NATCHITOCHES – Ron Yule of DeRidder was named Grand Champion of the 2025 Louisiana State Fiddle Championship held at Northwestern State University as part of the 45th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival. Second place winner was Samuel O’Kelley of DeRidder, with Phillip Mayo of Leesville placing third and Asher Hotard of Folsom placing fourth. The Championship was held in the Magale Recital Hall on the NSU campus.
Samuel O’Kelley took first in the 0-21 championship division, with Asher Hotard coming in second, Sarah O’Kelley of DeRidder in third, and Ruth Hotard of Folsom in fourth. Yule took first in the 60 and up championship division, with Mayo coming in second. Samuel and Sarah O’Kelley took first place in the twin fiddles competition, with Asher and Ruth Hotard in second. Kade Davis managed the championship, with Dr. Susan Roach, professor emerita at Louisiana Tech University, emceeing. Judges were Claudia Anastasio, Paul Anastasio and Joe Suchanek, the 2024 State Fiddle Champion.
“The level of talent and artistic crafts of the players in this year’s Championship was phenomenal,” said Dr. Shane Rasmussen, director of the Championship and the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival. “Each of this year’s contestants is an extraordinary player who is helping keep this important tradition alive.”
Roach said the Fiddle Championship is a means of providing cultural continuity through the participation of young players. “I was fascinated by the Hotard and O’Kelley brother and sister duos, ranging in age from 7-13, who performed beautifully in the twin fiddle competition and then competed individually through the final round,” said Roach. “I am grateful to their parents for supporting and encouraging these talented young fiddlers.”
As the new Grand Champion, Yule also performed on the festival main stage in Prather Coliseum and will serve as a judge for next year’s Championship, to be held in July 2026.
Support for the festival was provided by grants from the Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc., the City of Natchitoches, the Louisiana Division of the Arts Decentralized Arts Fund Program, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the Natchitoches Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, the Shreveport Regional Arts Council and the State of Louisiana.
Support also came from sponsorships from Atmos Energy, Bank of Montgomery, C&H Precision Machining, City Bank, Cleco, Evans Family, LLC, Exchange Bank, the Family Doctors of Natchitoches, the Harrington Law Firm, Natchitoches Wood Preserving Company and Young Estate, LLC. The views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in the program did not necessarily represent those of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.
Photo caption
The annual Louisiana State Fiddle Championship was held in Magale Recital Hall on the campus at Northwestern State University as part of the 45th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival. The winners were, left to right, 2025 Louisiana State Fiddle Champion Ron Yule of DeRidder, second place Samuel O’Kelley of DeRidder, third place Phillip Mayo of Leesville and fourth place Asher Hotard of Folsom. Photo by Peter Jones.
