Barbara Theriot Horaist

Barbara T. Horaist has been involved with the Louisiana cattle Festival all her life- literally. Roy R. Theriot, Sr., her father, founded the Louisiana Dairy Festival, as it was then called, in 1949- the year she was born.

Barbara has served the organization as Secretary-Treasurer, then Treasurer, and now on the Board of Directors since 1973 and has been pageant chairperson since that time. She is presently serving as the President of the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals, after having served as Treasurer for 12 years and Vice President/Convention Chairperson for 1 year.

She is an adjunct mathematics and statistics instructor at the University of Louisiana- Lafayette. Together she and her husband, Neal, have 3 sons and 2 grandsons. Barbara states that none of this could have been accomplished without the grace of God, the love and encouragement of her family, and the assistance of her friends and festival cohorts.