Breckenridge Texan

Yearbooks provide insight into 100 years of Buckaroo Queens; coronation scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 25

Yearbooks provide insight into 100 years of Buckaroo Queens; coronation scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 25
January 21
13:33 2025

By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

One hundred years ago this month, Breckenridge High School held what is considered to be the first official Coronation of the Buckaroo Queen. On Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, this year’s queen, Yanet Benitez, will be crowned by this year’s Great Lord Chamberlain, Sawyer Wimberley. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in Bailey Auditorium.

Since October of last year, Abby Olson Moore, the district librarian for Breckenridge Independent School District, has been presenting a daily snapshot of one of the past Buckaroo Queens. The “Countdown to the Crown” is posted on the Breckenridge ISD Libraries Facebook page.

Although it seems that there were BHS beauty pageants before 1925, Moore’s research through old copies of “The Buckaroo,” the BHS annual or yearbook, indicates that 1925 was the first year there was a coronation ceremony for the Buckaroo Queen, Ruth Stout.

In her first “Countdown to the Crown” post on Facebook, Abby Olson Moore featured the 1991 Buckaroo Queen, Amy Maxey. She admits in the post that she chose to start there for selfish reasons, since she was one of the train bearers.

As she pored over the decades-old books, Moore discovered that the “annual” wasn’t always produced annually. During some of the Great Depression years, 1932, 1933, 1934 and 1936, “The Buckaroo” was not published. There is one in 1935, featuring Buckaroo Queen, Ruth Clark, a 14-year-old sophomore. In the early days, the Buckaroo Queen did not have to be a senior.

Without yearbooks or other documentation, Moore has not yet been able to determine if there were Buckaroo Queens in 1932, 1933 or 1934. Although there wasn’t a yearbook in 1936, there is a Basil Clemons photograph of the coronation of Geraldine Crisman in 1936. The ceremony was held in conjunction with Breckenridge’s Centennial Music Festival, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Texas’ independence from Mexico.

In the early days, the Buckaroo Queen was escorted by a BHS boy of her choosing. Later, the position of Lord Chamberlain was added, and for many years, the Lord Chamberlain was also the BHS Student Body President, Moore said. But, when a girl was elected BHS President in the 1980s, the process was changed to having the students vote on the Great Lord Chamberlain, as they did the Buckaroo Queen.

Although she was a train bearer in 1991 for Buckaroo Queen Amy Maxey, Moore said that when she was in high school, she was never a member of the official Queen’s Court. Every year during high school, she participated in coronation in some way, as an usher or in a skit, but she didn’t take part in the procession.

“I always thought it was kind of a weird, silly thing, but when I started looking through it, I feel like there’s something about it,” Moore said. “There’s something about a common experience that feels unique, that feels special in its own way, even though it’s really silly. … To have something like that and to see the evolution of it through over 100 years is pretty special.”

In 1925, Breckenridge photographer Basil Clemons took this picture of the Buckaroo Queen Coronation with trumpeters on either side of stage at Breckenridge High School. BHS senior Ruth Stout was crowned the 1925 Buckaroo Queen. (Photo Courtesy of the Basil Clemons Photograph Collection at the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries)

Based on her research, Moore said that there are coronation-related things that have stayed the same and others that have changed through the years. For example, it appears that the throne or chair that the Buckaroo Queen sits on has changed frequently throughout the years. Some years it was an elaborate throne; other times it was a simple bench.

Some traditions that have remained through the years are the dresses and the capes. Just about every Buckaroo Queen has worn an elaborate white or light-colored dress. And, most, if not all, have worn some type of cape — aka a mantle or robe — although the style and color have varied. In recent years, the cape has been Buckaroo Green.

There have been at least two sets of twins chosen as Buckaroo Queens. In 1928, Elma and Thelma Middleton were the Buckaroo Queens. In 1987, Buckaroo Queens Sabina and Salina Eubanks were accompanied by Great Lord Chamberlains Patrick Willingham and Chris Hart. In her Facebook post on Dec. 18, 2024, Moore includes pictures from the 1987 yearbook showing the Middleton twins attending the coronation of Sabina and Salina.

With her knowledge of the Breckenridge community, Moore knows that several Buckaroo Queens and Great Lord Chamberlains went on to get married — and at least one couple was already married at the time of the coronation.

In 1928, twin sisters Elma and Thelma Middleton were the Buckaroo Queens. (Photo Courtesy of the Basil Clemons Photograph Collection at the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries)

Moore said that the Buckaroo Queen tradition started back in 1921, when Breckenridge built a new school. “The origin story is the new high school was built in 1921. That’s right when the oil boom was big, and you can see there’s a change blowing,” she said. “You know, there’s a population boom. People are starting to move in, and they decide, by golly, we’re going to build a school, an actual brick school, and it’s two-story, big deal. They hadn’t had that in town yet, and those 1921, kids that moved into that new school were so proud of it, and they made it their goal … that when they were seniors, they were gonna produce it the very first annual to commemorate this amazing school.”

And, so they did publish the first issue of “The Buckaroo” yearbook in 1923. To fund the yearbook production and publication, the students held a beauty contest. The contestants raised funds through individual donations and business sponsorships. The girl who raised the most money was the winner of the pageant, and all of the funds raised went to pay for the yearbook. It was a successful venture that was continued the next year. By 1925, the process was a little more organized and serious, with the winner being called the Buckaroo Queen and the ceremony referred to as the coronation.

The yearbook staff was in charge of the coronation for many years, Moore said. Now, BHS counselor Leah Robertson oversees the coronation.

As part of this year’s coronation, the organizers plan to honor past Buckaroo Queens and Great Lord Chamberlains, as well as to display coronation-related items from years past. To participate, former Buckaroo Queens and Great Lord Chamberlains can fill out an online form (click here). If you have items to loan the organizers — such as Buckaroo Queen dresses, crowns, etc.; coronation “court” attire from anyone who participated in the event;  or train bearer dresses and crown bearer attire — click here to fill out this form. If you have any questions or cannot fill out the form, contact Leah Robertson at leah.robertson@breckenridgeisd.org or Abby Moore at abby.moore@breckenridgeisd.org.

The 2025 Buckaroo Queen Coronation is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, in Bailey Auditorium, 500 W. Lindsey St.

In 1936, the Buckaroo Queen Coronation was combined with Breckenridge’s Centennial Music Festival in honor of the 100th anniversary of Texas’ independence from Mexico. (Photo Courtesy of the Basil Clemons Photograph Collection at the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries)

Cutline, top photo: BISD librarian Abby Moore has been researching all of the existing Breckenridge High School yearbooks for information about the annual coronation of the Buckaroo Queen. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

 

Check out these related stories and accompanying photo galleries on the Breckenridge Texan:

BHS announces 2024-25 Buckaroo Queen and Great Lord Chamberlain: Yanet Benitez and Sawyer Wimberley

Chloe Whitmire crowned 2024 Buckaroo Queen

McKenna Adams crowned 2023 Buckaroo Queen

Lexi Matthews crowned 2022 Buckaroo Queen

Nayeli Hernandez crowned 2021 Buckaroo Queen

Angelina Ruiz crowned 2020 Buckaroo Queen

Alyssa Reyes crowned 2019 Buckaroo Queen

Elyssa Glick crowned 2018 Buckaroo Queen

 

 

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