6 to vie for Fair Royalty
Six young women will vie for the chance to become part of the Idaho County Fair 2027 Royalty Court.
Allie Brown, Avery Brown, Grace Kaschmitter, Ella McLeod, Bethany Stowell and  Brynnley York will each take the stage Friday evening of the Idaho County Fair in hopes of representing the area throughout the year as queen, first princess or second princess.
This year’s royalty are queen Ellie Kouril of Grangeville and first princess Mikayla Rowland and second princess Molly Fowler, both of Cottonwood.
Seventeen-year-old Allie Brown of Grangeville is among the young women competing for a place on the 2027 Idaho County Fair Royalty Court, bringing a strong background in agriculture, horsemanship and community involvement to the competition.
A homeschooled sophomore, Brown is active in the Crazy Critters 4-H Club, Ignite Youth Group, Prairie Youth Theater and the Inland Empire Arabian Horse Club in Spokane, Wash. Through 4-H, she has completed horse, sewing and crochet projects and has also entered open-class photography, art and hobbies at the Idaho County Fair. She is the daughter of Richard and Jennifer Brown.
She enjoys sewing, singing, acting, painting, spending time outdoors, and riding and showing her horses. She plans to attend the University of Idaho after high school to study agriculture and hopes to become an agricultural agent. Her long-term goals also include participating in a mission trip to Africa and raising a family.
Brown describes determination as her greatest strength, saying it is easier to give up than to keep working toward long-term goals.
“Family is the most important part of my life and I strive to be a dependable, hardworking person who can overcome challenges,” she stated.
A lifelong Idaho County resident, Brown said her family's shared love of horses has helped shape who she is today.
Avery Brown, 17, is among the candidates seeking to represent Idaho County. She is the daughter of Rocky and Nichole Howe and Jacob Brown.
A senior at Grangeville High School, Brown is active in FFA, BPA, cheer, softball, student council, Varsity Blue choir and the Sources of Strength group. Her long history with the Idaho County Fair includes showing lambs, pigs and poultry through 4-H, serving as president of Animal House 4-H Club and as a two-time secretary for the Grangeville FFA chapter.
Brown works as a scale operator for Columbia Grain during the summer and previously served on the Grangeville crew of the Clearwater Basin Youth Conservation Corps. She enjoys spending her free time outdoors hunting, fishing, swimming, hiking and camping.
After graduation, Brown plans to attend Lewis-Clark State College, cheer for the Warriors and earn a bachelor's degree in psychology before pursuing a career as a private-practice therapist.
Brown said one of the qualities she would bring to the royalty court is empathy.
“My strongest personal quality is empathy. I always work to understand how others feel and treat them with respect, so every person feels like they belong,” Brown said.
She said her Christian faith and the support of her family, including six siblings, have shaped her character and helped prepare her to serve as an ambassador for the county.
Grace Kaschmitter, 16, of Cottonwood is hoping to represent the Idaho County Fair and the community she has called home for the past four years. She is the daughter of Amanda Holcomb.
Kaschmitter will be a junior this fall at Prairie Junior-Senior High School, where she stays active in volleyball, softball, FFA and 4-H. She also serves as a 4-H camp leader, participates in Vacation Bible School and Prairie League activities, and volunteers through her church.
A longtime 4-H member, Kaschmitter has spent 10 years exhibiting projects ranging from swine, goats and rabbits to baking, cake decorating, sewing and small animals. Outside of school, she works at The Habit in Cottonwood and also babysits, pet sits, house sits and does yard work.
If selected as royalty, Kaschmitter hopes to represent the values she says are most important to her: family, kindness and community service.
“My strongest personal quality is creativity,” Kaschmitter said in her application. “I enjoy expressing myself through painting, writing or drawing.”
Her hobbies include reading, painting, drawing, baking, running and interior design. After high school, she plans to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher.
Kaschmitter said she hopes to remain confident in herself, maintain a healthy lifestyle and continue volunteering in her community while serving as a positive ambassador for the Idaho County Fair.
Ella McLeod, 17, of Grangeville is seeking a place on the 2027 Idaho County Fair Royalty Court, bringing years of leadership, academic achievement and 4-H experience to the competition.
A senior at Prairie Junior-Senior High School, McLeod is the daughter of Elizabeth and Thomas McLeod. She is a three-year member of HOSA-Future Health Professionals, earning first place twice and second place once at the Idaho State Leadership Conference, qualifying for the international competition all three years. She also serves as an ASB spirit leader, belongs to the National Honor Society and has competed in cross-country and track.
McLeod has been involved in 4-H for 10 years, completing projects in sewing, cake decorating, market sheep and consumer science. She has served three years as a 4-H summer camp counselor, spent four years on the Idaho County Fashion Board and twice attended the State Teen Association Conference.
She currently works as a pharmacy technician at Irwin Drug and is completing the requirements for her certified nursing assistant license.
After high school, McLeod plans to attend the University of Idaho to study social work before earning a doctorate in psychiatry to provide rural mental health care.
"Three of my life goals are to visit all 50 states with my family, become a career leader in counseling and psychiatry, and make a positive impact on my community by giving back in multiple ways," McLeod said.
Bethany Stowell, 16, of Grangeville, is among the candidates seeking a spot on the royalty court.
A homeschooled junior at Stowell Academy, Bethany is the daughter of David and Dori Stowell. She has been active in the Idaho County Fair and 4-H for years, participating in projects including sewing, baking, swine, rabbits and self-determined baking. She has also served two years as a 4-H ambassador, worked in the 4-H food stand and spent five years on the Fashion Board.
Beyond the fair, Stowell stays involved in Irish dance as both a performer and teacher, community choir, the Idaho County Orchestra, piano, Grangeville High School varsity soccer, youth group, Vacation Bible School, nursery volunteering, children's church and Operation Christmas Child. She also works in her family's home health care and cleaning business.
After high school, Stowell plans to attend Lewis-Clark State College and become an emergency medical technician.
She said her strongest quality is her work ethic.
"I will work hard and show up," Stowell said. "I put my all into all that I do. People I work with know that they can count on me to be there, do my part and do my very best."
 Brynnley York hopes to combine her love of agriculture, community service and leadership as she competes for the 2027 Idaho County Fair Royalty court.
York, 15, is a sophomore at Grangeville High School and has been active in the Idaho County Fair for the past eight years. During that time, she has participated in 4-H projects including rabbits, lambs, woodworking and the "Making the Most of Me" program. She also has served as an officer in her 4-H club every year. She is the daughter of Eric and Heidi York.
Outside of the fair, York stays busy with 4-H, Business Professionals of America, student council, volleyball, softball, club volleyball and club softball. She also babysits for several local families throughout the summer and operates her own car freshener business.
York said she enjoys working with children, spending time with animals, reading the Bible, practicing sports and being with her family.
If selected as fair royalty, York hopes to represent the Idaho County Fair while encouraging other young people to become involved in agriculture and community activities. The Idaho County Fair annually crowns a new royalty court to serve as ambassadors for the fair and represent the organization throughout the year.
York said her strongest personal quality is being inclusive.
"I find it important to involve everyone and make each person feel welcomed," she wrote in her application.
She listed her life goals as becoming successful, making a positive impact on those around her and maintaining a strong relationship with her family and God.
After high school, York is considering careers in teaching, dentistry, cosmetology or becoming an aesthetician. She credits her parents, Heidi and Eric York, and her older sister for helping shape her values of responsibility, hard work and compassion.
"My family gives unconditional love and are my biggest supporters," York wrote. "They have shaped me into being the person I am today."