Breckenridge Texan

By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

With campfires burning and wagons and tents, the signature event of the 2025 Stephens County Frontier Days, the Bob Drake Memorial Chuckwagon Cook-off — Clear Fork Championship, took center stage Saturday morning, May 3, in the Breckenridge City Park.

Hosted by the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Clear Fork Bank, this year’s event brought in four wagons to compete for prizes and serve lunch. Taking the top honors this year was the Shadow Peak wagon from Weatherford.

Entering the competition this year were:

• Shadow Peak from Weatherford
• Veale Ranch from Breckenridge
• Ribble Hill Farm from Bunger
• Cripple Creek Cattle Co. from Goliad

Best overall

(70% Food score and 30% Wagon score)

• First Place – Shadow Peak
• Second Place – Cripple Creek Cattle Co.
• Third Place – Ribble Hill Farm

chuckwagon and camp authenticity

• First Place – Cripple Creek Cattle Co.
• Second Place – Shadow Peak
• Third Place – Ribble Hill Farm

Food Winners

• Meat – Veale Ranch, first place; Ribble Hill, second place; Cripple Creek, third place; Shadow Peak, fourth place
• Beans – Shadow Peak, first place; Ribble Hill, second place; Cripple Creek, third place; Veale Ranch, fourth place
• Potatoes – Shadow Peak, first place; Ribble Hill, second place; Cripple Creek, third place; Veale Ranch, fourth place
• Bread – Shadow Peak, first place; Ribble Hill, second place; Cripple Creek, third place; Veale Ranch, fourth place
• Dessert – Shadow Peak, first place; Ribble Hill, second place; Cripple Creek, third place; Veale Ranch, fourth place

Special Awards

• Hospitality Award – Veale Ranch
• Pot Wrestler – Cripple Creek Cattle Co.
• Wild Card Award – Veale Ranch
• Chuckwagon Award ($500 drawing) – Ribble Hill Farm

Once all of the awards were added up, Shadow Peak took home $1,775; Ribble Hill, $1,550; Cripple Creek, $1,175; and Veale Ranch, $700.

In addition to the chuckwagons that participated in the annual competition, Clear Fork Bank set up their Weenie Wagon and served free hot dogs to the crowd attending Frontier Days on Saturday, May 3.

The Breckenridge Texan has more photos from the chuckwagon cook-off, as well as from other events and activities at Frontier Days, and will post them in a Photo Gallery as soon as possible.

The Shadow Peak chuckwagon from Weatherford took home the Best Overall award in the 2025 Bob Drake Memorial Chuckwagon Cook-off – Clear Fork Championship on Saturday, May 3, during the annual Frontier Days event. Pictured, from left, are Scott Tibbets, Alicia Tibbets and Pacer Hughes. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The Cripple Creek Cattle Co. of Goliad won first place in the Best Wagon Authenticity and Camp category of the chuckwagon cook-off. Pictured, from left, are Gene Kotzur, Sam Valencia, Wesley Wehlmann and Warren Wilson. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The Ribble Hill Farm chuckwagon placed third overall in the chuckwagon cook-off at the Stephens County Frontier Days. Pictured, from left, are Kyle Lawson, Tatum Lawson, Jacob Masters, Rebecca Masters, Lynzy Alaniz, and Juan Garcia. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

The Veale Ranch from Stephens County took the top prize in the meat category at the annual Bob Drake Memorial Chuckwagon Cook-off – Clear Fork Championship. Pictured, from left, are Allison Veale, Eric Jones, Ward Lee, Matt Langford, Marion Veale and Mark Pugh. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Clear Fork Bank hosted the annual Weenie Wagon, giving away free hot dogs during Frontier Days on Saturday, May 3, in the Breckenridge City Park. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Cutline, top photo: Alicia Tibbets with the Shadow Peak chuckwagon makes a cobbler for their dessert entry in the Bob Drake Memorial Chuckwagon Cook-off – Clear Fork Championship. The Shadow Peak team won the Best Overall award in the annual contest. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)