Harney County Fair & Rodeo
99th Harney County Fair and Rodeo
September 5th - 9th, 2023
“Boots, Jeans, & Harney County Dreams”
The Harney County Fair Board is hosting a Poster Contest for the 2023 Fair! Winning artwork will be used to advertise for the 2023 Fair! Please fill out the Entry Form and submit it with your artwork.
Entry deadline is May 1, 2023.
Meet The Folks
Harney County Fair Board
Chance Peila, Chair
Toni Wilson
Lisa Grant
Pat Horlacher
Craig Neher
FAIR MANAGER: Lindsey Robertson
69660 S. Egan Street
Burns, OR 97720
Phone: 541-573-6447
Email: harneycountyfair@co.harney.or.us
FAIR COURT 2023:
Queen Kayli Dunten
Hello Harney County!! My name is Kayli Dunten. I am your 2023 Harney County Fair and Rodeo Queen. I am the 16 year old daughter of William and Cory Dunten. I am a sophomore at Crane Union High School and I am also serving as the Greenhand Secretary for the Crane FFA chapter.
For 15 years I have been living on a ranch in Drewsey. I couldn’t imagine a better place to live. When I am home, I spend my time helping my family with cattle. In the summer when I am not horseback, you can find me in the hayfields. I also enjoy working with colts. I have shown beef and swine through 4-H at our local fair. I also like to participate in the Team Branding. My plan after high school is to study to become a veterinarian. I have always wanted to be one since I was a little.
While out representing Harney County, along with Grace Johnson, I intend to promote agriculture. I am so excited to represent our Fair and Rodeo as well as our County as a whole!!
Princess Grace Johnson
Hey Harney County! My name is Grace Johnson and I am your 2023 Harney County Fair and Rodeo Princess! I am 16 years old and my parents are Dustin and Gabi Johnson. I was born and raised here in Harney County and I am a junior at Burns High School. I am very focused on school, especially as my senior year approaches. I’m a 4.0 student and a member of the Burns Chapter National Honor Society. After graduating I would like to attend OSU to study general ag.
I am also a member of the Burns FFA Chapter and I have received my Greenhand, Chapter, and State degrees. I play for the Burns softball team, and we recently took Burns Softball’s first ever state title. I have been a part of horse 4-H for four years and I have shown quite a few lambs, through both 4H and FFA. During the summers, I work at the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, where I get to be a part of research projects that are providing important information, critical for maintaining and improving our local rangeland.
I plan on using my Princess title to represent Harney County, our agriculture, and our rural way of life. I am so excited to serve alongside Kayli as we represent our beautiful county throughout this year, and thank you to our generous community for your support!
GRAND MARSHAL 2022: Eileen "Anne" Clark
“Proud of our Past, Poised for the Future!”
Congratulations to our 2022 Harney County Fair and Rodeo Grand Marshal Anne Clark!
Eileen “Anne” Arnold was born in Burns in 1951, in the then “new” hospital, to Dick and Naomi Arnold. She grew up on their ranch, living in Lawen during the school year, and spending summers on the portion of their ranch near Buchanan. She attended elementary school in Lawen and high school in Crane, living in the dormitory during the infamous fire that burnt the school to the ground. She graduated high school in 1969, and went on to Eastern Oregon University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1973.
In 1972, Anne married her high school friend and lifelong Harney County resident, Norman Clark. Norman was raised near Drewsey, and attended high school with Anne at Crane. Their fathers had also attended high school together at Crane in the 1930s. Both Norman and Anne descend from original Harney County settlers, dating back as early as 1882, in the Drewsey area. Following Anne’s graduation from college, they moved back to Harney County. They settled on the Clark ranch near Drewsey, and have lived there ever since, raising cattle and sheep, contract haying, and operating heavy equipment. Norman and Anne are the proud parents of 5 children, 19 grandchildren, and will soon have her 4th great-grandchild.
Professionally, Anne substitute taught school in classrooms in Pine Creek, Drewsey, Crane, Burns, Hines, Double O, and Riley. She also worked as a part time teacher in Pine Creek, then full time in Riley. She retired in 2016, but continues to substitute when she can. She has empowered numerous children with knowledge and a thirst for learning, and has been a positive influence in many lives.
In addition, Anne has given copious amounts of time and energy to the community through her volunteer service. Anne served on the PTA at Pine Creek Elementary for the 17 years her children attended school there. Along with many passionate parents, Anne was a founding member of the Crane High School Booster Club in 1988. She continued to volunteer with the Booster Club for the 12 years her children attended high school. She helped with fundraisers, concessions, awards ceremonies, Mustang fan merchandise, assemblies, and pep rallies. Anne was also instrumental in creating an academic award recognition night for Crane High School scholars. She continues to help organize and carry out the annual Crane and Rural Schools Elementary Music Festival and Play Day in Crane each year, as she has done for more than a decade. She enjoys seeing the young students in the county come together to showcase both music and athleticism.
Anne served on the Harney District Hospital Board for nearly 20 years. Prior to that, she was part of the Harney Community Healthcare Council. This council helped the community establish a taxable hospital district, governed by a board of directors. It also led the way to expanding and building a newer facility between 2006-2008.
Anne has spent numerous years volunteering as a 4-H club leader, teaching her children and others sewing. She has volunteered at the 4-H fashion review, driven contestants to state fair, judged record books, and helped contestants complete their record books. As her children finished up their time in 4-H, she took the opportunity to volunteer with the 4-H Livestock Show. She helps with animal weigh-ins and show clerking. You can hear her voice and laughter across the fairgrounds as she announces the winners of each weight class and age group, every year for the past nearly 3 decades, on Thursday and Friday of the fair.
A tradition at the Harney County Fair for years, Norman and Anne as part of the Harney County Sheep and Wool Growers, promoted and volunteered a lamb feed Saturday night at the Fair. This helped encourage the sale of the 4-H market lambs by giving people the opportunity to taste lamb.
Anne loves Harney County, especially Drewsey, and has compiled community history for years. She helped the Pine Creek Elementary students record oral histories with Drewsey area residents, which are archived at the Western History Room at the Harney County Museum. She enjoys gathering her family back to Drewsey as often as possible, and is proud of the impact her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren have and will have on the future of the county.