Copperas Cove float captures first place in Holland Parade

Special to Leader-Press 

Young Miss Five Hills Emily Kimball took the deepest breath possible, reared her shoulder back and thrust the kernel of corn out of her mouth in the Holland Corn Festival junior corn seed spitting contest. The seed of corn flew 12 feet, 10 inches, stealing the first place trophy from the dozens of competitors that entered.  
Teen Miss Five Hills Angelica Torres dunked her head and shoulders all the way into the livestock bucket filled with water and came up with a corn cobb in her mouth in less than 10 seconds winning her first place in her preliminary round of competition and second place overall in the corn cobb bobbing contest. 
Corn seed spitting and corn cob bobbing were just two of several contests at the Holland Corn Festival at which the Copperas Cove Five Hills royalty competed on Saturday. But the most coveted award captured was first place in the annual festival parade. 
Copperas Cove Five Hills Ambassador Dawn Hale was disappointed that the festival was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. 
“I was so happy we got to participate in the Holland Parade and festival activities this year and represent our great community. I was super honored we took first place,” Hale said. “I had a blast doing my very first corn eating contest.”
Kimball entered every contest placing third in corn shucking in addition to her first place win in corn seed spitting.
“The Holland Corn Festival is a great community partnership between Holland and our beloved community of Copperas Cove,” Kimball said. “The corn festival is one of our favorite events of the year and the festival organizers always look forward to us coming. They make us feel welcome and announce us by our titles in all of the competitions which is great publicity for Copperas Cove. This is a wonderful way to strengthen our community relationships.”
Little Miss Five Hills Braelyn Liles rode on the city float in the Holland Corn Festival Parade when she was Baby Miss Five Hills in 2017. She was excited to return.
“I had fun riding in the parade and taking pictures in the corn field,” Liles said. “I tried hard eating that corn and I almost won. I also had fun putting my head in the bucket of water trying to get that corn cobb and spitting the corn and shucking the corn. We did everything with corn.”
The festival was a new experience for Miss Five Hills Karina Dominguez who has lived in Central Texas all of her life. 
“This was my first time attending this event and I will definitely be returning,” Dominguez said. “All the people of Holland were very welcoming and kind. It was a wonderful experience.”
Five Hills Junior Ambassador Maddox Tobias enjoyed waving to the crowds that lined the streets to see the parade.
“Even though it was really hot, it was also really fun,” Tobias said. “My favorite contest was the spitting contest. I couldn’t believe how far everybody could spit their corn, especially my daddy who spit it 20 feet.”
The next parades on the calendar for the Five Hills royalty include the Belton July 4th Parade on July 3 and the Lampasas Spring Ho Parade on July 10.