Spelling Bee History

With the advent of "spell-check" on most computers, it might seem that strong spelling skills would become a thing of the past among young students. As it turns out, however, good spellers never go out of style - they simply try their best to qualify for the Derby Festival Spelling Bee. First held in 1994, the event has grown in popularity every year and now attracts county champions from all over Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

Kentucky Farm Bureau has sponsored the competition since its inception. "When we took over sponsorship in 1994, the competition was down to about 30 contestants," said Gary Huddleston, director of information and public relations for Kentucky Farm Bureau. "Now it's close to 60 students every year and there's the potential for more growth." In 2003, Churchill Downs joined Kentucky Farm Bureau as sponsor of the event. KET and 84 WHAS are contributing sponsors

There are 96 counties in Kentucky and Southern Indiana that are eligible for the Derby Festival competition. Of the 120 Kentucky counties, some are served by other sponsoring bees such as Covington's Kentucky Post. In 2004, the Derby Festival welcomed ten new counties to eligibility after their regional bee was discontinued.

Huddleston said Kentucky Farm Bureau representatives even conduct several spelling bees each year in counties where one has not been organized. "If there's a county out in the state without a sanctioned spelling bee, we find a way to do it ourselves - that's been our commitment," he said.

To advance to the Derby Festival Spelling Bee Finals, students must first win their countywide competition.

Then, at the finals, each contestant faces elimination by misspelling a single word. Through a process of elimination, the competition is eventually pared down to the final two participants competing for the title of Derby Festival Spelling Bee Champion. When one of the students misspells a word, the other must spell it correctly and then correctly spell an additional word to win the event. During the first-ever competition in 1994, the final two participants had to go through 12 rounds before one was eliminated and a winner declared!

"A lot of kids get recognized for their achievements in athletics, but it's important to balance that with similar recognition for academics," said Huddleston. "We want to make sure that linguistic skills don't get de-emphasized. We've been very pleased with the growth of the Derby Festival Bee. It's been rewarding for everyone involved."