C Bar C wins 17th annual cookoff

The C Bar C Ranch Chuckwagon Team of Hartley took home top honors Saturday at the 17th annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff, which attracted international attention.

Led by head cook Sue Cunningham, the team had the first place dessert as well as first place in Overall Cooking on the way to racking up enough points to win the Best Overall award.

A German television crew was on hand at this year’s cookoff, filming and conducting interviews for a special on Route 66. Producer Peter Adler said country musician Ed Montana told them about Clarendon’s cookoff, and the three-man crew visited Palo Duro Canyon and Amarillo’s Big Texan before spending the night at the High Card Ranch southwest of Clarendon.

“This has been a great experience, and we’ve had great support from Charlie Smith at the Chamber of Commerce and everyone in Clarendon,” Adler said.

Even though Clarendon wasn’t on Route 66, Adler said it was close enough for them to include in the documentary.”

“It is a legendary road, a myth even in Europe,” Adler said. “Everywhere you go, people know Route 66.”

“Along the Mother Road” will air sometime next year in all German- and French-speaking countries in Europe.

Officials with the Saints’ Roost Museum, which sponsors the event, were pleased with this year’s cookoff and said they served about 550 meals Saturday, which about 100 more than last year

The fourth annual Junior Cookoff the day before the big event drew several contestants, who were paired with experienced wagon teams to prepare potatoes for the cooks’ dinner Friday night. Emily Johnson from Clarendon won first place and was teamed with the C4B Cooking Team. Jon David Seal of Childress was second with the CO Ranch Cooking Team, and Cire Jauregui of Clarendon was third with the Honey Do Spoiler Team.

Following the Junior Cookoff, an estimated 170 people enjoyed a delicious steak dinner Friday night on the museum grounds. The invitation-only event was held exclusively for Chuckwagon teams and members of the Museum and their families.

The trade show was held throughout the day, and live entertainment was provided. Museum tours were led by the Clarendon High School Junior Historians. Relatives of Chuckwagon inventor Charles Goodnight also were present for their annual reunion.

Fifteen wagons served a menu of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, beans, and cobbler. Prizes totaling $3,250 were paid out to the winners.

Complete results were:

Overall Wagon & Cooking: 1) C Bar C Ranch of Hartley.

Overall Cooking: 1) C Bar C, 2) HX Ranch of Lubbock, 3) Wagon Rangers of Amarilo, and 4) the C4B Chuckwagon of Amarillo.

Best Wagon & Camp: 1) C4B, 2) Wagon Rangers, 3) J Bar D Ranch of Amarillo, and 4) Quarter Circle KC of Lockney.

Best Meat: 1) McFall Wagon, 2) HX Ranch, 3) J Bar D, and 4) T Half Circle Wagon of Silverton.

Best Beans: 1) Cross Wagon, 2) Quarter Circle KC, 3) J Bar D, and 4) T Half Circle.

Best Potatoes: 1) Wagon Rangers, 2) CO Ranch, 3) HX Ranch, and 4) C Bar C.

Best Bread: 1) Wagon Rangers, 2) C4B, 3) Rising W, and 4) C Bar C.

Best Dessert: 1) C Bar C, 2) C4B, 3) Rising W, and 4) HX Ranch.

Wayne Heppard of Canyon was the winner of the Kevin Johnson handmade spurs, and Krista Smith of Silverton won the James Owens Handmade Boots.