C Bar C repeats cookoff victory

The C Bar C Ranch gave a repeat performance at the 21st annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff last Saturday, September 26, winning the event for the second year in a row.

Fourteen wagons in all competed on the Saints’ Roost Museum grounds as the Hartley-based C Bar C placed in four out five food categories, secured first place in Overall Cooking, and then took home the champion bean pot for the best Overall Wagon & Cooking.

The C Bar C team are long-time participants in the Clarendon cookoff. Sue Cunningham and her sister, Jean Cates, who passed away last year, have been inducted in the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame for their pioneering efforts as women on the chuckwagon cookoff circuit.

Officials with the Saints’ Roost Museum, which sponsors the event, said they fed about 615 people at the cookoff, compared to about 570 people last year.

The C Bar C placed first in Meat, Bread, and Dessert and third in Potatoes.

The eighth annual Junior Cookoff the day before the big event drew 13 contestants, who were paired with experienced wagon teams to prepare potatoes for the cooks’ dinner Friday night. Justin Perry from Eagle Pass won first place and was teamed with the Bar H Dude Ranch Team of Clarendon.

Ja’Lyn Lagrand from Happy was second with the C4B Chuckwagon Team of Amarillo, and Sydney Perry from Eagle Pass was third, cooking with the Croton Creek Team.

Following the Junior Cookoff, 214 people enjoyed a delicious steak dinner Friday night on the museum grounds, compared to 146 the year before. 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 Saturday, and live entertainment was provided. Relatives of Chuckwagon inventor Charles Goodnight also were present for their annual reunion.

The 14 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.

Overall Cooking: 1) C Bar C, 2) Rising W Chuckwagon of Happy, 3) Cross Wagon of Vega, and 4) Rocking MR Chuckwagon of Blooming Grove.

Best Wagon & Camp: 1) J Bar D Ranch of Amarillo, 2) Croton Creek Association of Lubbock, 3) Honey-Do Spoiler of Pampa, and 4) Musselshell Wagon of Roundup, Mont.

Best Meat: 1) C Bar C, 2) Croton Creek, 3) T-Half Circle Wagon of Silverton, and 4) Rising W.

Best Beans: 1) Cross Wagon, 2) Cocklebur Camp of Odessa, 3) HX Ranch of Lubbock, and 4) Bar H Dude Ranch of Clarendon.

Best Potatoes: 1) Musselshell, 2) Rising W, 3) C Bar C, and 4) Rocking MR.

Best Bread: 1) C Bar C, 2) Cross Wagon, 3) Rising W, and 4) Honey-Do Spoiler.

Best Dessert: 1) C Bar C, 2) Rising W, 3) Trapdrag Wagon of Pampa, and 4) T-Half Circle.

The Pearce Foundry West of Memphis again made the commemorative cast iron bean pot taken home by the cookoff winning team.