C Bar C wins 2022 chuckwagon cookoff

The C Bar C Ranch team from Hartley reclaimed the championship of the Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff last Saturday, September 24, for the first time since 2019.

Competing in the Saints’ Roost Museum’s 27th annual cookoff, the C Bar C team went head-to-head with 13 other wagons and placed first in the categories of Dessert, Bread, and Potatoes; first in Overall Cooking; and fourth in Wagon & Camp and Best Meat to win the title of best Overall Wagon & Cooking.

The Crosstimber Ranch from Mustang, Okla., placed first in Wagon & Camp this year after having won the top title the previous two years.

The 15th annual Junior Cookoff the day before the big event drew 12 contestants, who were paired with experienced wagon teams to prepare potatoes for the cooks’ dinner Friday night. Kennadi Gaither from Clarendon placed first cooking with the J Bar D Ranch of Amarillo. Henry Robertson from Clarendon placed second cooking with the Honey-Do Spoiler team from Pampa, and Jared Phares from Lockney was third cooking with D Bar B from Childress.

Also participating in the junior cookoff were Kassie Askew from Clarendon cooking with Wild Cow Ranch, from Fritch; Asa Bains from Clarendon cooking with Solano Wagon Co. of Tucumcari, New Mexico; Gus Boedecker from Lockney cooking with Camp Cookie from Germantown, Tenn.; Teagan Chesser from Clarendon cooking with Cocklebur Camp from Odessa; Jase Conway from Clarendon cooking with Lazy M Cookers of Lamar, Colo., Memory Farmer from Clarendon cooking with 2M Chuckwagon of Kim, Colo.; Wade Fowler from Clarendon cooking with Camp Cookie; August Pearson from Clarendon cooking with Double Nichols of Amarillo; and Elliott Robertson from Clarendon cooking with Crosstimber.

The Junior Cookoff is sponsored each year by the American Chuckwagon Association.

The cooks’ dinner Friday night held for the wagon teams and museum supporters fed 125 people. An estimated 560 people ate the Chuckwagon meal on Saturday.

The trade show was held throughout the day Saturday, and live entertainment was provided.

Competing wagons served a menu of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, biscuits, beans, and cobbler. Wagons came from as far as Tennessee and Colorado to attend this year’s cookoff.

Prizes totaling $3,250 were paid out to the winners. Complete results were:
Overall Wagon & Cooking: 1) C Bar C.

Overall Cooking: 1) C Bar C., 2) Camp Cookie., 3) J Bar D, and 4) Wild Cow Ranch.

Best Wagon & Camp: 1) Crosstimber, 2) J Bar D, 3) Wild Cow Ranch, and 4) C Bar C.

Best Meat: 1) Wild Cow Ranch, 2) Camp Cookie, 3) Solano Wagon Co., and 4) C Bar C.

Best Beans: 1) Camp Cookie, 2) Wild Cow Ranch, 3) Honey-Do Spoiler, and 4) Lazy M Cookers.

Best Potatoes: 1) C Bar C, 2) Texas Back Then Wagon of Vernon, 3) D Bar B, and 4) Cocklebur Camp.

Best Bread: 1) C Bar C, 2) Crosstimber, 3) Honey-Do Spoiler, and 4) J Bar D.

Best Dessert: 1) C Bar C, 2) J Bar D, 3) D Bar B, and 4) Camp Cookie.