And the winner is………….

And the winner is………….

Those are the words you want to hear after entering any kind of contest.  This past weekend through a  oak and hickory smoke and rainy drizzly hazy day,  those words were longed for as
I sat through the chill treating the camera like a baby to shoot photos of chicken, ribs, pork, and brisket.  Every hour on the hour turn in times were as exact as feeding times.

Then the wait…..3 hours in the cold, breath was visible through the raindrops and thankfully my car was close by as I used it to pass the time.
 There was a break in the weather so we walked around to see the array of smokers and grills. Forget backyard they are in it to win it and they ain't a playin'.   Since this was a first time for my client entering a contest, he didn't have the big rigs or even a tent to stay in, he did have tents for cooking and sitting.

I ended up back in my car a short time later and came to the conclusion these people are serious.  

We saw streamlined RV's and decked out haulers with smokers that gleamed your reflection so fine I could have used it to put my mascara on in the morning. And they were still cooking in them!!
Myron Mixon, cronies were there, I don't think he was but someone was using his rig.
There were others I was sure who had some standing in the BBQ community and they didn't lack at all in the shiny anything, cooker, sleeper, driver thing.
Finally the time had come and we made our way up the hill to the prize awarding tent listening
to  nonsensical jargon from those onstage. Tension was high and most were wet, tired, and wanting to get the hell outta there with their cash money prizes and trophies they hadn't even won yet. It had been a long two days.
(There were Backyard and  Professional Divisions.)

 BackYard Division

First Place for Chicken, Grillin' Gaines Catering    (FB link)

Third place for Ribs, Grillin' Gaines Catering   (website link)

And the overall score was  3rd out of 33 entrants.   

For a first time entry for a BBQ contest, not too shabby at all.
  There's a lesson here…..

Click on the Grillin' Gaines Catering link to see the photo and Like the Page.  There will be an updated website up and running at the beginning of March.