From Cattle to a Crown

IJBA Member and Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Advocates for Ag and Spreads Inspiration Across the State

By Sara McClendon

For Miss Illinois County Fair Queen, 19-year-old Natalie Evans of Jacksonville, it all began with a bottle calf named Blossom.

“I’ve been showing livestock since I was 8 years old in 4-H,” Natalie says. “My siblings and I initially showed sheep because that’s what my dad showed.”

It turns out that sheep weren’t quite the right fit for the Evans siblings. Neither were pigs. However, when the family got Blossom as a calf and Natalie’s older brother first showed her in the ring, it sparked an interest in show cattle for Natalie. She started showing cattle in 2017 and has never looked back. In particular, she enjoys working with Red Angus.

“They are just so sweet,” Natalie says. “They all have a personality. I feel that every heifer I’ve ever had, I have built the biggest relationship with them and it is never going to fade. They are extremely docile, they are really good mothers, and they are easy keepers. What makes it even better is we know so many great people in the breed too.”

Connecting with others in the industry is important to Natalie. For her, the county fair is the key to meeting others in the community who share her passion.

“I love the whole vibe and atmosphere of the county fair,” Natalie says. “I have been going to it since I was little. I look more forward to county fair week than family vacations. It provides for the local economy and it’s a unification. People grow closer because it’s something they can do together.”

A Love for Showing and the County Fair

Natalie’s path to Miss Illinois County Fair Queen is rooted in her love for showing cattle and the fair. Sean Evans, Natalie’s father, says when the family decided to move into showing cattle, he was at first focused on working with Natalie’s older brother. He didn’t realize was Natalie was quietly watching the entire process until she asked him one day to show Red Angus. That started a lifelong journey for Natalie. Along the way, Sean and Natalie worked closely with the Andras family, steadily growing a strong bond between the two families as Natalie began her beef showing journey.

Peri Andras, who is now one of Natalie’s closest friends, says the two grew close working cattle together. While Peri admits at first both she and Natalie weren’t sure they would get along, they soon discovered a mutual love for Red Angus that brought them together and forged a friendship.

“We’ve been showing cattle for at least seven years together,” Peri says. “We spent every summer together. She would buy the cow from us, we would keep it at our house, and she would come over every day and we would work cows together. Just spending that much time together made us grow closer.”

The Andras family was there when Natalie made her showing debut.

“The very first show where Natalie ever entered the show ring was at the Junior National Red Angus Show in Stillwater, Oklahoma,” Sean explains. “Her first show experience at the end of a halter was at a national show. She just went out and it was natural for her. She had the biggest smile on her face. Her face just lit up coming out of the show ring.”

Sean says as Natalie left the ring, he turned to his friend Will Andras who told Sean, “I think she’s been bitten by the bug.” He was right.

A Passion for Cattle Provides Important Life Lessons

“I will be the first one to admit, I’ve never won a big grand championship anywhere,” Natalie says. “I think it was my second or third year showing and I was at my county fair and I was in a pretty good-sized class. I got first place. I remember being so happy in that moment.”

Losses can be tough for any child in the showring. However, Natalie didn’t let that lessen her love for showing cattle. It just inspired her to work harder.

“What I love the most about showing cattle is that it has taught me humility and how to be humble,” Natalie says. “I lost a lot, but I also won too. I owe it all to being the person I am today. I appreciate the wins, but I also appreciate the losses too. There have been times where I’ve wanted to quit and times where I’ve wanted to cry but I just get up and remember that it will all be okay tomorrow.”

Showing cattle may have helped develop a sense of resilience for Natalie, but her drive and work ethic have been there her whole life. It also inspired her current journey to become a large animal veterinarian as she attends Murray State University, with plans to finish her education at the University of Illinois.

“She’s very driven,” Sean says. “As a child, Natalie was independent and strong-willed. She always knows what she wants. She’s very goal-oriented and she sets high expectations for herself. It’s something I’ve always admired.”

While Natalie’s family lives off the farm, they are very involved in her grandfather’s farm and active members of the farming community in Morgan County.

“We are fortunate that we were able to have her in agriculture,” says Sean. “We’ve been able to expose her into that. We’ve been able to stay engaged in the beef production with my father and my brothers. From an early age, she’s gravitated towards that.”

Connecting with the Industry

For Natalie, building connections with other in the beef industry has provided a multitude of opportunities.

“Junior Beef Association has allowed me to get involved at the state level, and even further to the national level,” Natalie explains. “I was a scholarship recipient this past year. Being able to show and see the junior board inspired me.”

After her involvement in JBA, Natalie went on to get involved in the Junior Red Angus Association. She served on the board from 2021-2023. She says programs like JBA and the Junior Red Angus Association are investments in her future. Plus, she’s made life-long friends by being involved in these organizations.

“Natalie serving as a board member of the National Junior Red Angus Association and the national show, and all the extra beyond just going in the ring with your animal, has had more of an impact than just going in the show ring alone,” Sean says. “It has given her some skills. And as I think about her preparing for a pageant, the ability to feel comfortable doing public speaking, or being asked to talk about a topic you aren’t familiar with, and having many opportunities to do that, put her in an excellent position to be where she’s at today.”

Natalie believes, serving on the board and going to national shows are vital to keeping the beef industry strong.

“At the end of the day for me, there is just something about cattle that sparks in me,” Natalie says. “Being able to serve on the junior board and go to different national shows really fired up that passion. I feel like we are just one big family. Nationally, there is one thing that we are all working towards and that is keeping our industry alive. With the challenges that we face every day, as an industry, we have our competitors, but when it comes down to it, we’re really trying to build each other up and support each other in order to all be successful and make our industry the best it can be so it can thrive for many years to come.”

Advocating for Ag as Miss Illinois Country Fair Queen

Natalie had always considered running for Morgan County Fair Queen, and finally went for it in 2023, winning the crown. Despite never entering a pageant before, she knew she would regret it if she didn’t go for it.

For six months after she won, Natalie represented Morgan County at the State Fair and in parades. Then, it was time for one of the biggest moments for a county fair queen – the state competition.

“The state pageant weekend was so much fun,” Natalie says. “Morgan County has some of the best fair directors in the world. They made that experience ten times better. I never felt once like I needed to win. I was going there to have fun. Then, on that Sunday of that weekend I was crowned Miss Illinois County Fair and it just soared from there.”

Illinois Beef Association is a sponsor of the Miss Illinois County Fair Queen competition, which provides winners with an opportunity to visit other county fairs, talk with legislators and be a face of the State Fair to people across the state. The competition begins at the county fair level, and winners from each county go on to the state competition. Over the summer, Natalie visited 29 county fairs.

“As Miss Illinois County Fair Queen, you are an advocate for agriculture and the state fair,” Natalie explains. “The state fair is so important to Illinois. It showcases all of our agriculture. It also allows a place for people to learn, meet people and have fun. I think it’s important to have someone to advocate for that and be a warm, welcoming smile.”

Gracie Holt, co-director of the Morgan County Fair Pageant, helps royalty as they complete their duties as Morgan County Fair Queen. She says Natalie possesses all of the qualities needed for a fair queen.

“Natalie is the full package,” Gracie says. “I’ve always described her as sweet as a button, but also the most knowledgeable person in the room.”

Plus, Natalie’s passion for agriculture is an inspiration to girls across the state.

“She’s paving a road, especially back here in Morgan County,” Gracie explains. “We have never had a Miss Illinois County Fair Queen. She’s showing girls, especially back home, but all over the state that you can be smart, and kindhearted and all these other things while also being the brightest smile in the room. I think she’s showing those girls that it’s possible to really be who you are and also be the full package.”

Peri agrees that Natalie is a good role model for young girls in Illinois.

“Natalie is the most genuine person you could ever meet,” Peri says. “On her own, Natalie is a big advocate for agriculture. Agriculture is such an important part of our lives, and her advocating for that to these young girls who are looking up to her means those young girls are more likely to listen to her and take that to heart.”

Sean says watching Natalie speak to large crowds, truly being herself and taking on challenges is one of many points of pride from him.

“I keep being blown away as I see things,” Sean says. “She just makes me so proud. And just when I think it can’t get better, she just one-ups it. I see her out and about and there might be a small group of kids off to the side. I see her pull them in and go to them. She’ll take the time to talk to them, ask them how their day is going and what their interests are. And I see her do that all the time. That, to me, is what makes me most proud.”

If one of those kids Natalie talks to asks for advice from the Miss Illinois County Fair Queen, she’d likely tell them to go for it and take every opportunity presented.

“All these little things in life add up to grow you as a person,” Natalie says. “I know when I was younger, I would absolutely dread doing anything my dad told me to do. However, I am so grateful that he pushed me to do those things and pushed me out of my comfort zone because I’m not really afraid now to do something and know that there’s a possibility to fail. When you take those opportunities and just try, you will get something out if it.”