Los Alamos County crowns 2026 fair and rodeo royalty court

The new faces of Los Alamos County’s fair and rodeo season are Queen Jewel Jaramillo, Princess Annaka Preston, Sweetheart Jennifer Miera and Junior Sweetheart Gaia Jakulewicz. After being crowned by judges Courtney Gurule and Rebekah Fefino, the four will serve as public ambassadors for the Los Alamos County Fair and Rodeo, greeting residents at summer events and representing one of the county’s most visible traditions.

Their first public appearance as a court was set for the June 12 Los Alamos Summer Concert, where the winners were to be introduced and then appear throughout the concert series. County officials say the court is required to make several appearances during the fair and rodeo and throughout the summer of its reign, turning the competition into part of the county’s outreach for the season.

The 4th Annual Northern New Mexico Fair & Rodeo Royalty Court Competition, held May 16, drew seven registrants across four divisions: two Junior Sweethearts, one Sweetheart, one Princess and three Queen candidates. Contestants delivered formal speeches, sat for individual interviews and competed in a horsemanship contest, with public speaking carrying the most weight in the judging. The county’s scoring packet assigns 40 percent to public speaking, with 20 percent each for horsemanship, interview and personality, and a written test.

The program is open to youth and young adults across Northern New Mexico, with 2026 age brackets set at 6 to 9 for Junior Sweetheart, 10 to 13 for Sweetheart, 14 to 16 for Princess and 17 to 25 for Queen, as of Sept. 1. Candidates must provide their own horse, although a mount may be borrowed, underscoring how closely the court remains tied to riding skill and rodeo culture as well as public presentation.

The winners now become part of the public face of the county’s signature summer event, the Los Alamos County Fair and Rodeo, scheduled for Aug. 7-9. County officials describe the fair as a free community event held the second weekend of August, and the 2026 rodeo will include a night rodeo on Saturday, Aug. 8.

The 2026 court also reflects how the program has grown since its revamp from the older Queens Court format. In 2024, the second annual competition drew six registrants, and that crowned court included Queen Belita Martinez, Princess Jewel Jaramillo, Sweetheart Lilyanne Montoya and Junior Sweetheart Ashleigh Enriquez. Two years later, the expanded court remains a small but visible civic stage, linking youth participation, equestrian skill and county identity across Los Alamos all summer.