District One

Ronnie Motter, Adair, is seeking the District 1 position on the Mayes County Fair Board.

Motter, 48, has been involved with the Mayes County Fair since he was a boy.

“I showed and my kids showed,” Motter said.

One of Motter’s goals is to see a new show barn built at the fairgrounds.

“I’d like to see the horse program built up,” he said.

Motter wants more people with horses be involved at the fair. He said the horse program started out big, but some things need to be changed to get people involved again.

Motter owns a horse farm at Adair. His children living at home show steers and horses at the fair.



Kelly Brown of Pryor also filed for the District 1 fair board seat. Brown could not be reached for an interview.

District 1 residents will vote for their fair board member at the Mayes County Commissioners office in the courthouse. The election will be Saturday, Feb. 7 from

2 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.



District Two

Robert Dardenne, Mazie, is a candidate for Mayes County Fair Board member in District 2.

Dardenne, 32, used to show animals while he was in high school.

Over the years, Dardenne said he has seen a steady decline in the running and quality of the fair.

“The overall fair doesn’t seem to have the excitement about it that it used to,” Dardenne said.

In last year’s fair, Dardenne said “things didn’t seem as well orchestrated.”

Dardenne said he would like to see more entrants at the fair and more quality animals.

Dardenne said his understanding is the fair has been having financial problems and he wants to help solve them.

Dardenne sometimes sponsors children who participate in the fair. He has also helped with FFA chapters.



Jerry Zumstein, Jr. filed for the District 2 Fair Board position.

Zumstein, Pryor, said his family has been showing at Mayes County Fair for 18 years.

Zumstein has two grown children who showed at the fair and two who currently show.

Zumstein said he feels the fair “is going in a positive direction.” He wants to keep improving on the barns and facilities.

“I want to make sure it keeps growing and gets better and better for the kids,” Zumstein said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Zumstein has an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old who show beef cattle and hogs. Zumstein raises heifers.

Voters in District 2 must go to the county barn east of Pryor to elect their fair board member. Voting will take place Saturday, Feb. 7 from

2 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.



District Three

Crystal Pritchett of Rose filed for the District 3 Fair Board position.

Pritchett, 31, said she grew up on a dairy farm and participated in the fair during her childhood. From age nine to graduation, Pritchett showed dairy cattle and hogs.

“It meant a lot to me as a kid,” said Pritchett.

Pritchett has a five-year-old daughter and wants to see her daughter have the same showing opportunities she had.

“The kids learn a lot from getting that experience,” she said.

Pritchett said participating in the fair teaches children responsibility, leadership and community service skills.

Pritchett wants to continually improve the Mayes County Fair, which she feels is “highly competitive.

“We have a lot to be proud of in Mayes County with our fair,” Pritchett said. “We ought to be continually making it better.”

Pritchett and her husband own a farm and raise registered dairy

cattle.



Allen Willis from Locust Grove is running for the Mayes County Fair Board as a District 3 member.

Willis, 22, said he showed an animal at Mayes County Fair “since I was tall enough to show one.” He showed hogs and heifers until graduation. He judged horses through high school and college.

Willis said some people in the community asked him to run for fair board membership. As a potential fair board member, Willis is looking forward to being involved in the fair again.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help,” Willis said.

Willis works for Oklahoma Ordinance Works Authority in MidAmerica Industrial Park. He runs a few cattle on his land.

District 3 residents must vote for their fair board member at the county barn east of Salina from 2 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Saturday.