Lucinda was crowned the winner at a gala function at the Tamworth Jockey Club on Thursday night, with Tamworth nurse Susie Coombes the 2014 Princess and Anna Maher named Miss Congeniality.

Lucinda, who was sponsored by Tamworth Regional Council where she works in the planning and community services department, said shock was her immediate response to hearing her name read out.

“To be honest there was a bit of disbelief, but then obviously excitement,” the 23-year-old said. “All the other entrants were so beautiful and did such a great job that I didn’t think I would have got it.”

The next 12 months will be busy, beginning last night with the announcement of the Star Maker winner, before the cavalcade this morning and the Golden Guitar awards tonight.

She’ll also travel to Gore, New Zealand, later in the year to represent Tamworth at that city’s country music festival. 

“I want to tell them how lovely the people of Tamworth are and just be the best ambassador I can be,” she said.

Lucinda said she’d also work hard to encourage a lot more girls to enter the quest and would attend as many community events as she could.

The whole experience, she said, had really opened her eyes to how important Tamworth’s biggest week of the year was to the local area, as well as introducing her to a lot of new friends among the other contestants.

“It’s really just given me a whole new appreciation – a new kind of joy – for the festival.”