my nerves were kind of calmed because I feel like I knew what was expected, like what questions they were going to ask,” she said. “I really wasn’t nervous. I was more worried about calming the nerves of the other girls because I felt like their energy was going to make me nervous when I was trying my best not to be.”
When she heard her name announced, Lucas said she was really excited.
“I felt like I put in a lot more effort this year than I did last year, and I’m just glad that I got to see that pay off,” she said.
Lucas, the daughter of James and Julie Lucas and sister to Matthew and Emma, is a 2021 graduate of Brownstown Central High School and lives in Brownstown. She was sponsored by Premier Companies Ag and Energy Services and Blush and Brush Beauty Bar. She’s currently enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College on a degree path of agriculture and works for Premier Ag.
She was a 10-year 4-H’er, so she, too, is excited about representing the fair this week and in the coming year.
“I get to be a role model for the girls, and my legacy doesn’t end just fair week,” Lucas said. “It continues on throughout the year, and I think that’s something that I really like.”