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Clarendon marked the 250th birthday of the United States of America in grand fashion on Saturday, July 4, during the final day of the 149th annual Saints’ Roost Celebration with a large crowd in attendance for the parade and activities on the Donley County Courthouse Square.

This year’s celebration began Thursday, July 2, when Crossties Ministries annual Depression Luncheon was held at the Lions Hall, and the Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association’s Junior Ranch Rodeo closed out the day at the COEA Arena.

More than 100 people attended the Clarendon Lion’s Club’s annual Bag Bingo to start the second day of the celebration. The event gave away 23 prizes ranging from coolers to tool bags to designer purses, ranging in value from about $50 to more than $500. A fiesta lunch was held with the bingo and players.

The Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association hosted its ranch rodeos on Friday and Saturday evenings, and those results are also listed in a separate article this week.

The big day of the celebration was Saturday, July 4, with a hot and humid day making it a hot time in the old town, but that did not deter the crowd from joining the festivities.

The theme for this year’s celebration “Stars & Stripes Forever,” and an analytical service provided by the Clarendon Economic Development Corporation estimates that 1,800 people attended Saturday’s events on the square, down slightly from last year. The service from Placer.ai uses location data from mobile devices to analyze foot traffic in businesses and events.

The Liberty Electric Kids Parade started things off Saturday morning with three age categories plus a motorized division. Winners were as follows: Motorized: Ransom Wylee Renee, first; Russell Johnston, second; and Blaze and Tatum Herndon, third. Ages 0-3: Roses and True Henson, first; Jenna Hall, second; and Astrid Jaramillo, third. Ages 5-8: Madilyn Herndon, first; Oakleigh Shields, second, and Saylor Bell, third. Ages 9-12: Kelton Herndon, first; Kinze Zongker, second; and Dalis Reuter, third.

In the Herring Bank Parade, Les Beaux Arts Club won the first place Float with their Betsy Ross-inspired entry, Lawrence Rose of Amarillo had the best car/truck entry with a 1901 Oldsmobile, the best Animal entry belonged to the Clarendon College Ranch Horse Team with their “Dog & Pony” wagon, Sawyer Hay & Cube had the best Tractor entry, and The Buckin’ Bean had the best Other entry.

The Al Morrah Shrine Club sold completely out of barbecue this year, serving plates to more than 400 people.

The Clarendon Lions Club’s annual Cow Patty Bingo fundraiser was won by Medina Gribble, Russell Estlack, Renee Shields, and Russell Latham.

Henson’s annual Turtle Race was also held Saturday afternoon in its traditional location at Third and Kearney. Winning turtle jockeys this year were: age 0-4, Peyton Hawkins; age 5-8, Payleigh Martin; age 9-12, Elizabeth Newton; and age 13-16, Hunter Wann. Adults then competed in a 17 and up division, and Brandon Herndon took home the official title, and Allie Pittillo won a second unofficial race.

Benjamin Estlack won the 50/50 raffle of the Bronco basketball team. The Courthouse Lighting Committee drawings were won by Joanne Barton, Larry Gray, and Terry Askew.

Heck Cattle Co. team took top honors at the Clarendon Outdoor Entertainment Association’s annual Ranch Rodeo last Friday and Saturday during the 149th annual Saints’ Roost Celebration.

The Heck team’s scores beat out 19 other local and regional ranch rodeo teams as working cowboys put their skills to the test. The team was made up of Cody Heck, Jody Padilla, Rylan Ferbreche, Josh Halsell, and Jeffery Jefferson.

The Circle M8 / High Card team finished second with Phillip Reynolds, Rye Reynolds, Chance Holcombe, Jayde Smith, and Ky Brownlee; and the Tongue River Ranch team was third with Bem Crockett, Bubba Smith, Riggin Johnson, Justin Johnson, and Cooper McClesky.

Jeffery Jefferson won both the Top Hand, and Jayde Smith’s Gunner was the Top Horse.

Ranch Rodeo event winners were Bronc Ride – Heck Cattle, Stray Gathering – Circle M8 / High Card, Cow Milking – TP Livestock, and Branding – Dinner Creek.

COEA reported ticket sales for 1,387 rodeo spectators this year over the three-day event, which was up from 1,124 who were ticketed at the gate last year.

The Clarendon Economic Development Corporation’s Placer.ai analytics, which looks at the traffic of mobile devices, estimated that about 2,148 people attended the rodeos over three-days. That figure would include volunteers, participants, stock providers, sponsors, emergency personnel, and other people who do not need tickets to enter the event. Placer.ai estimates attendance this year was up by about 150 people compared to last year.

Sand Creek won the Junior Ranch Rodeo with a team comprised of Rankin Proffitt, Kelby Brownlee, Diesel Van Ryan, Cole Walden, and Truitt Harris. The second place team was Roadrunner Ranch with Reece Myers, Cole Walden, Hawk Thompson, Tristan Satterfield, and Stetson Duncan. Third place in the junior rodeo went to High Card Ranch and the team of Kelby Brownlee, Chance Anderson, Rylan Lamb, Karli Jones, and Lane Nelms.

Top Hand winner for the Junior Ranch Rodeo was Colton Henson, and Rankin Proffitt rode the Top Horse.

Junior Calf, Donkey, and Steer Riding and Mutton Bustin’ were held all three nights. Overall, Mutton Bustin’ champion for the three nights was Wyatt Martindale, Chambray Askew, and Mia Green. Overall Calf Riding Champion was Brecken Coon, the Overall Donkey Rider was Luke Hardin, and Steer Riding champion was Rance Peeters.

Nightly winners of the junior events were as follows:

July 2 – Calf Scramble – Case Jones, Bode Butts, and Eliseo Olivas; Mutton Bustin’ – Chambray Askew; Calf Riding – Jess Koetting, Donkey Riding – Luke Hardin; and Steer Riding – Rance Peters.

July 3 – Calf Scramble – J.T. Shelton, Drew Brown, and Todd Packer; Mutton Bustin’ – Mia Green and Wyatt Martindale; Calf Riding – Breken Coon; Donkey Riding – Rance Peters; and Steer Riding – Rance Peters.

July 4 – Calf Scramble – Drew Brown, Tripp Thompson, and Emmagyn Brown; Mutton Bustin’ – Brecken Coon; Calf Riding – Brecken Coon; Donkey Riding – Luke Hardin; and Steer Riding – Rance Peters.

The Clarendon Enterprise received four first place awards during the Texas Press Association’s annual convention in Dallas last weekend.

Competing against other weekly newspapers in Division 9, the Enterprise placed in a total of eight categories in the Texas Better Newspaper Contest.

Elaina and Roger Estlack received first place in Editorial Writing. Judges called Elaina’s editorial on the state banning students from having cell phones at school “passionate” and “a point of view that too often goes under-represented,” and said Roger’s Sunshine Week editorial gave “important reminders of how the press is supposed to function and how that responsibility is being eroded.”

Elaina’s article on the Grass Daddies shooting a music video at the Mulkey Theatre and Roger’s article on Kenny King’s reflections of Clarendon’s influence on him won the Enterprise first place in Feature Writing.

Advertisements designed by Ashlee Estlack and Roger Estlack won first place, and judges also had good comments for the Tara Allred’s and Roger Estlack’s work in the Fall 2026 Clarendon Welcome Guide, which won first place in Special Sections: “This is what you aspire to be in a guide to the hometown. Good art, informative, solid presentation.”

The Enterprise received second place in News Writing, third place in Column Writing by Roger Estlack, fourth place in Sports Photography by Elaina and Roger Estlack, and fourth place in General Excellence.

The Sweepstakes Award in Division 9 went to the Luling Newsboy & Signal with 525 points. The Enterprise was second place in the Sweepstakes race with 475 points.

The Enterprise’s sister newspaper – The Greenbelt Intrepid (formerly The Red River Sun) – received second place recognition for Feature Writing in Division 7 and fourth place for Feature Photos.

A total of 103 Texas newspapers entered 1,020 entries in the contest across ten divisions. The contest was judged by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.

Representing Starfleet News Media at the awards ceremony were Publisher Roger Estlack, Managing Editor Elizabeth Tanner, and Contributing Editor Ashlee Estlack.