Pet Show kicks off 2021 Houston County Fair (GALLERY)

ALTON PORTER | HCCQueen Ayvery Sallee, left, and Princess Kallie Jo Stephens are this year’s royalty for the Houston County Fair & Youth Livestock Show and Home & Garden Fair. They were introduced to attendees at the annual event’s Pet Show Tuesday evening.

The 2021 Houston County Fair & Youth Livestock Show and Home & Garden Fair is being held this week at the usual places, the Porth Ag Arena in Crockett and Crockett Civic Center.

Participants assembled at the arena and set up the fairgrounds for the event Monday evening and it was kicked off with the check-in of many of the animals and home and garden items entered in the various shows and the holding of the Pet Show late Tuesday afternoon and evening.

The Pet Show, which features youngsters and their pets, is one of the most popular fair activities.

Pet Show class award winners were Lacey Currie and her dog Dixie, in the Mixed Breed Under 25 Pounds class; Kayleigh Hicks and her dog Lucy, in the Mixed Breed Over 25 Pounds class; Charlee Culpepper and her pet dog, in the Pure Breed Under 25 Pounds class; Isaac Mathison and his dog Piper, in the Pure Breed Over 25 Pounds class; and Kade Stephens and his lizard Mushi, in the Miscellaneous Animals class.

The Best of Show trophy was won by Kennedy Craycraft and pet, the Best Team trophy by Nolan Jansky and pet, the Best Groomed trophy by Corey Hicks and his pet, the Showmanship trophy by Carley Tucker and pet and the Best Mannered trophy by Jase Turner and his pet.

Tobi Curless, left, leading a llama, and Chuck Curless, leading an alpaca, along with Kathy Curless, not pictured, presented a demonstration with the two animals to attendees at the Pet Show of the…

2020 Houston County Fair Queen Jamie Welch, right, and Princess Laney Smith were introduced to fair attendees Tuesday. ALTON PORTER | HCC

Queen Ayvery Sallee, left, and Princess Kallie Jo Stephens are this year’s royalty for the Houston County Fair & Youth Livestock Show and Home & Garden Fair. They were introduced to attendees at…

acey Currie and her dog Dixie won the trophy in the Mixed Breed Under 25 Pounds class competition at the Houston County Fair Pet Show Tuesday. ALTON PORTER | HCC

Kayleigh Hicks and her dog Lucy were presented the trophy for winning the Mixed Breed Over 25 Pounds class competition by 2020 Fair Princess Laney Smith at the Houston County Fair Pet Show Tuesday.

Charlee Culpepper and her dog are the winners of the trophy in the Pure Breed Under 25 Pounds class competition of this year’s Houston County Fair Pet show. ALTON PORTER | HCC

Isaac Mathison and his dog Piper are winners of the trophy in the Pure Breed Over 25 Pounds class competition of the 2021 Houston County Fair Pet Show. ALTON PORTER | HCC

Kade Stephens and his lizard Mushi won the trophy in the Miscellaneous Animals class competition at the Houston County Pet Show Tuesday. A ALTON PORTER | HCC

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Before the Pet Show competitions were held, three Latexo-area residents—Kathy Curless, Chuck Curless and Tobi Curless—put on a demonstration with one of their llamas and one of their alpacas for the show attendees.

In addition, both last year’s fair and livestock show queen and princess and this year’s royalty were introduced to the event attendees.

The 2020 queen was Jamie Welch, a Latexo High School graduate who now attends Texas A&M University. Laney Smith, a fifth grader at Kennard Elementary School, was the 2020 princess.

This year’s queen is Ayvery Sallee, a Lovelady High School Senior, and the 2021 princess is Kallie Jo Stephens, of Latexo, a Grapeland Middle School student.

The fair and youth livestock show activities will continue through Saturday, when the participants will clean up the fairgrounds, and the climaxes of the event will be held Friday: the Buyers Appreciation Dinner, beginning at 4 p.m., and the Sale of Champions, beginning at 6 p.m.