Tony's Version: It all started in June of 2022 at the tractor pull at the fairgrounds. Richelle and I knew of each other but had never really talked. After the pull, we were in the pits with mutual friends and fair board members when I mentioned that I was interested in joining the fair board. A week or two later, I got a message from Kristi asking if I’d be willing to drive the truck to pull the fair’s parade float for the 4th of July because apparently, Richelle didn’t know how to back up a trailer. After two parades and a few hours together in the truck, we got to know each other. Not long after, while hanging out with her cousin Kyle, I told him he should set me up with his cousin. He gave me a weird look, but suddenly, every time I was around Kyle, Richelle just happened to show up. After months of this happening and lots of Snapchat conversations, I got a request to bring some soybeans to Richelle’s house so she and Kristi could make a display for the fair convention. As a newly appointed fair board member, I made sure to help delivering the soybeans in a calf bottle. A few days later, on New Year’s Day, after some day drinking with Richelle and her cousins, a bunch of our mutual friends told me I should ask her out. So, I made a plan. On Valentine’s Day, I stopped after work to buy some flowers and asked Richelle if I could swing by to get that calf bottle back. When I showed up at her door with the flowers, I asked if she’d like to go out sometime. A few weeks later, we finally went on our first very romantic date… a road trip to the west side of the state to look at a discbine I wanted to buy. On the way home, we stopped at Wingin’ It in Jefferson, where we were the only two in the place and shared a pizza. Richelle's Version: I can't tell you when we exactly met, but in the summer of 2022 Tony started to come around more often. Little did I know, Tony had told my cousin Kyle that he liked me and Kyle, playing matchmaker, kept inviting Tony and I to the same things (so much so that he even invited him to Kastenson Easter). Tony was so kind to volunteer (sometimes volun-told by others) to help me with many things, including setting up a craft booth and making a fair centerpiece. He finally built up the courage to ask me out on a date in the spring. He picked me up and we took a 3 hour road trip to go look at a discbine. When we got there the guy kept referring to me as Tony's wife, but little did he know it was actually our first date. Since then we have had lots of fun going on many adventures. And no worries, many of our dates include scouting crops, looking at farm equipment, or me sitting buddy seat.

Tony had always known he wanted to propose at the Racine County Fair - a place that holds a special place in both our hearts. Growing up, we each spent countless summers at the fair, exhibiting animals and now serving on the Racine County Fair Board. Determined to keep his plan a surprise, Tony went ring shopping all on his own. Early the Friday of fair Tony left the grounds and made a secret stop at Hansen's. He hoped to catch Rick (Richelle's dad) before the store opened to ask for his blessing. Rick, to his credit, mostly managed to keep the secret under wraps. Originally, Tony planned to pop the question during the rodeo's halftime show on Saturday. The year before, Richelle had enthusiastically volunteered them for it (with the help of some liquid courage), but this time she wasn't feeling as bold and nixed the idea of going out in front of nearly 6,000 people. With that plan out the window, Tony quickly thought of a new idea - one that couldn't have been more perfect. He chose the cattle barn, where they had both spent showing beef animals, making it another memory for that barn. About 30 minutes before the big moment, Tony sent a picture of the ring to his family group chat and enlisted his sisters, Emma and Hanna, to capture the proposal on camera. He casually told Richelle they needed to swing by the beef barn to pick up Emma before heading to the beer barn. Richelle didn't think much of it and followed along. Then in front of the cattle barn, out of nowhere, Tony turned, dropped to one knee, and asked Richelle to marry him. Her first reaction? "Are you serious?" Turns out he was very serious! Tony and Richelle ended the night celebrating with family and friends in the beer barn!