King and Queen royalty will reign over the 159th Cass County Fair this week at the Cass County Fairgrounds on North O’Keefe Street in Cassopolis. From left are Kyle Dufour, first runner up king; Steven Butler, king; Kayla Green, queen; and Rachel Kidman, first runner up queen. The fair starts today and ends Saturday night.

CASSOPOLIS — Kyle Dufour, 16, of Dowagiac, will be glad to be a part of royalty that will reign over the Cass County Fair this week starting Monday, but animals are not his forte.

“I don’t want to show a cow. I couldn’t handle it,” he said Saturday night after being crowned first runner up king during the King and Queen, Prince and Princess Pageant.

Kyle doesn’t belong to a 4-H club, either, but loves being at the fair and having fun with his friends and family.

He particularly likes to go to Kiddie Land and watch the kids having fun.

He entered the King and Queen and Prince and Princess pageant because he thought it would help him express himself more.

He is a junior at Dowagiac Union High School and the son of Brad and Vickie Dufour.

Crowned king was Steven Butler, 16, of Cassopolis, who is a senior at Ross Beatty Junior-Senior High School.

Butler likes to show animals and will be showing hogs and dairy feeders this year.

He entered the contest because he saw a lot of his peers in the pageant in previous years and thought that he would like the competition.

He belongs to the Flaming Youth 4-H Club and is the son of Sheryl and Ellis Butler.

Crowned queen was Kayla Green, 19, who is a junior at Michigan State University where she is studying animal science.

She is showing beef, dairy feeders and hogs this year and belongs to the Penn 4-H Club.

Her last year to show, she likes to come to the fair with her family.

She said she was inspired to run for the pageant by her family and friends. Her parents are Jeff and Debbie Green of Vandalia.

Rachael Kidman, 16, of Dowagiac, was crowned first runner up queen. She, too, was inspired by her family and friends to run in the contest.

She is a junior at DUHS and belongs to 4-W 4-H Club.

She will be showing a dairy cow and dairy feeders.

Her parents are Andy and Judy Kidman.

Crowned princess was Hailey Wellman, 10, of Cassopolis, the daughter of Scott and Teresa Wellman.

She belongs to the Flaming Youth 4-H Club and will be showing as a pee wee with her goat, rabbit and hog.

Named prince was Ryan Rainey, 13, of South Haven.

He shows hogs and belongs to the Penn 4-H Club.

His parents are Mike and Brandy Rainey.

First runner up prince was Zack Newton. First runner up princess was Heather Olson. There were 25 entrants.

The 159th fair ends Saturday night at the fairgrounds on N. O’Keefe Street.