Dateline: October 2, 2003

Southland wagon team sweeps 9th cookoff

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

The Stirrup Ranch of Southland, Texas, swept the awards during the ninth annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff last Saturday.

It was the Stirrup’s first appearance in the Clarendon cookoff, although the team has been competing for several years. The team placed in four out of five food categories Saturday, was third in the Best Wagon & Camp competition, and took first place in both the Overall Cooking and the Overall Wagon & Cooking categories.

The cookoff, which benefits the Saints’ Roost Museum, was hailed as a great success by museum board members. Tickets for the authentic Chuckwagon supper sold out by early Saturday morning. Just as last year, extra tickets were prepared and divided among the wagons along with additional food to meet the high demand.

Officials estimate more than 1,000 people attended the daylong event.

Breakfast and lunch concessions on the museum grounds were provided by Boy Scout Troop 433. A trade show was held throughout the day, and live entertainment was provided by local and area talent. Relatives of legendary cattleman and Chuckwagon inventor Charles Goodnight also were on hand for their annual family reunion.

For the first time, a Gun & Knife Show was held in conjunction with the cookoff. This activity was held at the Clarendon Community Center with concessions provided by the Clarendon College Bulldogs basketball team.

Justin Hagel and Oscar Auker provided cowboy poetry following the presentation of awards Saturday, and a cowboy church service closed the cookoff on Sunday morning.

Fourteen wagons competed in this year’s cookoff and served a menu of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, beans, and cobbler. Prizes totaling more than $3,000 were paid out to the winners.

Complete results are as follows:

Overall Wagon & Cooking: 1st – Stirrup Ranch of Southland, 2nd – Adamah Ranch of Amarillo, 3rd – Break-Away Wagon of Stamford, and 4th – C Bar C Ranch of Hartley.

Overall Cooking: 1st – Stirrup Ranch, 2nd – C Bar C Ranch, 3rd – Adamah Ranch, and 4th – JA Ranch of Clarendon.

Best Wagon Camp: 1st – Adamah Ranch, 2nd – Break-Away Wagon, 3rd – Stirrup Ranch, and 4th – Noble Ranch of Wayland.

Best Meat: 1st – Double Diamond Ranch of Silverton, 2nd – C Bar C Ranch, 3rd – Noble Ranch, and 4th – Break-Away Wagon.

Best Beans: 1st – Stirrup Ranch, 2nd – Adamah Ranch, 3rd – JL Cattle Company of Abilene, and 4th – Ericksdahl Cattle Company of Stamford.

Best Dessert: 1st – JA Ranch, 2nd – JL Cattle Company, 3rd – Stirrup Ranch, and 4th – Break-Away Wagon.

Best Bread: 1st – Adamah Ranch, 2nd – C Bar C Ranch, 3rd – Stirrup Ranch, and 4th – JA Ranch.

Best Potatoes: 1st – High Card Ranch of Clarendon, 2nd – Noble Ranch, 3rd – Stirrup Ranch, and 4th – JL Cattle Company.

Wagon Judges this year were Shirley Creacy, Billy D. Bowman, and Greg Henley. Food Judges under the direction of Virginia Patten were Lyta Darsey, Jerry Gage, Mike Butts, Jewell Houston, Jerri Ann Shields, Eddy Eads, Jesus Hernandez, Susie Shields, Bruce Ferguson, and Melinda McAnear.

Among the other winners during Saturday’s activities was Charla Crump of Clarendon, who won a pair of James Owens handmade boots.