County crowns Fairest of the Fair

Just in case you were unsure of your fairness in relation to others at the Wilson County Fair, be unsure no more. You are, in fact, less fair than Kierston Bible, who was officially crowned Fairest of the Fair on Tuesday.
Bible, 16, of Wilson Central High School, competed with 29 other Wilson County ladies ages 16-20 to win the county title. She will go on to represent Wilson County in the state Fairest of the Fair pageant at the Tennessee State Fair.
First runner up was Chloe Wilson. Second runner up was Natalie Clark. Both are Wilson Central High School students.
A massive crowd gathered under the pageant pavilion to cheer on their favorite contestants Tuesday night.
Not all the spectators were biased. Some were there for the love of the game. Phyllis Maynard, Tabitha Manshum and Linda Clower are self-described Fairest of the Fair experts.
If one were gambling on the outcome of the pageant, one might want to consult with these ladies for the odds on favorite.
"I picked the winner three years in a row," said Manshum who wants to be a judge in the pageant.
Manshum said she relies on intuition to make her picks, but Clower said it's all about the contestant's stage presence. Clower ought to know.
"I was in the pageant when I was younger," Clower said. "My daughter was in it, and my sisters-in-law were in it, too."
The women used the pageant programs as makeshift scorecards, marking the numbers of contestants they think might have a chance. As the pageant goes on, they whittle down their choices and pick who they think will be the winner.
Early on in the pageant, Maynard and Clower picked contestant No. 25 to win, though they didn't consult before making their choice.
"We didn't get together on that," Clower said.
Manshum thought contestant No. 18 had the best chance.
Their early guesses didn't pan out last night, though to their credit, those guesses came before the interview portion of the contest, a key part of the pageant which can make or break a contestant.
Maynard said the group had been coming to the fair and watching the pageant longer than they can remember. And they'll surely be back next year to decide who is the fairest of them all, even if the judges disagree with their choice.
Staff writer Nick Fowler can be reached at 444-3952 ext. 15 or by e-mail at nick.fowler@lebanondemocrat.com.