Kentucky Derby Festival
Goshen’s
Jones one of five
2013 Derby Princesses
Winner
will be decided April 19
by lottery at Fillies Inc. Ball
By
Helen E. McKinney
Contributing Writer
GOSHEN, Ky. (February 2013) – Cameryn Jones
thought joining the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Royal Court Program
would be a great way to represent the city of Louisville. What she didn’t
know was how stiff the competition would be.
“Over 100 girls applied,” said Jones, 21, of Goshen, Ky. The
first hurdle candidates had to pass was a five-minute long interview
with five interviewers. “This was the first round, and interviewers
had to narrow it down to 21 girls,” said Jones. “It’s
a tough job for them to go from 100 girls to 21 girls.”
Jones was one of the initial candidates last year but did not pass the
first interview. “They look for a well-rounded group, and I was
not well acquainted with the program.”
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Photo
courtesy of Gary Stinson, KDF The 2013 Derby Princess are (from left) Alli Grant, Harrodsburg; Dominique Luster, Louisville; Chelsea Diamond, Louisville; Cammie Jones, Goshen; and Katie Gardner, Greenville. A winner will be drawn randomly at the Fillies Ball. |
But this year she passed the test. Jones said being part
of the Royal Court “is a great way to represent the city of Louisville,
and Kentucky in general. It’s a great way to show people what we’re
all about.”
In addition to Jones, this year’s Kentucky Derby Festival Princesses
include Chelsea Diamond of Louisville; Katherine Gardner of Greenville,
Ky.; Allison Grant of Harrodsburg, Ky.; and Dominique Luster of Louisville.
The two alternates are Amy Bastawros and Olivia McMillen, both of Louisville.
Jones said she was excited to have been chosen. Her mother, Cindy Jones,
and grandmother, Barbara Davis, are involved in The Fillies Inc., a
volunteer group that works closely with the Kentucky Derby Festival
and organizes the Royal Court program. Davis is a former Fillies Inc.
president. “She was so excited when she found out I was a Derby
princess,” Jones said.
Candidates for the program must meet several criteria to be considered
a future princess or reigning queen. They must maintain a minimum 3.0
grade-point average, have knowledge of the Derby Festival, and possess
poise, intelligence, personality and campus and community involvement.
The first Derby Festival Princess was crowned in 1957, a year after
the festival began. Past Princesses have included former Kentucky Gov.
Martha Layne Collins and Gail Gorski, the first female pilot hired by
United Airlines.
Jones recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a major
in Food Science. “Most people have not heard of a major in this
field,” she said. “Many people in this career go into the
food and beverage industry, focusing on research development or product
development.”
Her goal is to work for a spirits or alcohol company. She recently interned
with the Kentucky Distillers Association.
Jones’ hobbies include staying active. She enjoyed sports in high
school and college.
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Photo
provided Cammie
Jones poses with |
Having never entered pageants before, Jones didn’t
have a lot of experience in this field. But she has “known a lot
of pageant girls growing up. It’s kind of neat to put on the crown
and put on a big smile,” she said.
The Royal Court of five women will represent the Kentucky Derby Festival
and the city of Louisville as official ambassadors for the 2013 Kentucky
Derby Festival. One of the five will be crowned the Derby Festival Queen
by a spin of the wheel at the annual Fillies Derby Ball, to be held
this year on April 19 at the Galt House East Grand Ballroom.
“There will be more than 70 events that we will participate in,”
said Jones. The Royal Court began their duties with the Poster Premier
on Jan. 23 and will appear in the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade on May
2. Some of the other events they will attend include the Kentucky Oaks,
the Kentucky Derby and visits to schools to discuss the importance of
volunteerism.
The Derby Festival Queen “is a representative of the princesses,”
said Jones. “She speaks for the others and has the same wardrobe
and gets the same scholarships.” Each woman receives a $2,000 scholarship
($1,000 from The Fillies Inc. and $1,000 from the Kentucky Derby Festival
Foundation).
The Kentucky Derby Festival is an independent community organization
supported by 4,000 volunteers, 400 businesses and civic groups, Pegasus
Pin sponsorships and event participation. It is the largest single attended
event in Kentucky, entertaining more than 1.5 million people annually.