Large crowd expected for CC judging contest

Clarendon College will hold its annual Invitational Judging Contest this Saturday and attendance will once again double the city’s population.

The contest attracts around 2,000 high school FFA students and 4-H students from around Texas and nearby states. As of Tuesday morning, there were more than 2,100 contest registrations for the event.

The number of registrations doesn’t include the hundreds of parents and coaches who accompany the students to the contest. According to the 2010 US Census, Clarendon has a population of 2,026.

“We are very happy to host these young people,” Clarendon Chamber of Commerce President Roger Estlack said. “This boosts our local economy and gives many students who otherwise may not ever consider coming to Clarendon an opportunity to see what we have.”

Past contests have had huge impacts on the local economy. Restaurants are typically packed for the event, and this year will hopefully be equally successful.

In fact, the annual judging contest is the single biggest event to attract visitors from out of county for one day. By comparison, the July 4th Saints’ Roost Celebration barbecue annually attracts about 1,000 people and the Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff records between 1,000 and 1,500 visitors each September. Each of those events, however, has hundreds of local residents in attendance. The greatest number of people at the judging contest will come from outside of Donley County.

In addition to helping local merchants, the event also presents a great opportunity for CC to showcase its campus, faculty, and programs for prospective students. Johnny Treichel, Clarendon College livestock and meats judging coach, said the event is a big recruiting tool for the college.

“This is the only time each year the college has this many potential students on campus,” he said. “And we are pleased to have such positive support from the community year after year.”