Brinley Blake of Mena competed at the Arkansas State Fair Pageant in Little Rock as one of 103 contestants. Blake won first runner-up in her category.
Blake was crowned the NW Region Queen at the 2023 AR/OK State Fair Pageant in Fort Smith on Sept. 23. She then advanced to the Arkansas State Fair Pageant.
She competed in the first round and proceeded to the semi-finals, being one of the four contestants from the NW Region. She then competed as part of 16 contestants, which included four contestants from each region of the state. There she made it as one of the eight finalists where she was selected as the State’s First Runner-up Fair Queen on Oct. 21.
Elizabeth Durning, Miss Arkansas-Oklahoma, was crowned the 2023 Arkansas State Fair Queen. She is Blake’s sister queen.
Blake was the youngest contestant in her age group, and also won “best gown” in the semi-finals. Her winnings totaled $1150.
Blake thanked her family for all the time and love spent with her through this experience. She said, “It means more to me than you will ever know.
“I want to thank Marla Cagle-Keady for all the preparation and support given to not just me, but everyone! I am so thankful to have you as my director for the rest of the year!
“I want to thank Kayla Beck for letting Drexley be my princess, a part of my journey… she has been my best buddy and cheerleader throughout this.
“I want to thank all the sister queens I have met and been with in this competition; the community of love and support in this sisterhood is one everyone should experience!
“Lastly, but more importantly, I want to thank God for giving me this opportunity and helping me grow and experience life through pageantry!
“Thank you everyone for all the support given, it’s something I will never forget!”
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