Shows and specifications are just as varied as there are people. To pick one and say that it represents all is hilarious. I have compared show and fair brochures and have participated at times. You need to check the individual specifications. I showed in a very small town fair and even they had classes like hand quilted, machine quilted, pieced by one and quilted by another, made by two or more, etc. They had a general statement that no work could be that of a professional. Then other fairs have classes that specifically state professionally quilted. It is not unusual to have a Best of Show and that would mean top of the class, highest marks of all entrants. Quilts get a report card with marks divided per area. I had a quilt go to a provincial (I'm Canadian) competition after being best of Show but also meeting all the criteria for that competition which was another set of of specifications. You could have been Best of Show and yet another quilt might have gone on to competition. This was all spelled out in the fair brochure.
So to anyone thinking of entering a fair you need to get a copy of their classes and then decide where you quilt goes. Dealing on a small level is a whole different ball park than thinking Paducah. Because the placings are based on many criteria your weakness might be outshone by your strengths. Mine were in that competition. My quilt shone in the design/originality/color area and did quite well in the piecing part but floundered on the actual hand quilting. That the hand quilting was not up to snuff came as no surprise.