She won Iowa's 'husband calling' contest by screaming for 'Henry.' Her husband's name is 'Rex'
LeAnn Hewitt belted out a ferocious sequence of 'Henry' and 'Dinner Is Ready,' which lasted half a minute
The Iowa State Fair has long been famous for its eccentric spectacles, from massive butter cow sculptures to deep-fried butter on a stick, but none of them can draw a crowd quite like the husband-calling contest. It is a beloved tradition that has been around for more than four decades, in which participants take the stage and call out their husbands' names at the loudest possible volume. This year's winner was 67-year-old LeAnn Hewitt, who had entered the contest several times but failed to place higher than 2nd. That changed this year when the Iowa native yelled "Henry! Dinner!" for almost 30 seconds. However, the win came with a twist, as Henry wasn't her husband's name, according to the Des Moines Register on August 21, 2026.
The winning backdoor holler
Taking the stage at Pioneer Hall, Hewitt delivered what she called the "back door holler," a nod to how farm wives traditionally yelled across rural dead zones. However, she didn't immediately unleash her lungs. Before that, the Texas-based attorney set the premise. "Cell phones are great except when you live in a dead zone. Then you've got to resort to old school, what we call the back door holler," she said. Following this, she belted out a ferocious sequence of "Henry" and "Dinner Is Ready," which lasted half a minute. This was enough for her to earn the coveted blue ribbon over 14 other competitors. However, there was a twist.
The secret behind Henry
The biggest laugh of the afternoon arrived when Hewitt revealed that her husband's name wasn't actually Henry. Instead, it was Rex. As it turns out, she decided not to call her husband's name since it didn't make for a good call. Also, because her husband explicitly stated not to yell his name before the competition. "He told me not to call his name because it makes his skin crawl," she later revealed. Since the fair rules didn't state that the participant had to specifically use their husband's name, she came up with Henry. Sure enough, that was the right move since it helped her win the blue ribbon she'd been eyeing for over a decade as well as a five-dollar cash prize.
From fields to fairgrounds
The event's roots were established long before stages and microphones existed. Wives from Midwestern America had to shout across expansive fields to summon working husbands for supper. While rooted in genuine agricultural routine, this event is also a tongue-in-cheek spin on traditional livestock competitions. They were a huge part of the fair when it was first held in October 1854. In fact, the fair was intended to be an exhibition for farmers and their families to display their crops, livestock, machinery, and other inventions. Nonetheless, since then it has transitioned into a fun, lighthearted event for people of Iowa.
Joining an iconic club
With this win, Hewitt has joined a pretty exclusive club of previous champions. This includes multi-time winner Bonnie Swalwell Eilery, who regularly brought crowds to tears with her glass-shattering, high-pitched voice, and many others. Meanwhile, the competition has also had plenty of memorable moments for the people. Some years have seen competitors turn the contest into a musical comedy or even matrimonial auditions. While previous champions have used a variety of calls for the blue ribbon, others have entered the competition without a partner at all. However, this is exactly what makes the competition so special, as you never know what to expect.
It's meant to be funny
As for the people, they also love competition, especially because it has a bit of country humor in it. They took the comments on a post by Iowa PBS to express their views. Kristen Blackwell wrote, "The number of people that don't understand this is supposed to be funny. I guess us country folk have a unique sense of humor." At the same time, Kylie Ann suggested, "I just know my mother would embody this competition."
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