Steamboat Springs — Routt County’s new fair queen represents the mixed culture of skiing and agriculture that typifies life in the Yampa Valley.

Cassidy Kurtz, 17, of Steamboat Springs took the honorary lap around the rodeo arena on her horse Sunday afternoon after former queen Kaycee Samuelson passed her the crown.

“It’s exciting,” Kurtz said through a smile after exiting the arena. “You build up to it through the whole year.”

Kurtz was the Lady in Waiting last year, which earned her the right to be the 2002 Routt County Fair Queen.

Kurtz has been in 4-H for nine years, in which she has raised market steers and showed horses. She also was the 2001 treasurer for the 4-H council.

Kurtz will be a senior at Steamboat Springs High School, where she is a member of the soccer and ski teams.

Kurtz said she is interested in studying to become a veterinarian.

In her free time the queen likes to ride horses and ski.

Also on Sunday, Kaylee Myers was named the Lady in Waiting for 2002. Like Kurtz, Myers is 17 years old and will be a senior at Steamboat Springs High School.

Myers has been involved with 4-H since she was 3. This is her third year to be in the running for the Lady in Waiting position, which she said is something she has wanted since she was a young girl.

“I’ve had friends who were (royalty) and I would always wear their hats,” Myers said.

Myers is on the high school rodeo team, which she said takes up most of her time outside of 4-H activities. Her events are the barrels and poles.

Editor’s Note: This story and photo originally appeared in Monday’s Steamboat Today with incorrect information. A corrected version of the story and photo are reprinted today.