From county fair queen, to Iowa State Fair Queen, to college freshman

ANKENY — From Henry County Fair Queen to Iowa State Fair Queen Kalayna Durr shares about the whirlwind experience as fair royalty just before beginning classes this week as a freshman at Des Moines Area Community College.

For her last summer before entering the new adventure of college, Durr decided to listen to the prompting of her family and friends and throw her hat into the ring for Henry County Fair Queen, and ultimately earning the title of Iowa State Fair Queen only a few short weeks later.

“Like I said during my county fair queen interview, I wasn't going to run at all, but everybody convinced me to,” Durr said. “so, you know, listen to the people that know you best because they're your biggest supporters and know you better than yourself sometimes. So, you know, just advice from other people and don't be afraid to go for it.”

As surprised as she was to earn the title of Henry County Fair Queen, Durr says she was even more surprised to win Iowa State Fair Queen.

“I didn't expect it at all,” she said of winning the honor. “I think I didn't expect it, but I was scared that they wouldn't necessarily notice me because I'm so involved in ag and showing. I was scared that was going to alter how they saw me, I guess you could say, but obviously that wasn't the case.”

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“Once they had announced Henry County, Kalayna Durr I was like ‘oh my gosh,’” she said. “I just look back at the pictures and everything looking back, and I just I covered my face right away because I was just in shock.”

“My stomach dropped, and my arms and legs went completely numb,” she said. “I sat in my chair for a hot second. I’m still in shock about it!”

The whole experience feels surreal to Durr as she remembers watching one of her Henry County Fair Queen Coordinators, Kelsey Smith, receive the title of Iowa Fair Queen 10 years ago in 2013.

“I remember watching her up on stage being crowned and I was just in awe,” she said. “She was one of my biggest influences growing up and knowing that 10 years later, I’m in the same shoes as her now and can be that influence for little girls and even little boys, you know, is an amazing experience.”

“it's just amazing knowing that I could make the Smith sisters first years coordinators definitely one to remember,” she said.

In preparation for the week of competition, Durr says that she learned a lot in workshops and by spending time with the other 103 contestants vying for the crown. Some of which, she hopes she can pass on to the next generation of young girls that now look up to her like she looks up to Kelsey Smith.

“I think another big lesson that I hope to teach to, you know, little girls and everything is that you can be a tomboy like me, you know, get your hands dirty, but there's time to know you need to learn to be ladylike, which was definitely something that I learned over the past few weeks,” she said.

Not only does Durr know how to answer interview questions, serve others, and get dolled up for queen contests, but she also knows how to get dirty as she shows her cattle and sheep as a lifelong 4-H kid.

“So, on Monday, a couple of days after the crowning, I got to show my sheep,” Durr said. “And then on the last Saturday of the fair, I got to show my cattle. So that was fun.”

“I actually had to show in my crown and sash because I was swamped that day,” she said. “So I did not have time to change. So that was definitely a new one because I did not do that at County Fair. So I was scared I was going to like ruin it.”

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When she wasn’t showing her livestock a the state fair, Durr spent time presenting awards, trying different foods, having meals with important people, and taking photos with fans.

“One day I got a handout ribbon and measured the longest beard, which is definitely interesting,” she said with a laugh. “Then another day I got a handout ribbons at the mom calling contest. … Other days I would get a handout ribbons at livestock shows, and take pictures with all of the grand champions for the Hall of Fame.”

“It was crazy, because I would have breakfast, lunch or dinner with some of the most important people in Iowa or I’d have it with the fair board almost every day,” she said. “It was definitely a big adjustment to you know, eating a meal with the governor. That was something that I never saw myself doing.”

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After the fair wrapped up, Durr went straight to moving into her first apartment for her freshman year of college at DMACC to study Agriculture Business.

Durr says it does feel a little odd to move from fair royalty to the underclassman.

“I have classes with people my age, but then also second year students, but also like 30-year-old, 40-year-old men, because it is a community college,” she said.

As strange as that was, what she found stranger was people noticing her outside of the fair atmosphere.

“I thought not many people were going to notice me here because it is so big, you know, but literally one of the first people that I didn’t know knew my face right away,” she said. “Then on the first day of classes, I sat next to some people, and they were like, ‘you look so familiar,’ and I was just like ‘hmm, yeah, I don’t know why.’”

“By the end of class, they were like ‘Oh my gosh, you’re the Iowa State Fair Queen,’” Durr recalled.

While Durr plans to focus on school and settle into this new academic year, she does plan to return to Henry County just next week for some surprise appearances at Old Threshers Reunion.

“I'm so excited to come back home for that,” she said. “ … because we know we all know that Old Threshers is very dear to my heart.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com