Lillian Beyersbergen-Oakes looks ahead to year as Huron County Princess

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

Lillian Beyersbergen-Oakes’ persistence paid off last Thursday, as the teenager was crowned 2025 Huron County Plowing Match Princess in what was her fourth attempt at winning the competition.

 

Despite her status as an emeritus Princess competition contestant going into her fourth attempt, Beyersbergen-Oakes didn’t expect to win, saying she was surprised when her name was called, given the strength of the competition around her. However, she felt more prepared this year than ever and thought she had given it her all in both the interview and public speech portions of the storied competition.

 

There is a way, however, to understand why she wasn’t overly confident going into this year’s match. Beyersbergen-Oakes had her hopes up in past years and was rather disappointed when her name wasn’t called, so, despite working hard at preparation for this year’s competition, she was determined to not anticipate too much, in the event that she wasn’t successful. Perhaps that approach freed her up, because this was finally the year that she broke through and had the crown put upon her head.

 

Beyersbergen-Oakes said she began preparing for the competition in earnest in June or so. She began crafting her speech that early because she really wanted to be able to recite it at the match without the use of notes, which are often a staple for many contestants. She pulled it off with her empassioned plea to save the pollinators, complete with plenty of puns and even a toy bee as a prop, which came in the form of a suggestion from former Ontario Queen of the Furrow Maranda Klaver in an effort to stand out from the competition.

 

Looking back, when Beyersbergen-Oakes, who will be heading into Grade 10 at F.E. Madill Secondary School this fall, was first approached about being part of the competition by the aforementioned Klaver, she only had one week to prepare. As a result, she was very nervous going into the competition and through the process of writing and, eventually, reciting her speech for the judges.

 

However, while the competition aspect of it all was a bit rushed and rather nervewracking, Beyersbergen-Oakes said that she made a lot of good friends that year and enjoyed the experience, which is what brought her back for a second year.

 

In next year’s Princess competition, she was named the runner-up, which was a small victory for Beyersbergen-Oakes that made her want to take a third shot at the crown. Then, after Jillian Simpson was named last year’s Princess for the Huron County Plowing Match, she made a whole batch of new friends and was convinced that she wanted to return for a fourth year in the hopes of seeing the competition through and, hopefully, finally winning it.

 

She says that, not surprisingly, she gained confidence within the competition each year, growing more and more comfortable as the years went on.

 

To prepare for this year’s competition, she began writing and performing her speech in the spring, as mentioned. Furthermore, she did her best to prepare for the interview portion of the process as well, keeping a running smartphone note of all the questions she had been asked by judges over the years and rehearsing what she felt would be winning answers to those questions. 

 

The hard work and preparation must have paid off because when judges Steph Moffatt, Monique Baan and Marlene Glanville made their decision it was Beyersbergen-Oakes’ name that they presented to emcee Natalie Fear and outgoing Princess Jillian Simpson, who gave the new Princess a big hug after the announcement was made and just before Beyersbergen-Oakes was officially crowned as the 2025 Huron County Plowing Match Princess.

 

She was already on duty on Friday at the Huron County Plowing Match in what was her first official act at the match’s Princess. She spent some time with the Queen of the Furrow contestants and took in the annual guest speaker tradition that morning before the young women embarked on their interviews with the judges. 

 

She was then able to perform her speech again for the Friday audience at the match to celebrate its success.

 

Now, Beyersbergen-Oakes is looking forward to the year ahead, being part of local fairs, events and parades, all while representing the Huron County Plowmen’s Association and spreading the word about the Huron County Plowing Match.