Crosstimber team repeats cookoff win

The Crosstimber Ranch team from Mustang, Okla., repeated its performance as the overall champion of the 27th annual Col. Charles Goodnight Chuckwagon Cookoff last Saturday, September 25, at the Saints’ Roost Museum.

Returning from its championship win in 2020, the Crosstimber team competed against seven other wagons at this year’s cookoff. Ten wagons were originally scheduled to compete, but two had to pull out prior to the event. The wagons served 465 people this year, down from 615 last year when 15 wagons competed.

Crosstimber placed in four out of five cooking categories, was second in Overall Cooking, and third in Wagon & Camp to clinch the overall title and take home the custom cutting board designed by Clarendon artist Jack Craft.

The J Bar D Wagon team of Amarillo placed first in Wagon & Camp, and the Honey-Do Spoiler Wagon from Pampa won the Overall Cooking.

The 14th annual Junior Cookoff the day before the big event drew five contestants, who were paired with experienced wagon teams to prepare potatoes for the cooks’ dinner Friday night. Henry Robertson, age 9, from Clarendon was first place, cooking with Camp Cookie. Jahred Phares, age 11, from Providence was second place, working with the Lazy M Cookers, and Presley Hill, age 13, from Lakewood Village was third, cooking with the Crosstimber team.
Other junior participants included Gus Boedecker, age 10, from Lockney, cooking with the Cocklebur Camp, Teagan Chesser, age 9, from Clarendon, cooking with the Honey-Do Spoiler. The Junior Cookoff is sponsored by the American Chuckwagon Association.

The dinner Friday night held for the wagon teams and museum supporters fed 114 people.

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) Crosstimber Ranch.

Overall Cooking: 1) Honey-Do Spoiler of Pampa., 2) Crosstimber Ranch of Mustang, Okla., 3) Camp Cookie of Germantown, Tenn., and 4) Lazy M Cookers of Lamar, Colo.

Best Wagon & Camp: 1) J Bar D Ranch of Amarillo, 2) Cocklebur Camp of Odessa, 3) Crosstimber, and 4) Double Nichols of Amarillo.

Best Meat: 1) J Bar D, 2) Double Nichols, 3) Cocklebur, and 4) Texas Back Then Wagon of Vernon.

Best Beans: 1) Crosstimber, 2) Honey Do Spoiler, 3) Cocklebur, and 4) Lazy M.

Best Potatoes: 1) Honey Do Spoiler, 2) Crosstimber, 3) Lazy M, and 4) Texas Back Then.

Best Bread: 1) Camp Cookie, 2) Honey Do Spoiler, 3) Crosstimber, and 4) Lazy M.

Best Dessert: 1) Camp Cookie, 2) Honey Do Spoiler, 3) Crosstimber, and 4) Cocklebur.