A smokin’ big success

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It has grown each of its first three years and if comments Saturday from the participating teams are any indication, next year’s fourth annual Smokin’ in the Hills BBQ Cookoff will be even bigger.

Destiny Bryson, the event organizer and director of the Highland County Visitors Bureau, said moving the cookoff from Rocky Fork State Park’s East Shore area to the park campgrounds made a big difference to the 38 teams from six states and Canada that competed.

“Everything ran better than I even had imagined they could,” Bryson said. “From the perspective of setting up and tearing down it was a breeze, and putting the teams into their spots was plug and play. We had nothing but overwhelming support in terms of the teams saying they love it here. They said they loved the amount of space we gave them and especially with the new location, they said they had a view of the lake and room to breathe.”

Bryson said she has already talked with Rocky Fork officials about having the cookoff, held the third weekend in September, at the same location next year.

While discussions are all still preliminary, she said a member of the Kansas City BBQ Society, which sanctions the event, said it might be a good idea to cap the cookout at 48 teams for next year, then start a waiting list. If the event jumps to 50 teams, the $2,500 first place prize money offered this year would double, officials said. But another Kansas City BBQ representative would have to be brought in, and it would take about 63 teams to offset those costs.

Bryson said doesn’t think she wants to make that big of a jump in one year.

There were 25 teams the first year, 30 teams last year and 38 teams this year.

It was good to see several sectors of the community involved in the event, Bryson said. She said the trophies were made by Great Oaks students, Hillsboro Boys Scouts took care of the cleanup, and a few organizations sold lemon drinks, soft drinks or manned the beer garden. She said the event also would not be possible without the help of several sponsors.

“I didn’t do this thing alone. I have a committee and I certainly couldn’t have done it without them,” Bryson said. “And it also takes community support to pay out the prize money and get the fun happening.”

She said the one vendor at the event completely sold out.

Members of the committee include Shaeri Duckwall, Stephanie Couch, Bob Bain, Mechell Frost, Rhonda Purdin and Dan Pierce, along with several of their spouses on the day of the event, Bryson said.

R+L Carriers ws the signature sponsor. National Cooperative Bank (NCB), became a premier sponsor this year by awarding the committee a $2,500 grant. Southern State Community College was a premier sponsor for the third year.

“I want to steal a quote from one of my barbeque friends who said, ‘Barbeque brings people together,’ and I think that’s exactly what we did over the weekend,” Bryson said. “We brought a lot of people together to expose our attractions and what we have to offer here.”

Teams are judged in four barbeque categories: chicken, pork ribs, pork and brisket. The official overall results are listed below by rank, team name, and total points:

Rank Team Name Total

1 – UNCLE TOAD’S COMPETITION BBQ – 694.7768

2 – VICTORY SMOKERS – 691.3484

3 – WV LOC-N-LOADED BBQ – 687.3372

4 – JMB BBQ – 685.6456

5 – ELEGANTLY VIOLENT BBQ – 685.0628

6 – MEAN MOE’S BBQ – 683.9428

7 – SMOKE RIDER – 683.4284

8 – Rhode Hog BBQ – 682.2172

9 – SMOKIN’ 4-PLAY BBQ – 680.5368

10 – Bones, Rubs & Harmony – 677.6688

11 – FRIDAY NIGHT SMOKE – 677.6344

12 – Mid-West Coatings – 677.6000

13 – Burning Pig BBQ – 677.5996

14 – CONVICTED PIGS BBQ – 675.3600

15 – HIGH ON THE HOG OHIO – 672.4572

16 – BROTHERS OF OHIO BBQ – 671.2684

17 – B&R SMOKE – 670.8116

18 – SMOKING BAD – 670.1596

19 – RETIRED AND RUBBIN’ IT – 668.9712

20 – ALE YEAH BBQ – 667.8856

21 – SMOKIN HOOSIERS – 666.7884

22 – DUB TOWN SMOKERS – 666.7428

23 – Let’s Smoke – 661.6456

24 – GEM CITY BBQ – 660.4568

25 – BLUE TRUCKS BBQ – 658.7316

26 – GETCHA SOME BBQ – 657.5656

27 – Big B’s Barr-B-Q – 656.3996

28 – Bearded Pig BBQ – 654.1484

29 – BRISKETS-BONES & BREWS BBQ – 648.3888

30 – Hans Schwein – 646.2632

31 – Our Lady of Victory Holy Smokes – 645.5312

32 – Four Guys and a Grill – 632.5832

33 – NEONS BBQ – 631.8628

34 – Higland Smokers – 612.4228

35 – BBQ Junkies – 606.7428

36 – Ole Smokey – 601.5200

37 – Smokin Flints – 598.1712

38 – South Side BBQ – 479.3828

Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522.

Alice Schloemer of the Neon’s BBQ team from Cincinnati uses tweezers to put the finishing touches on one of her team’s entries Saturday in the Smokin’ in the Hills BBQ Cookoff at the Rocky Fork State Park Campground.
https://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/09/web1_Smokin-pic-1-1.jpgAlice Schloemer of the Neon’s BBQ team from Cincinnati uses tweezers to put the finishing touches on one of her team’s entries Saturday in the Smokin’ in the Hills BBQ Cookoff at the Rocky Fork State Park Campground. Jeff Gilliland | The Times-Gazette

Brett Prince, left, and Matt Schneider of the Bones, Rubs & Harmony team from Hillsboro prepare one of their entries Saturday in the Smokin’ in the Hills BBQ Cookoff at Rocky Fork State Park.
https://www.timesgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/09/web1_Smokin-pic-2.jpgBrett Prince, left, and Matt Schneider of the Bones, Rubs & Harmony team from Hillsboro prepare one of their entries Saturday in the Smokin’ in the Hills BBQ Cookoff at Rocky Fork State Park. Jeff Gilliland | The Times-Gazette
3rd BBQ contest draws teams from six states, Canada

By Jeff Gilliland

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