(Photo by Pat Trevino)💋 “One kiss for luck, one for legacy.”
Mayor Emil Garza leans in to give Ruby Begonia a good-luck smooch before the big race. With Cuero cheering and feathers fluffed, Ruby’s ready to strut—not sprint—into Turkeyfest history. 🦃
#Turkeyfest2025 #RubyBegonia #CueroStrong #MayorGarza #GobblerGallop
By Pat Trevino | October 13, 2025
The streets of Cuero were lined with cheers, cameras, and hometown pride Saturday morning as the 53rd Annual Turkeyfest reached its feathered face-off: the final heat of the Great Gobbler Gallop. But this year, the title of “Turkey Capital of the World” flew north—literally.
Paycheck, the racing turkey from Worthington, Minnesota, took an early lead and never looked back, clocking in at 37.09 seconds. Cuero’s beloved Ruby Begonia followed at 57.46 seconds, sealing Worthington’s victory with a combined time of 1:11.02 to Cuero’s 2:37.54 across both heats.
“He got close to the crowd a couple of times but didn’t end up getting into the crowd,” said Holly Sieve, captain of the Paycheck Race Team. “We’re just super pumped to get the win after taking the loss last year.”
(Photo by Pat Trevino) 53rd Turkeyfest Cuero, Tx 10//2025
Ruby’s team—captain Corbin Goebel, coach Sherry Oakes, and handlers Kevin Wolf and Jon Eric Rodriguez—brought heart, hustle, and humor to the race. But even with Cuero’s cheers echoing down Main Street, Ruby couldn’t close the gap from September’s first heat in Worthington.
(Photo by Pat Trevino) 53 rd Turkeyfest Cuero, Tx 10//2025
As tradition dictates, Worthington now takes home the Traveling Turkey Trophy of Tumultuous Triumph, while Cuero receives the Circulating Consolation Cup of Consummate Commiseration—a title we wear with pride, grit, and a wink.
(Photo by Pat Trevino) 53rd Turkeyfest Cuero, Tx 10//2025
Despite the loss, the spirit of Turkeyfest soared. From the Mayor’s Supper to the Turkeyfest Parade, and from Landri Dyer’s stirring national anthem to the carnival lights and concert stage, Cuero once again proved that no one celebrates tradition quite like we do.
(Photo by Pat Trevino) Ruby had a lot to say during her interview….🎤 “Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble….” (Can anyone translate? Who speaks Turkey? Cuero’s queen may have lost the race, but she won the crowd with style, grace, and a strut that said it all. 🦃 #RubyBegonia #Turkeyfest2025 #CueroStrong #GobblerGallop #53rd Turkeyfest – 10/11/202
Stay tuned to Cuero Online News for photo galleries from the concert, carnival, and parade—and for part two of our Turkeyfest coverage, featuring the sights, sounds, and stories that made this year unforgettable.
