Shepherdsville Native Preston Poling decided to take part in the miniature contest at the Kentucky State Fair this year. He won third while saying the mini was “a simple design,” with a couch, a desk, a camera and a computer.
Poling, who goes by @the_bearded_miniaturist on Instagram, entered the contest with no idea he would garner so much attention for his miniature. However, the “simple design” was a recreation of a smaller version of “The Casting Couch,” a popular pornography set.
“This is my build! I’m sooo happy to see the support here for the work that I do. I just try to make things FUN, bring a little laughter and a few minutes of JOY into peoples lives through my art,” Poling said on Reddit. “Thank you for your messages and support and for making this go viral!”
However, now Poling says the build has gone missing, and said on Instagram that he is not sure if the build was removed or stolen.
“Just a warning, if you were planning on going to the Kentucky State Fair to enjoy my exhibit please wait,” he said in an Instagram post. “I’ve had several messages informing me that it isn’t there. I’m not sure if it was stolen or moved or REMOVED or what. No one has reached out to me to let me know anything, it’s just….gone.”
The third place winner said he was allowed to keep his ribbon and set up at the Kentucky Fair, but now it seems to be missing.
This article appears in Aug 14-27, 2024.