By Kezia Bryant
Faces plastered with beaming smiles, glamorous gowns, and lavishly studded tiaras are the makings of a typical pageant in the minds of many. These things, however, are nowhere to be found during the Kentucky Derby Festival, according to senior biology major Charis Botelho.
“It’s a lot more than wearing a tiara and smiling all the time,” said Botelho.
Botelho should know; she is one of only five women honored with inclusion in the Kentucky Derby Festival Royal Court this year.
Of only five Derby princesses selected for the court, three are current students at the University of Louisville.
The lucky U of L students are Charis Elaine Botelho of Ft. Campbell, Ky. Tale’a Renee Drummer of Lexington, Ky. and Cleveland, and December Dawn Parker of Benton, Ky.
The trio will join forces with the two other princesses, Kathryn Elizabeth Allen of Louisville, Ky., and Christin Herbst of Columbia, KY, to participate in various Derby events and festivities from now until May.
The three successful U of L students have never had any previous pageant experience and were equally surprised to be named to the court.
Tale’a Drummer describes the experience as “overwhelming, in a positive way. What we represent is so much beyond us, it’s an amazing feeling.”
Parker, Botelho, and Drummer were certainly prepared to meet the lofty requirements of the Royal Court. Candidates for the Princess Program must be full-time students and must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average.
The princesses are then selected by a panel of three out-of-state judges. Criteria for selection includes knowledge of the Derby Festival, poise, intelligence, personality, and campus and community involvement. The tough judging process quickly narrowed down 91 applicants to five.
As Princesses of the Royal Court, the women must attend almost all of the official Kentucky Derby events, which will total more than 70.
The first event will be the Poster Premiere on Jan. 31 and the last will be the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade on May 1.
The process of being selected as a Derby Princess focuses on the overall character and community service the women contribute.
The euphoria of winning such a prestigious competition has not diminished the character of the women, nor has it caused their attitudes to change.
“I’ve always tried to be humble, trying to make sure this doesn’t get to my head. I still feel lucky,” said December Parker, a senior majoring in chemical engineering/pre-dental.
Unlike many pageants which focus on superficial qualities, the Derby Festival is a pageant steeped in tradition, rooted in a firm foundation of integrity and service.
Tale’a Drummer, a Master’s Student majoring in college student personnel, described the Festival as “more of a scholarship than a pageant.”
In accordance with that statement, each participant will receive a $2,000 scholarship.
What began as a mere whim for these three university students has turned into the experience of a lifetime.
Parker, who was even surprised to advance to the second round of judging, admits that the entire experience still feels slightly surreal to her.
As Drummer described it, “We are the face of the festival.”
