From left to right: Abigail Wooldridge, Kathryn Trimble, Kirby O'Donoghue, Megan Imel and Heather Cowherd

Patsy Allen - Vice President - Princess Program

Heather Cowherd of Bowling Green, KY is a graduate student majoring in Public Administration at Western Kentucky University. She is a recipient of the 2008-09 Outstanding Achievement in Student Engagement Award and a 2009 recipient of the Governor's Citation of Excellence.

Megan Imel of Pleasureville, KY is a senior majoring in Fine Arts Photography and Communication at the University of Louisville. She is President of the Sigma Alpha Lambda Honor Society and a graduate of The Leadership Institute.

Kirby O'Donoghue of WestView, KY is a senior majoring in Agricultural Education at Murray State University. She was the 2008-09 Student Government  Association Executive Secretary and the Alpha Omicron Pi Philanthropic and Awards Chairman.

Kathryn Trimble of Winchester, KY is a senior majoring in Biology at the University of Louisville. She is a coordinator of the school's Honors Volunteer Program and a recipient of the U of L Trustee's Scholarship.

Abigail Wooldridge of Louisville, KY is a junior majoring in Industrial Engineering at the University of Louisville. She is a University Honors Scholar and a recipient of the school's Grawemeyer Scholarship.

Five young women selected as Princesses will act as ambassadors for the 2010 Derby Festival, attending nearly 70 events over a two-week period. Twenty-seven were selected as finalists out of the more than 90 original applicants for the five Princess positions, and all attended the final judging this week. None of them knew in advance who had been selected.The court will represent the Derby Festival and the city of Louisville as official ambassadors for the springtime tradition of the Kentucky Derby Festival. They will attend nearly every official Derby Festival event beginning with the Your Community Bank Poster Premiere on January 22 to their appearance in the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade on April 30. In addition, they will attend the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and make visits to schools to discuss the importance of volunteerism.Five young women selected as Princesses will act as ambassadors for the 2009 Derby Festival, attending nearly 70 events over a two-week period. Twenty-seven were selected as finalists out of the more than 90 original applicants for the five Princess positions, and all attended the final judging this week. None of them knew in advance who had been selected.The court will represent the Derby Festival and the city of Louisville as official ambassadors for the springtime tradition of the Kentucky Derby Festival. They will attend nearly every official Derby Festival event beginning with the Your Community Bank Poster Premiere on January 22 to their appearance in the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade on April 30. In addition, they will attend the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs and make visits to schools to discuss the importance of volunteerism.

One of the five women will be crowned the Derby Festival Queen by a spin-of-the-wheel at the annual Fillies’ Derby Ball on April 17 at the Galt House East Grand Ballroom. Each woman will receive a $2000 scholarship ($1000 from the Fillies and $1000 from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation). 

The Derby Festival’s Royal Court Program is coordinated by The Fillies, Inc., a volunteer group that works closely with the Festival. Fillies President Jeanette Aboud joined 2009 Derby Festival Chairman Chris Dickinson in crowning the newly appointed court.

Candidates for the Princess Program must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average and are selected by a panel of four out-of-state judges. Criteria for selection includes knowledge of the Derby Festival, poise, intelligence, personality and campus and community involvement. The first Derby Festival Princess was crowned in 1957, the second year of the Festival. Previous Princesses have included a former Kentucky Governor