This past weekend, the American Chuck Wagon Association (ACWA) held its annual meeting in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The two-day conference included a wagon judging clinic held at the covered arena in Kay Rogers Park. The historic setting served as an ideal backdrop to the discussions of western history. While I wasn’t able to attend the business portion of the meeting on Saturday, I feel fortunate to have participated in the wagon and camp judging clinic. More than two dozen attendees traveled to the event from Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.
L to R... Jack Ramey, Darryl Jacobs, Ronnie Sexton, Glenn Moreland, and Brian Frankum.
Two wagons and a camp were set up for the mock judging exercises. Some things were displayed inaccurately to help point out the level of attentiveness that good judging requires.
During the clinic, I was able to spend time with a number of folks, including Ronnie and Maribeth Sexton, Darryl Jacobs, Mark Stallings, Glenn Moreland, Jack Ramey, Brian Frankum, and also incoming President, Justin Jackson. These folks have spent years canvassing the country, studying original chuck wagons, period writings, and surviving photos; all with the intent of incorporating the most commonly noticed wagon and camp features as elements within the judging process.
The wagon above rests on a Stoughton brand gear while utilizing a Birdsell box/bed. Married pieces such as this help reinforce the realities of how ranchers, farmers, and freighters used what they had.
Each of the class members spent the better part of eight hours reviewing an eighty-seven-page handout with a detailed judging sheet. With almost fifty areas to review on the wagons, camps, and accessories, the guidelines seemed well thought out. In truth, it’s an overwhelming amount of information to digest and judge in a very limited amount of time at a competition. I’m not sure I would have attempted what they’ve done as it was a tremendous amount of work. Their efforts should be commended.
Ronnie Sexton discusses different features of a chuck wagon.
Judging anything is tough. I know. I’ve mediated a number of events including horse shows and wagon competitions. I’ve done it enough that I purposely avoid doing it anymore; not because I don’t know what I’m looking at but precisely the opposite. Typically, what happens in a judging competition is that a few folks are happy with the outcome while the majority are not. Sometimes, it may even cause someone to discontinue participation. So, do I think competitions are bad? No, I don’t. However, we might ask ourselves why we’re taking part in a competition. If our reasons are focused solely on building a stack of honors and accolades, we’re likely going to feel some disappointment along the way. Why? Because, by its very nature, competition can be tough and not everyone will always agree with our own assessments. Ultimately, many wagon evaluations will probably be seasoned with at least some degree of preference and opinion. And guess what? We all have personal preferences and opinions, even if there are guidelines to assist in judging.
So, what’s the purpose of judging a chuck wagon and camp? I would say that it’s to help showcase honest examples of period chuck wagons and camps while helping educate the general public on what exemplifies that original experience. With that said, there may be exceptions to what might or might not have been done in the different categories of chuck wagon judging. In fact, it’s even possible that the number of exceptions might actually outnumber any so-called list of rules. From my perspective, it’s a tall order to come up with a suggested inventory of things to consider. These were custom machines put together by independent folks. Gathering a complete and firm record of totalitarian do’s and don’ts seems wildly impossible and any list will likely need to be a living document, open to updates. I believe that’s why the ACWA has referred to this list as ‘Suggestions and Tips.’ After all, to have a competition, there must be some type of standards to follow or anything would be fair game.
Glenn Moreland (center with light-colored hat and vest) has been restoring, building, collecting, and assessing period wagons for more than 50 years. He is an encyclopedia of knowledge.
I’ve spent over 30 years studying period chuck wagons, farm wagons, freighters, stagecoaches, military vehicles, and business wagons, as well as the individual American makers, themselves. I can pick a wagon apart faster than most but I’m human and can still miss some things. Therein lies another risk of being a judge. Personally, I’d rather have someone help educate me on areas where I can improve my own sharpness and understandings. We all have room to grow. It’s why, every time I come across a different wagon (typically daily in different photos), I’m mentally scanning and assessing all of its parts. Why? Because, it’s speaking to me and sharing things that, if I’m paying attention, will help me to learn – even if parts of the wagon have been reworked or restored. That learning process, not the competition itself, is what makes me better. It also helps give me a greater awareness of and appreciation for my own wagons – no matter what someone else’s opinion is.
While the ACWA stressed that the list of elements to be judged were not to be taken as a hard-and-fast rule book, below are a handful of ‘Rules for Competition’ that I would encourage...
1) HAVE FUN. Life is short and if all we want to do is dominate, that can take the enjoyment out of relationships and the opportunity out of growing.
2) BE A SPONGE. Be open to knowledge. Learn as much as you can as often as you can. I’ve been intensely studying this part of our past for decades and have mountains of original photos, sales literature, industry publications, and business correspondence from the wagon era. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from the daily research. Even so, I’ve barely scratched the surface of what once was commonly known. We must keep digging and insisting that the anchor of primary sources is what we lean on. Clearly, no one is alive from the cattle drive era, so the most reliable details we can pass along will be rooted in surviving primary source materials.
3) HELP GROW INTEREST. Promote your passion. Share the knowledge you have and make sure to separate supportable facts from passionate opinions. They are not always the same.
4) LOOK IN THE MIRROR. Ask yourself and others to share some positive yet constructive criticism from time to time. We can make the mistake of overlooking our own weaknesses but friendly evaluations can sometimes move us out of neutral. I had a boss challenge me once by saying, “We can always do better.” Whew! That’s a hard but valuable truth for a lot of things.
5) A GOOD PLACE TO START... Ask yourself –Can I name all parts of a wagon? Are the ways I describe the different parts consistent with period terminology? The reason this is important is that we’re learning a language from another time and place. Without knowing that language, it’s hard to effectively communicate with others. Likewise, the proper names often help us understand the purpose of the various elements. Ask yourself... What’s a futchell? How about a slider? Where would you look for the proppet? Why would you want to change the bottom clout? How many box straps are on your wagon? What purpose does the reach box have? What is the ‘gather’ of a wheel? How about the pitch? The list can go on and on. There’s so much opportunity to grow and all of it helps us share more intriguing stories while growing greater appreciation of these wheels with the next generation.
Thanks again to the ACWA for their continued efforts. It’s a tough job to put on these events and everyone benefits from encouragement. With that said, one of my goals is to learn something new every day. I carried away enough info from the judging clinic to take care of those goals for some time! Education is a lifelong endeavor, and the opportunities created through learning help bring us even closer to the things we enjoy.
For more information about the ACWA, visit their website at https://americanchuckwagons.com/ or you can catch up with them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/101174387760/
Have a great week!
Psalm 20:7
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