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You can't develop a roster of barbecue rubs and sauces without cooking up a lot of bbq in the process. And, hey, it was some darn good barbecue we were making! Why not see how we can do against other BBQers? Turns out, many of these bbq'ers get together most weekends throughout the summer and share some tales, some ales and cook up some of the best barbecue you've ever tasted. They call these gatherings 'cookoffs' or 'competitions' and, chances are, there's one happening during the summer, somewhere near where you live!
The Dizzy Pig Barbecue Team made its competitive debut in August 2002 at the New Holland Summerfest in New Holland, Pennsylvania. This competition, and most the ones we have entered since then, runs under the sanction of the KCBS (Kansas City Barbecue Society), which uses 'blind box' judging to determine a winner. This approach allows for each team to remain 'anonymous' to the judges and seems to us to be the most fair way of judging barbecue. When the scores were tabulated at our first ever contest, the Dizzy Pig guys realized they had come in a respectable 8th place overall in their first contest among some great teams...we were hooked.
Since then we have cooked seventy competitions with over half of those being top-ten overall finishes, including eleven grand championships plus four for the Dizzy Pig North team from Canada! These championship wins earn us invites to both the American Royal and the Jack Daniels World Championships where the Dizzy Team was honored to cook among the best teams in the country six years straight.
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So, how has the Dizzy Pig team fared in their first six years in competition?
Click on the pictures or scroll down and choose from the list below to go to the photo/story page for that particular competition. All results are listed below. Please excuse the fact that 2007, being a tough year of rebuilding our home, we do not yet have photos or detailed descriptions of the contests that year.
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#76 DC BBQ Battle, Washington, DC - June 2010
4th place overall / 57 teams
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Chicken
14th
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Ribs
3rd
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Pork
6th
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Brisket
15th
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| Once again we found ourselves on the streets of DC on a hot summer day. There is really no way to compare this competition to any others, and you never quite know what to expect. A whole bunch of good teams came to town, and the lineup was loaded with heavy hitters. Last year's KCBS team of the year, this year's points leader, a couple of Jack Daniels champs. Once again, Dizzy Pig found themselves in the hunt! A chicken OR brisket call was all that stood between us and grand! Overall a fantastic cook, good teamwork and a very nice cupla calls that proved our ribs may be back on track! Congrats to Quau (grand), Cool Smoke (reserve), and Team Bobby-Q (another Egg® team) on third overall. |
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#75 Beltway BBQ Showdown, Upper Marlboro, MD - June 2010
5th place overall / 39 teams
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Chicken
2nd
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Ribs
12th
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Pork
9th
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Brisket
4th
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| Chris had to be in Seattle this weekend, but the team rallied and pulled off a great cook with Chuck as Team Captain. Chuck and Brian had it goin' on, and Joel and Tony came out to give them a hand. As always we are a much better team with those guys around. Congrats to 3Eyz on their first grand of the year! |
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#74 Chesapeake Jubilee, Chesapeake, VA - May 2010
12th place overall / 48 teams
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Chicken
1st
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Ribs
30th
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Pork
25th
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Brisket
9th
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| This was our second first-time contest in a row. Unfortunately, one of our favorite contests, Danville Pigs in the Park was discontinued this year, so we ended up setting our cookers up in Chesapeake Virginia. Quite and amazing event, and the carnival was one of the coolest I have seen out on the road. Music was good, and the teams were handled well. Dizzy Pig cooked much better than the week before in Danville, and every entry went off without a hitch. We were very excited to get a first in chicken, and another call in brisket, but the judges were not generous with the pig we cooked! |
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#73 Smoke in the Valley, Green Lane, PA - May 2010
3rd place overall / 49 teams
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Chicken
5th
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Ribs
26th
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Pork
4th
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Brisket
9th
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| We always love going to new small towns and competing. Especially when the fire department is involved! The locals were great, and the Fire Company and organizers did a great job with the entire event. Turn-ins were down the street and up the stairs, so that was tough, but everybody had a long walk so it all evened out. Cooked up some good food again, but the morning was not without problems. Briskets and butts were behind, ribs were ahead, so the process was far from smooth. The entries ended up good though, and we were ecstatic with our 3rd overall. A hearty congrats to the Pennsylvania power-house "PA Midnite Smokers" on their Grand and 3 Eyz on Reserve!! |
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#72 Pork in the Park, Salisbury, MD - April 2010
5th place overall / 132 teams
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Chicken
38th
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Ribs
31st
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Pork
4th
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Brisket
6th
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| We knew Sandy was serious about growing this into a major competition, and Wicomico County proved they are not playing around. 132 teams this year, and quite a star-studded lineup. The weather held out this year, and Dizzy Pig cooked up some mighty nice food. Combined with, perhaps, landing on some decent tables, we pulled out a fifth place overall including big calls in both brisket and pork. Huge congrats to good friends Mike and Barbara of Chix Swine and Bovine on the Grand Championship, and to all that got a call in this brutal contest. |
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#71 American Bass Anglers Tour, Gainesville, GA - March 2010
12th place overall / 31 teams
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Chicken
16th
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Ribs
13th
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Pork
21st
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Brisket
6th
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| Brian and Nicole got an early start to the season, and went South to kick off the season for Dizzy Pig. No Chris. No Chuck. No Dizzy pig trailer. They were anxious to get going, and cooked on a few borrowed Eggs®. Thanks to Brian and Nicole, and the good folks at Big Green Egg®, Dizzy Pig got off to a respectable start to 2010. |
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#70 Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational, Lynchburg, TN - October 2009
10th place overall / 80 teams
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Chicken
3rd
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Ribs
40th
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Pork
27th
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Brisket
17th
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| Our 6th straight year at "The Jack" was just as special as all of the other times. Maybe even more, since we were all convinced we would most likely not be back this year. Every team hopes for a chance to cook the most prestigious contest on the planet, and with an amazing lucky streak of 5 in a row, we figured we were done. Then somehow...a 50/50 draw in Virginia, and Dizzy PIg was in again! As usual, the whole team made it down, except for Chuck who badly injured his finger the day he was going to leave. He was there in spirit, and dang if Dizzy Pig didn't finish in the top ten overall for the second straight year! Congrats to our good friends on the IQue team for bringing home the World Championship trophy to New England! |
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#69 American Royal Open, Kansas City, MO - October 2009
36th place overall / 473 teams
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Chicken
117th
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Ribs
10th
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Pork
58th
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Brisket
195th
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| Much like our first year at The Royal, we made up for our poor showing at the invitational. The Open is a massive contest with nearly 500 teams, and just as many judges. And to top it off, almost all of the invitational teams that competed Saturday are at it again on Sunday. Our 10th place call in ribs made the entire trip worthwhile, and once the scores were tabulated, Dizzy Pig finished 36th overall. Sure makes the drive home easier knowing we outscored well over 400 teams. Now, onto the Jack! |
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#68 American Royal Invitational, Kansas City, MO - October 2009
58th place overall / 118 teams
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Chicken
80th
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Ribs
60th
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Pork
57th
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Brisket
45th
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| After our top ten finish in the invitational last year, we truly thought we had a chance this year. But hey, this is the toughest lineup of teams anywhere in competition barbecue, so that makes it a bit easier to take. Fact is, we were truly in the middle of the pack, and lonely without a call to the stage! But dang, our next door neighbors, The Pork Pullin' Plowboys, won the entire thing! A great day for Todd and crew, and it was a pleasure to meet and cook next to them. |
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#67 Pickin' in the Panhandle, Hedgesville, West Virginia - September 2009
5th place overall / 49 teams
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Chicken
29th
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Ribs
13th
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Pork
3rd
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Brisket
2nd
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| Combining being in the mountains....out in the country...with cooking a barbecue contest is the perfect match. A relatively new contest, this one gets better every year. We almost had this one. Our chicken judges were not kind, and for the third or fourth time this year we were one category from winning. Big congrats goes to Hambones by the Fire. Their first grand! |
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#66 New Holland Summerfest, New Holland, Pennsylvania - August 2009
22nd place overall / 71 teams - 626.9 points
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Chicken
38th
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Ribs
46th
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Pork
25th
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Brisket
9th
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| What can I say. The New Holland Summerfest is one of THE premier contests in th USA. Year after year they continue to amaze, and this year was no different. Unfortunately, Dizzy Pig didn't fare too well this year. We undercooked our ribs, and they were tough. The 46th place finish was well deserved, and actually even that was generous. The ribs were the worst we've ever cooked. Everything else was on target, but this was not our day for getting the high scoring tables! Once again, the all powerful PA Midnite Smoker team takes grand. It's their home turf, and they know how to defend it. Congrats to them! |
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#65 Maryland BBQ Bash, Bel Air, Maryland - August 2009
6th place overall / 52 teams - 626.9 points
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Chicken
1st
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Ribs
13th
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Pork
32nd
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Brisket
11th
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| Always enjoy cooking up in Bel Air. The organizer, Craig, the town, the police department....all great people and they put a lot into this event. Unfortunately our days of back to back wins are long over in Bel Air! Yet another poor showing in the pork category pulled us out of the running, but as usual we enjoyed the contest immensely. A very hearty congratulations goes out to our good friends (with an ex-Dizzy Pig) on their repeat grand championship! |
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#64 Que and Cruz, Louisa, VA - July 2009
1st place overall GRAND CHAMPION / 54 teams - 651.9 points
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Chicken
22nd
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Ribs
1st
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Pork
22nd
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Brisket
2nd
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| Bill Small started this competition last year, and this year got full KCBS sanctioning and they put on an amazing contest. They definitely outdid themselves and with perfect weather it was a major success. To top it all off, Dizzy Pig pulled together their first grand championship in over a year. I am being totally honest when I say that it felt like the first time.
The Big Green Eggs cooked up a storm and held steady temps all night. Thanks to the Small family for providing Small Country Campground, and all the hospitality that comes with it! And to John and John who are some of my favorite KCBS reps. Oh yeah, thanks to the judges too. Especially the ones that got our ribs and brisket! A hearty congrats to Tom, Christy and the Virginia Pit Pirates on their reserve. Nice work yall.
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#63 New Jersey State BBQ Championship, Wildwood, NJ - July 2009
15th place overall / 62 teams
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Chicken
5th
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Ribs
45th
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Pork
50th
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Brisket
6th
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| One of the biggest partying contests out there moved down the street this year, and opened up to many more teams than in the past. We had a blast, and actually cooked some really good food. After hearing Dizzy Pig's name for a 5th in Chicken, we thought we were on the way to a nice finish. Unfortunately the judges really scored us low on both ribs and pork, hammering us down to 15th place overall. It was by far our worst performance in WIldwood, but the weekend was fantastic in every other way! About 50 feet from the ocean, the breeze was perfect and the weekend gorgeous! Big congrats to Fat Angel on their first grand championship!! |
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#62 National Capital Barbecue Battle, Washington, DC - June 2009
9th place overall / 48 teams
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Chicken
17th
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Ribs
2nd
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Pork
17th
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Brisket
12th
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MIM Ribs
9th
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| Most teams ever at this unique contest on Pennsylvania Avenue. Dizzy Pig did not fare as well as last year, but squeaked out a top ten overall finish thanks, mostly, to our 2nd place ribs. We thought we cooked some solid entries, but the judges apparently got some pretty good food from the other teams! Once again our friend were at the top. Congrats to Tuffy and Cool Smoke, and Rod and Sheri of Pellet Envey on their grand and reserve titles. They really put a hammering on the field!! Also, big way to go to Chix Swine and Bovine with first places in pork and brisket, 3rd overall and a nice pay day!! |
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#61 Beltway BBQ Showdown, Upper Marlboro, MD - June 2009
3rd place overall / 48 teams
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Chicken
6th
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Ribs
18th
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Pork
6th
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Brisket
1st
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| Jonathan does it again and runs a good contest. Nice thing is it only took us 45 minutes to get there. The weather was much better this year, though we did get a little rain that caused some major issues for some teams. The newly graded parking lot collected water in the most unpredictable places. We ended up high and dry, and had a pretty good day with our 3rd overall finish. Big congrats to our buddies Dan and Dan of 3Eyz on their first ever grand championship!! And again to our buddies on the BBQ Guru for their reserve, |
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#60 Pigs in the Park, Danville, VA - May 2009
RESERVE CHAMPIONS! 2nd place overall / 53 teams
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Chicken
3rd
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Ribs
19th
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Pork
6th
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Brisket
10th
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| There's a lot of good contests these days, but Danville is super special. Bill McMann and the city of Danville really make this the most cooker friendly contest out there. Good people, beautiful park and great fun. Dizzy Pig got their mojo back this year and finished 2nd overall against a tough group of barbecue cooks. Congrats to our good buddy Tuffy and Cool Smoke on their big grand championship!! |
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#59 Pork in the Park, Salisbury, MD - April 2009
22nd place overall / 92 teams - 609.1 points
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Chicken
69th
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Ribs
38th
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Pork
43rd
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Brisket
2nd
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| It gets bigger every year. Sandy and crew, once again, did an outstanding job of keeping everything running smoothly. Even when a dirt devil came spinning through lifting and twisting canopy after canopy. We got a nice call in brisket, but our other scores were not much to talk about. We actually thought the chicken was right on time ;-) Was a rough start to the year for Dizzy Pig! Huge congrats to our friends I Smell Smoke on their grand championship! And to our good friends at the BBQ Guru on there 3rd place overall finish against a tough crowd! |
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#58 Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational, Lynchburg, TN - October 2008
8th place overall / 78 teams - 641.7 points
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Chicken
10th
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Ribs
16th
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Pork
18th
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Brisket
31st
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| Just a few weeks after earning a 7th place overall at the American Royal Invitational, the Dizzy Pig team capped off a great year with an 8th place finish in the World Championships! Our 5th straight year at "The Jack" was our best finish ever. Not only did we cook some excellent food, but we learned a bit more about how consistent we have been this year. Plus, everyone was there for our team, and we again proved that we can have a really, really good time AND cook. Big congratulations to Kelly and the Four Legs Up BBQ team with a well deserved Grand Championship! |
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#57 American Royal Open, Kansas City, MO - October 2008
119th place overall / 460 teams - 625.7 points
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Chicken
199th
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Ribs
146th
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Pork
76th
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Brisket
205th
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| Our food was even better for the Open, but our scores were far less generous. A great time was had by all, and we capped off a very long weekend with a 119th overall finish. We hoped for better, but when we realize we beat 340 other teams, it doesn't seem so bad! Congrats to Four Men and a Pig. Mark and the team put together a serious stretch of food to score over 170 in all four categories. |
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#56 American Royal Invitational, Kansas City, MO - October 2008
7th place overall / 106 championship teams - 667.4 points
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Chicken
27th
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Ribs
38th
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Pork
2nd
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Brisket
26th
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| The Royal Invitational is simply the most powerful lineup of BBQ teams in the country. 106 teams, all of which have won at least one state championship and many that have won more than 5. The coolest thing about our 5th Royal Invitational was the fact that we know a lot more teams now. So, like most other contests we do, the Royal is very much a reunion of good friends. Our team was clicking all weekend, and we turned in some really solid entries. The judges gave out some nice scores, and Dizzy Pig ended up with their first top ten overall finish at the Invitational. The team was excited with a 7th overall call and a 2nd place pork ribbon. Twas a big day for Dizzy. Congrats to Joey Mac's Smoke Stack on an incredible victory, and to all those who walked. |
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#55 King Pig BBQ Championship, Bridgeton, NJ - September 2008
3rd place overall / 45 teams - 633.7 points
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Chicken
3rd
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Ribs
7th
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Pork
2nd
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Brisket
5th
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| Just a fantastic weekend on the lake. The weather really could not have been any better. Other local conflicting events kept the public numbers way down, but the competitors were well taken care of and it ended up being a great contest. Congrats to Shawn and Debbie of Stumpy Coals on their first grand, and a hearty slap on the back to Jack McDavid on their reserve grand championship honors! |
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#54 Pickin' in the Panhandle, Hedgesville, West Virginia - September 2008
3rd place overall / 45 teams - 628.6 points
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Chicken
2nd
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Ribs
1st
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Pork
25th
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Brisket
13th
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| The folks at Lazy A Campground have a beautiful spread, and they put on a nice contest. A bit wet with 2 inches of rain from the tropical storm, but an hour East got 7 inches! Lotta Bull and Smokin' Triggers came to compete, and make sure to keep everyone on their toes. Big congrats to Bill and Just Smokin' Around on their big Grand! Congrats to Mike and Debbie of Lotta Bull on the reserve grand. |
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#52 Maryland BBQ Bash, Bel Air, Maryland - August 2008
6th place overall / 51 teams - 627.4 points
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Chicken
16th
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Ribs
5th
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Pork
31st
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Brisket
12th
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| Craig and his group put on a great event every year, and this one was no different. A beautiful weekend brought scores of people. I heard 50,000 on Friday/Saturday combined. The vendors were busy, and since they were competing as well, they had their hands full. A nice weekend was made even better when our good friends (and past Dizzy Pig team mates) won the first and second place overall finishes. Congrats to the BBQ Guru on their first grand championship, and to Stoddard and Brown for keeping their amazing year going with their reserve grand! For Dizzy Pig, it was our 5th top ten finish in a row! |
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#51 Que and Cruz, Louisa, Virginia - July 2008
5th place overall / 36 teams - 625.1 points
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Chicken
20th
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Ribs
10th
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Pork
2nd
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Brisket
8th
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Anything But
1st
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| Look for this contest to grow quickly. Bill Small (Bill the Grill Guy) put on an amazing first time event and it went very well. Just the perfect venue for a BBQ contest. Was a hot summer weekend, but the shade trees and country breeze actually made for some very comfortable days. Thanks to Bill, Gary and all involved for making this a contest we'll remember. |
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#50 New Jersey State BBQ Championship, Wildwood, NJ - July 2008
1st place overall / 30 teams GRAND CHAMPION - 656 points
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Chicken
6th
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Ribs
8th
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Pork
2nd
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Brisket
1st
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| Wildwood was fun as always, and we had a full crew. Chris. Chuck, John and Brian all were there, and things sure go smoothly when we have the whole group. Weather was great all weekend, and not too hot. Top a great weekend off with our first grand championship in almost two years, and life is good. |
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#49 National Capital Barbecue Battle, Washington, DC, KCBS/MIM - June 2008
5th place overall / 38 teams - 644 points
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Chicken
27th
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Ribs
1st
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Pork
2nd
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Brisket
4th
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MIM Ribs
8th
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| Back in our nation's capital again, but this time was different! This year the contest was sanctioned by KCBS on Saturday, and MIM on Sunday. The weather was pretty good again this year, and lots of people showed up to enjoy the weekend. With a 1st, 2nd and 4th we thought we had a chance at the grand championship, but our chicken did not score well pulling us down to 5th place overall. Big congrats goes out to Myron Mixon and Jacks Old South for putting together food that won them a grand championship trophy both days!! |
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#48 Beltway BBQ Showdown, Landover, MD - June 2008
4th place overall / 29 teams - 629 points
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Chicken
6th
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Ribs
11th
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Pork
9th
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Brisket
6th
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| Second time contest. Our first time. It was an easy choice since it's a quick 45 minute drive. Jonathan did a great job organizing, and Linda Mulane and John Busch were the KCBS reps (they always do a great job making sure things go smoothly and folks follow the rules). Another huge congrats to our friends Andy and Brett of Stoddard and Brown on their second grand championship in a row. More congrats to Brian Junkins and his crew on their hard-earned Reserve Grand! |
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#47 Pigs in the Park, Danville, Virginia - May 2008
30th place overall / 54 teams - 624.5 points
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Chicken
42nd
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Ribs
17th
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Pork
51st
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Brisket
5th
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Anything But
2nd
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| Every time we pull into Danville it immediately becomes clear why we make this trip. Great people, incredible scenery, and the contest that takes better care of the teams than almost any other. Bill and crew go out of their way to create a fantastic experience for every team. Start off with a dinner for the teams on THURSDAY night!! Many contests won't even allow teams to arrive on Thursday. These folks welcome it! We had so much fun, we pretty much forgot that we scored really, really poorly! |
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#46 Pork in the Park, Salisbury, Maryland - April 2008
15th place overall / 84 teams - 609 points
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Chicken
12th
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Ribs
6th
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Pork
55th
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Brisket
20st
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Perdue Chicken
14th
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| Who would have thought when we won the grand championship here in 2005 that those 37 teams would soon grow into 84!! Sandy and Wicomico County Tourism again did an amazing job with this contest. Her enthusiasm shows all the time, and next year she fully intends on having 100 teams. A special congratulations goes out to our friends Andy Stoddard and Brett Brown. Brett and Andy won it all in their first contest cooking together!! |
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#45 Jack Daniels World BBQ Championship Invitational, Lynchburg, Tennessee - October 2007
38th place overall / 80 teams
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Chicken
31st
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Ribs
35th
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Pork
39th
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Brisket
34th
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| Consistently 30 something place, it was again simply an honor to be invited back for our fourth straight year. |
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#44 American Royal Open, Kansas City, Missouri - October 2007
??rd place overall / ?? teams
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Chicken
to come
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Ribs
to come
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Pork
to come
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Brisket
to come
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| No Photos available |
#43 American Royal Invitational, Kansas City, Missouri - October 2007
73rd place overall / 104 teams 626.9 points
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Chicken
6th
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Ribs
91st
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Pork
60th
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Brisket
91st
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| Except for chicken, we pretty much tanked this one. But being invited back for the fourth year straight was a big accomplishment for us! |
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#42 King Pig BBQ Championship, Bridgeton, NJ - September 2007
3rd place overall / 20 teams
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Chicken
12th
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Ribs
2nd
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Pork
4th
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Brisket
2nd
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| Cool new contest. Congrats to Pigs on the Run!! |
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#41 New Holland Summerfest, New Holland, PA - August 2007
20th place overall / 72 teams
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Chicken
11th
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Ribs
36th
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Pork
30th
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Brisket
38th
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Sausage
6th
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| Our worst outing at New Holland yet, but a fantastic time! |
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#40 Maryland BBQ Bash, Belair, MD - August 2007
10th place overall / 50 teams
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Chicken
18th
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Ribs
10th
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Pork
17th
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Brisket
11th
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| One of our favorite contests. Congrats to Jack McDavid's Down Home Cooking!! |
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#39 New Jersey State BBQ Championship, Wildwood, NJ - July 2007
6th place overall / 31 teams
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Chicken
2nd
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Ribs
15th
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Pork
8th
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Brisket
10th
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| Congrats to Philly Pigs on the big repeat win!! |
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#38 National Capital Barbecue Battle, Washington, DC, MIM - June 2007
36 teams.
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Beef
8th
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Pork
3rd
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Chicken
12th
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Ribs (MBA)
7th
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| Perfect weather this year, and the streets were packed. Congrats Myron on yet another big win for Jacks Old South! |
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#37 Pigs in the Park, Danville, VA - May 2007
8th place overall / 46 teams
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Chicken
30th
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Ribs
7th
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Pork
7th
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Brisket
12th
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| No repeat this year!! Still a whole bunch of fun though |
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#36 Smithfields Slammin BBQ Throwdown, Norfolk, VA - June 2007
9th place overall / 40 teams VIRGINIA'S TOP SCORING TEAM - Governors Cup
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Chicken
2nd
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Ribs
21st
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Pork
7th
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Brisket
12th
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| No repeat this year!! Still a whole bunch of fun though |
| No Photos available |
#35 Pork in the Park, Salisbury, Maryland - April 2007
15th place overall / 60 teams
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Chicken
19th
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Ribs
36th
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Pork
7th
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Brisket
31st
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Perdue Chicken
20th
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| This contest is growing fast, and this year 60 teams showed up ready to cook! As usual, the contest ran smooothly, and we actually had some prtty nice weather this year. |
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#34 Jack Daniels World Championship Invitational, Lynchburg, Tennessee - October 2006
26th place overall / 65 teams
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|
Chicken
6th
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Ribs
16th
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Pork
58th
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Brisket
23rd
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Sauce
4th
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| Talking the guys into making the trip down to Tennessee for our third straight Jack was an easy task. In fact, everyone on the team made it, including Tony, who only makes it to a few, but always provides us amazing help and support. To make the weekend even sweeter, the Dizzy Pig Canada team also qualified to cook, so it was great to hang out with Mike and Denise once again. Throw in the fact that Chris celbrated his 46th birthday on Friday night. What a weekend. To top it all off, both Dizzy Pig USA and Dizzy Pig Canada teams each received two coveted calls to the stage! And with a 26th and 23rd overall finish, it was quite an improvement over last year. A huge congrats go out to Scottie and his CancerSucksChicago team for an amazing World Grand Championship! |
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#33 American Royal Open, Kansas City, Missouri - October 2006
156th place overall / 476 teams
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Chicken
290th
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Ribs
226th
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Pork
139th
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Brisket
100th
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| Well the Open is always interesting. Nearly 500 teams means nearly 500 judges, all trying to assign numbers to appearance, taste and tenderness. Kenny told me I should just skip mentioning how we did, but since our food was pretty much exactly what we wanted to tun in, I figure we should feel good about the day. Plus we have been blessed with two Opens out of three where we have been in the top 20 overall. So what the heck! We did not receive very nice scores.... |
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#32 American Royal Invitational, Kansas City, Missouri - October 2006
11th place overall / 85 championship teams
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Chicken
47th
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Ribs
36th
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Pork
9th
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Brisket
22nd
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| Our third year straight at the Royal Invitational, and the drive out is not getting any shorter! As with the other years, this was an event to remember. It is a scene like no other, and this year was no different. This year the Invitational had 85 teams that turned food into the judges, and once again we improved on last year's results. Our pork, which has been doing well all year long, continued to wow the judges, and we were rewarded with a 9th place call up to the stage! Of the four categories, we only got one call that was not in the top 50th percentile, and that consistency netted us an 11th place overall finish...sadly, just 2 ten thousandths of a point from being listed as a top ten overall team! Congrats to Mike Davis, and Lotta Bull BBQ for not only a banner year, but for winning the invitational! And to our friends on the Smokin Clones team for a strong Reserve Grand Championship showing....only 4 ten thousandths behind the winner! |
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#31 Blues and Brews BBQ Cookoff, Snowshoe, West Virginia - September 2006
1st place overall / 15 teams GRAND CHAMPION
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Chicken
10th
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Ribs
6th
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Pork
1st
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Brisket
1st
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West Virginia is one of the most beautiful states in the US of A, and we would never miss an opportunity to head out to the mountains. Especially when we had a championship title to defend out in The Mountain State. This year there was double the teams and the weather was perfect. Like last year, Chris arrived on Friday morning with the Dizzy trailer, and the set-up, food prep, and the beginning stages of cooking was a solo effort. About 7 on Friday evening help arrived, with Kenny and Andy showing up and ready to roll! The 3 of us cooked up some nice vittles for the judges, and we were rewarded with 2 first place finishes in Pork and Brisket to hoist us to our second "repeat" grand championship of the year with 663.42 total points. Thanks to all those involved on the Snowshoe staff, and to KCBS reps Scott and Steve Grinstead for making this a great event. Congrats to Bills Grill on their first Reserve Grand Championship finish, and to Pigs on the Run (3rd) and to my partner Mike Kerslake whose 8 year old daughter Hannah led Pee Wee's BBQ to a strong 6th place overall finish! Also, special congrats to Gary's Barbecue on their first place ribs!
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#30 New Holland Summerfest, New Holland Pennsylvania - August 2006
7th place overall / 72 teams
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|
Chicken
35th
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Ribs
2nd
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Pork
17th
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Brisket
20th
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Now it's the 5th straight year at this most excellent event. This year there was a phenominal 72 teams, and we had our work cut out for us. As usual, thanks to Melvin, Chuck and the gang, the event ran like clockwork from start to finish.
A beautiful trophy for 2nd place ribs was our best finish, and our other finishes (17th, 20th and 35th) would have normally put a damper on our overall finish. But with 72 teams, the Dizzy Pig consistency once again set us up into the top ten overall. Speaking of consistency....for the second year straight our friend Steve, with Team Agave, came away with Grand Championship honors besting the second place team by over 17 points. Congrats Steve, Dale and George!!! We also want to extend a hearty congrats to Rich and the Lost Nation crew who pulled out a Reserve Grand Championship trophy with their 2nd place overall finish. Also worthy of congrats are our friends from these teams....Tarheel Smokers (3rd overall), Philly Pigs (4th overall), Smokey T's (5th overall), Ribs WIthin (6th overall), Shenendoah Q Crew (8th overall) and Dixie Bones (9th overall). Nice cookin guys!!
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#29 Maryland BBQ Bash, Bel Air, Maryland - August 2006
1st place overall / 39 teams GRAND CHAMPION 2nd Year Straight
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|
Chicken
11th
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Ribs
5th
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Pork
12th
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Brisket
1st
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| We came back because it was such a nice contest, and with shorter than a 2 hour drive it was easy to decide to return to defend our 2005 championship. The weather could not have been any better no matter how you cut it. Craig and his gang did an amazing job of putting on a fantastic weekend. Jerry and Linda Mulane, as usual, were as professional a pair of reps as you will ever find. It gets better every year, and the crowds were out in force. Plus in a rare case, we had the entire team with us to enjoy the contest. Friends came to visit since it was so close, and we all had a lot of fun. Winning the Grand Championship honors among this group of teams was an incredible finish to a near perfect weekend in Maryland! |
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#28 New Jersey State BBQ Championship, Wildwood, New Jersey - July 2006
2nd place overall / 29 teams RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
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|
Chicken
6th
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Ribs
8th
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Pork
3rd
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Brisket
4th
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|
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| Back up in Joisey for the 2nd weekend in a row! We had such a good time last year, we had to come back. We love the way the public can just walk through without an entry fee. We got to talk to a bunch of great people, and they were streaming by all day along with the flocks of seagulls. While the teams are packed in pretty good with very little space to work with, it had a cozy feel that I can't describe in words.
The Award ceremony was similar to last week. Other teams got more calls to the stage, but our consistency paid off again with our first ever Reserve Grand Champion crown. A big congrats to our friend Jim and the Philly Pigs team on their well deserved Grand Champion honors!
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#27 Guitarbeque, Asbury Park, NewJersey - July 2006
1st place overall / 28 teams GRAND CHAMPION
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Chicken
7th
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Ribs
2nd
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Pork
8th
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Brisket
7th
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| This was our first time in Asbury Park, and our first time at an Arlie Bragg contest. He puts on a great gig, and it turned out to be an incredible weekend. Good weather blessed us, and even though the town of Asbury Park looked like a war zone, it turned out to be a very interesting town with great people! We cooked up what we thought was some great BBQ, and things went really smoothly. We got some time to hang out at the Tiki Bar, right on the beach, and we got to party with some good friends and meet quite a few new ones. The big surprise came at the award ceremony. They called the top 5 teams in each category, and we got one call up for 2nd place ribs....that was all. Two other teams (Front Street Smokehouse and Ribs Within) received three top five calls, and three teams (BBQ Guru, The Anchormen and Lost Nation) each got 2 callups. Our friends at The BBQ Guru were called up for Reserve Grand Champs, and we started wondering if it would be Front Street or Ribs Within for Grand. Maybe The Anchormen or Lost Nation?? Then the call came....Grand Champion......Dizzy Pig!!! A hell of a surprise, and our jaws dropped. Turns out consistency made the day with all four entries in the top ten. Just an incredible weekend!! |
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#26 National Capital Barbecue Battle, Washington, DC, MIM - June 2006
36 teams. 2nd place overall points for Saturday's DC Lotto Challenge.
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Beef
2nd
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Pork
6th
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Chicken
9th
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Sauce
4th
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Ribs (MIM)
7th
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| It was fun to get back to our home town and change pace with a Memphis in May contest. We registered late, and ended up a seperated from most of the other teams, but it was a great weekend. The weather held out for the most part....humid and cloudy but temps only up into the 80s this year. A substantial crowd showed up to enjoy eating BBQ and listening to some great music. We competed in all three of the DC Lotto Challenge categories on Saturday (Chicken, Chef's Choice Beef, and Chef's Choice Pork), then we trooped through the MIM category of Ribs on Sunday, including on site judging. A good time was had by all, and it was an honor to walk away with 4 awards for the 5 categories we entered! |
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#25 Blue Ridge BBQ Festival, Tryon, North Carolina - June 2006
34th place overall / 76 teams
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Chicken
46th
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Ribs
40th
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Pork
54th
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Brisket
18th
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| Well, we finally did it and made it down to one of the oldest contests out there. The Blue Ridge BBQ Festival. "Tryon" as it's called by fellow Qers. Gorgeous scenery. Lots of golf carts. Loads and loads of great BBQ teams. The layout and "feel" of the contest reminded us of The Jack, and our results did too! We've not done well at the Jack, and we sure had our hands full down here. We were lucky to even be in the top half here, but we had a fantastic time. And make that 3 out of 4 times we have had uncomfortable weather. It sure didn't rain, but dang was it hot. Congrats to Pit Dog BBQ and Charles and B.S. Pitmeisters on there Grand and Reserve Grand awards, and to our new friends Firehouse BBQ for a strong 3rd overall finish. |
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#24 Pigs in the Park, Danville, Virginia - May 2006
1st place overall / 45 teams GRAND CHAMPION with 674.85 points!
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Chicken
6th
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Ribs
24th
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Pork
2nd
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Brisket
4th
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| Bill McMann and the folks he works along with put on a top notch contest. We have not been down to Danville for a couple years, and we were reminded quickly of what we missed last year! Beautiful place and great people. And besides the amazing contest that Pigs in the Park has become, the weather was about as good as you can get. So far this year we have not had good luck with the weather, but this time made up for the first two rain-filled contests of this year. And the day kept getting better . Winning this tough contest was a big suprise and an amazing honor, and it got us into the Jack Daniels draw....giving us a 1 and 4 chance of being selected to go to the World Championships. |
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#23 Pork in the Park, Salisbury, Maryland - April 2006
12th place overall / 55 teams.
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Chicken
21st
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Ribs
21st
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Pork
24th
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Brisket
15th
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Sausage
13th
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| Once again, the Dizzy Pig team packed up and headed out to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Soy beans, watermelons, lopes, millions of chickens, and flat as it gets. A nice short drive...maybe 3 hours from Northern Virginia....and we were setting up. All of the "waterfront" spaces were already occupied, but we ended up with a nice spot. A finely run contest, but the weather was ungood. The heavy rains were worst right during turn-ins and the awards, and the 50 yard dash to the stage from the canopy that people were cowering under was quite a scene. Sandy and the crew pulled off a great contest though. Unlike last year, we did not get any top ten calls to the stage, yet our consistency put us in the 12th overall spot. |
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#22 Smoke at The Rock, Rockingham, North Carolina - March 2006
21st place overall / 60 teams.
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Chicken
49th
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Ribs
25th
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Pork
7th
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Brisket
17th
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Anything But
3rd
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| It is always interesting to compete in a first time contest. There are usually some bugs to work out, and it is a learning experience for organizers and cooks alike. This first time contest had an amazing 60 teams competing, including many of the best teams in the country...Smokin' Triggers, ButtRub.com, Jerry King, BarBQuau to mention just a few. The weather could have been worse, but it was chilly and cloudy with a biting steady wind. All in all it was a great weekend, and the Canadian Dizzy Pig contingent (Mike and Brian) was there to enjoy the weekend with us. While we hoped for a little better start this year, it was great to test our product on Carolina judges for the first time. Quite a challenge cooking for their unique tastes, and it was nice to get some cobwebs out for the start of the season! |
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#21 The Jack Daniels World BBQ Championships, Lynchburg, Tennessee - October 2005
37th place overall / 66 of the best teams in the world.
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Chicken
42nd
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Ribs
39th
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Pork
44th
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Brisket
20th
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Sauce
5th place JUG!!
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| Back at the Jack two years in a row. Hard to put in words how much of an honor it is, but...the experience is unbelievable! The trip was fantastic. The contest was exceptional. The team worked together like a machine. The food we turned into the judges was good enough to win...but this is the Jack, Jack.
The big news was being there. Spending time with some great folks from great teams. Walking in the team parade. Enjoying the fabulous weather. And a top shelf contest was capped off with Dizzy Pig winning a 5th place trophy jug for our BBQ Sauce! Keep your eyes peeled for an award winning sauce on the market!
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#20 American Royal Open, Kansas City, Missouri - October 2005
20th place overall / 474 teams -- woohooo!!!
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Chicken
94th
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Ribs
181st
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Pork
37th
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Brisket
21st
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| .
"Okay. Chin up!! So you were a dismal 69th in the Invite." Last year we tanked the invitational, and rebounded in the Open. So we put our hopes on a rebound, and cooked the same stuff we cooked the day before (and all year long). Dizzy Pig and Big Green Eggs!! Well, this time the judges agreed about how consistently good our food has been! To receive three top 100 finishes of nearly 500 teams, and a 20th overall is very cool.
Not only did we have a nice showing, but we got to spend some time over on The Dark Side! This is the party spot, where hundreds of teams both cook and throw huge parties. It is quite a scene. Got to hang out with some really good folks both days at "The Royal", and we enjoyed this even more than last year. Even though it's over a thousand miles, we'll be back if we are lucky enough to be invited again!
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#19 American Royal Invitational, Kansas City, Missouri - October 2005
69th place overall / 81 championship teams
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Chicken
77th
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Ribs
77th
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Pork
15th
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Brisket
20th
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| .
Receiving an invitation to the American Royal for a second year straight is an honor. All of the team was excited to make the trip out to KC dragging a bunch of Big Green Eggs. To compete alongside more than 80 grand championship teams is a memorable (and humbling) experience. It is also a whole bunch of work and a really, really long drive. But the team works so well together, things went very smooth. What a great time we all had. This time we knew even more of the other teams, so it was more like a gathering with good friends and less stressful than last year. We had two goals when we left. Improve over our 62nd place overall finish last year, and get a call to the stage.
Well, we met one goal with a strong 15th place finish in pork (and call to the stage for a ribbon). Unfortunately our ribs and chicken did not fare as well with the judges, and we sadly ended up in 69th place!
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#18 Snowshoe 'Blues and Brews' BBQ Cookoff, Snowshoe, West Virginia - September 2005
1st place overall / 8 teams GRAND CHAMPION
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Chicken
2nd
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Ribs
4th
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Pork
2nd
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Brisket
1st
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| .
We heard a rumor about this "Snowshoe" contest earlier in the summer, and the first thing Nature Boy thought of was MOUNTAINS! We do a lot of backpacking out this way, and would never miss a contest up in beautiful West Virginia. The contest did not disappoint. For a first time contest things were run very well. The organizers were very much in tune with the teams' needs, and also seemed very interested in knowing how they can improve for next year. Unfortunately, since it was a first time event, only 8 teams registered and got to experience this wonderful contest, but they all seemed to have a blast! It came down to a half a point, but Dizzy Pig was able to cap off a dream season with yet another Grand Championship! Don't miss this great event in 2006. I think it will be even better the second time!
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#17 New Holland Summerfest, New Holland Pennsylvania - August 2005
4th place overall / 55 teams
For the fourth year straight we have attended this fantastic event, and the New Holland Summerfest is pencilled in for the next 10 years. I think even when, someday, we stop competing, we will still come out to New Holland. The entire crew does an incredible job at taking care of the teams, the public, and making sure everything goes smoothly. And smoothly it went.....
Well, except for when the meat inspection was done, and Chris went to get the injection juice he had prepared....then realized he had left all of the injections and sauces at home in the fridge 3 hours away!! Time for some improvising. A trip around to beg some other teams yielded some good substitutes, and even some of the same products we use. A last minute trip to the store for some other substitutes. Other teams were unbelievably generous with helping us out. Special thanks to Steve on Team Agave and Andy on Sweetgum Hollow! We were able to provide a cutting board for Tuffy....who ended up without his....so I guess it all equals out! What a great weekend, and for the first time in 4 showings, we came away with two plaques! Finally some long awaited New Holland hardware...and some food for thought.....If we would have gotten a 5th in brisket, we would have won the grand championship! (there is ALWAYS an "if")
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Chicken
8th
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Ribs
4th
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Pork
5th
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Brisket
29th
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#16 Bel Air BBQ Bash. State BBQ Championship, Bel Air, Maryland - August 2005
1st place overall / 38 teams GRAND CHAMPION
Never having been to Bel Air we did not know what to expect, but we had heard great reports. Well, again we had the pleasure of cooking a very well-run and organized event. Good thing too, because the record heat was a huge challenge in itself. They kept the ice coming, and took good care of everyone. Judges were all certified, Jerry and Linda Mulane were great KCBS reps, as usual, and Craig Ward did a bang up job....both as organizer, and the MC for the awards.
Chris and John set up Thursday night, then Friday Chris flew solo until Kenny and John arrived later that evening...it was a lot of work for one person in 100 degree heat, and by the time John and Kenny arrived Chris felt like passing out. We pulled it all together and kept the cookers goin steady all night. Then Saturday morning things kept falling into place with our cooking. Stuff was done right on time. Color was right. And in spite of the stifling heat, the Dizzy Pigs kept it positive and upbeat. It paid off with our best finish ever. 666 points on the score sheet with nothing lower than a 4th place finish. It was an honor for us to finish 22 points ahead of the second place team. There was no shortage of good cooks at this one. We are still pouring cold water on ourselves.
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Chicken
4th
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Ribs
2nd
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Pork
1st
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Brisket
2nd
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#15 New Jersey State BBQ Championship, Wildwood, New Jersey - July 2005
1st place overall / 29 teams GRAND CHAMPION
We had heard from other teams that the "Wildwood" contest was not only a well run contest, but one of the funnest around. So the Dizzy Pig Team decided to get our entry checks in early for the New Jersey State BBQ Championship in the charming town of Wildwood. "The Shore", as the folks from Joisey say. Well, what we had heard was true. We had the time of our lives, and in the process we cooked up some pretty good food. Complimenting our core team (Chris, Kenny and John) was Chuck Watson, an experienced egger from Medford, New Jersey. We cooked some of our best food ever, and the judges enjoyed. Congrats to Lost Nation Smoke Company (last year's champs), and the Porkitects (2001 champs) on their 2nd and third place finishes!
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Chicken
1st
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Ribs
12th
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Pork
6th
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Brisket
1st
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#14 National Capital Barbecue Battle, MIM sanctioned contest, Washington, DC - June 2005
36 Teams
"What the hell" we said. We had never cooked in a Memphis in May contest...this is where you are judged partly by the food in your "blind box", and partly by judges that you serve on your site! Three judges come...one after the other....and they come to be impressed! They loved the Big Green Eggs, and were very interested in what they could do. They were also anxious to hear about Dizzy Pig rubs! It was a fantastic contest on the streets of DC. Well run. Well attended. Very HOT!!! Saturday was the DC Lottery Challenge with 3 categories: Chicken, Chef's Choice Bed, Chef's Choice Pork. All were blind box entries, and we acually did fairly well with a 3rd, 6th and tenth! The onsite ribs were fun, and even though we were practicing onsite presentations for the first time, we came in a respectable 16th place. Lots and lots of fun...but a lot of work on the streets in the heat. Jack's Old South won it all, with Barnyard Roasters pulling right behind in second place.
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Chicken
6th
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Pork
10th
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Beef
3rd
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Ribs
16th
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#13 Smokin' on the Chesapeake, KCBS Maryland State Championship, Westminster, Maryland - June 2005
6th place overall / 16 teams
The BBQ Road Show. Smokin' on the Chesapeake. This turned out to be a nice contest, but the smallest we have cooked yet. On the beautiful grounds of the Farm Museum in the rolling hills of Westminster, MD we set up our eggs and got cooking! Beautiful weather, and cool for June, temps were in the 70s daytime and the low 50s at night. The crowd was modest on Saturday, but there were quite a few people attending on Father's Day. The eggs and the rubs were quite a draw, and we had a real enjoyable time cooking next to our friend Andrew on Sweetgum Hollow. He was fourth overall in his first KCBS contest. Congrats to Cool Smoke, Porkitects, Dirty Dick, Sweetgum Hollow and Pork and Deans for taking the top 5 spots overall!
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Chicken
4th
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Ribs
5th
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Pork
9th
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Brisket
3rd
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#12 Pork in the Park, KCBS Maryland State Championship, Salisbury, Maryland - April 2005
1st place overall / 37 teams GRAND CHAMPION
The Dizzy Pig Team made the trek out to the Eastern shore of Maryland for the Second Annual Pork in the Park BBQ Competition in Salisbury Maryland for their first competition of the year. The contest was very well run, the local people extremely friendly, and the weather (though far from perfect) was much better than forecasted! The team had high hopes of getting some good practice in to start off the year, but had no idea what was in store. Just a few days before the contest, the organizers finally received their Governors proclamation to designate Pork in the Park as a State Championship. And the Dizzy Pig team's two first place trophies, a ninth in pork, and an 18th in brisket were just enough to squeak out the 629.714 points needed to secure their second-ever Grand Championship! Now it looks like a Royal invitation is on the way, and once again we are honored to be in the hunt for a draw to the Jack Daniels World Championships.
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Chicken
1st
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Ribs
1st
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Pork
9th
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Brisket
18th
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Sausage
12th
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Anything But
12th
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#11 The Jack Daniels World Championships, Lynchburg, Tennessee - October 2004
44th place overall / 62 teams
The "JD". Just saying "World Championships" gave us the chills, and our main goals going in were to have fun and NOT to come in last place. We achieved both goals, and really had the time of our lives. From the personal guided tour of the distillery to the seriousness of the cookoff, it was an honor. The parade of teams was a blast, and once again we met some of the finest folks on the planet! We turned in some fantastic BBQ (some of the best ever) but with the stiff competition you had to turn to the second page of the score sheet to find us in most of the categories! The icing on the cake was the final category to be called....the elusive Beef Brisket! Well, the Dizzy Pig team picked up a 6th place ribbon in the toughest category to cook. Our 165.7140 points was just four ten-thousandths of a point out of Fifth, and only 2.5 points from a first place win!!
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Chicken
52nd
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Ribs
51st
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Pork
49th
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Brisket
6th
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#10 The American Royal Open, Kansas City, Missouri - October 2004
18th place overall / about 450 teams
Wow. As tired as we were the second night it was amazing we got eveything done right on schedule. Mike and Bryan ran the night shift while the rest of the team spent the night in the hotel. A bitter cold October blast hit the area, and the Canadians struggled to stay warm, but kept the cookers going steady all night long! Refreshed in the morning, Chris, Kenny and John got to work and Mike and Bryan came back after a nap, and we turned in some fantastic barbecue. We didn't hear until my wife called us on the way home (right as our trailer bearing burned up) that the Dizzy Pig team had come in 18th overall out of a field of over 450 teams. Yeeehaaaaa!! Being stuck in St. Louis was a little easier to handle with the good news. The Royal was a helluva scene, and we had the time of our lives.
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Chicken
40th
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Ribs
97th
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Pork
16th
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Brisket
165th
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#9 The American Royal Invitational, Kansas City, Missouri - October 2004
62nd place overall / 89 teams
Ahhh!! This parking lot is hard!!! Okay, no complaining....this is the American Royal! We worked so hard to get here, and here we are with our tents in a sea of motorhomes competing against teams who have cooked in well over 100 contests. It is a brutal weekend, as there are two full cookoffs back to back. While we are preparing our entries for the first day of judging, we are also preparing our meat to cook for the next day....the "Open".
Overall we achieved our goals and turned in some of what we thought was top notch barbecue. Never cooking in the KC area before, we had very little idea what the judges were looking for, and we definitely had some tough competition. But we got hammered pretty good on just about everything. Chin up! Still have the Open to cook!
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Chicken
69th
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Ribs
51st
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Pork
73rd
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Brisket
39th
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#8 New Holland Summerfest, New Holland Pennsylvania - August 2004
11th place overall / 54 teams
Our third trip to New Holland was another great weekend. For the first time we brought the kids...four of them actually! My nephew, Kenny, won the overall Kids Q with a second place in both chicken and chef's choice! My daughters and my niece were a big help selling Dizzy Pig rubs and tee shirts. Again we met some fine folks, and put out what we thought was our best effort in BBQ. Three tenth place calls were the best we could do, and we were unable to get back into that top ten overall that we always hope for! Congrats again to our pals on the Free Range team for a big 2nd place overall finish, and to Captain and his Piglets for his second win there in three years!
Again, this is a contest where I ended up with an incomplete score sheet. There are some question marks, but we did not do great!
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Chicken
18th
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Ribs
22nd
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Pork
23rd
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Brisket
10th
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Sausage
10th
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Chef's Choice
10th
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#7 Harpoon Vermont BBQ Championship, Windsor, Vermont - July 2004
14th place overall / 39 teams
Our second trip to "Harpoon" was just as much (or even more) fun, but we did not fare as well this year. As usual, the staff at Harpoon made it a pleasure to be there. Our local buds, the "Free Range BBQ" team won 4th place overall, and our friends UFO Social Club (now IQue) won the Grand Championship!! Congrats to them. We ended up without a score sheet, and don't remember how we finished in most of the categories. We do remember we had a great time, and met some fantastic folks form this beautiful place they call "New England".
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Chicken
32nd
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Ribs
11th
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Pork
16th
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Brisket
8th
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#6 Smokin on the Chesapeake, Stevensville, Maryland - June 2004
1st place overall / 26 teams GRAND CHAMPION
A week after the Philadelphia contest was cancelled out from underneath us, we had registered for the "Smokin on the Chesapeake" competition...right in the home state of Chris and Kenny! Chris lost his father earlier this year, and this Father's Day weekend contest was dedicated to John Capell. And Dad was indeed looking down on us this day. The incredible sunrise lead to a fantastic morning of cooking and presenting our entries. Everything went smoothly, and dang if we didn't land on some good judging tables as well. Hearing our name called for the Grand Champion was very much like a dream. Very surreal.
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Chicken
8th
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Ribs
1st
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Pork
2nd
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Brisket
5th
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#5 Pigs in the Park, Danville, Virginia - May 2004
15th place overall / 35 teams
The town of Danville reminded us of Mayberry RFD. The entire town was storybook friendly, and the organizers of this event went far out of their way to make sure the teams had everything they needed. The weather was perfect, and the park was by far the nicest spot we have competed in. I think the challenge of competing for the first time this far South, and a problem with the quality of our ribs hurt us here, but we were pleased to end up, once again, in the top half of a tough lineup.
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Chicken
11th
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Ribs
23rd
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Pork
11th
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Brisket
15th
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Chef's Choice
5th
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#4 James Riverfest, Lynchburg, Virginia - September 2003
4th place overall / 26 teams
The "other Lynchburg" as we called it turned out to be a great contest for us. We met some great new folks and the contest was very well run for a first time event. We had to improvise, as I could not get a trailer in time, and we had to get by with what we could fit in the Pathfinder, and two of our regular team mates missing. Our normal setup involves 5 or 6 big green eggs, but for this contest we had to make do with three. The pared down staff (Brett Brown from the Free Range BBQ team helped us out) and equipment shortfalls were a challenge to deal with, but the food came off the cookers especially nicely, and when the results were tallied up the Dizzy Pig team ended up with a respectable 4th place overall.
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Chicken
4th
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Ribs
6th
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Pork
5th
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Brisket
10th
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Anything But,
14th
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Dessert
15th
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#3 New Holland Summerfest, New Holland Pennsylvania - August 2003
17th place overall / 43 teams
While the Dizzy Pig guys are generally a humble bunch, starting off with two top ten contests can start inflating the heads of even the tamest of egos. This turned out to be the contest that made us realize it wasn't good enough to just cook good food. Not only did we need to try and improve on what we were turning into the judges, but we began seeing that there is definitely some luck involved on which table of judges your entry lands on. Overall we were still pleased to be among the top half of the teams, but our normally strong brisket and rib scores really took a big hit this day! Ouchola.
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Chicken
6th
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Ribs
35th
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Pork
9th
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Brisket
33rd
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Sausage
10th
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#2 Harpoon Vermont BBQ Championship, Windsor, Vermont - July 2003
9th place overall / 37 teams
Our second contest in beautiful Windsor, Vermont was not only an incredible time, but we learned that our beginners luck in our first contest might not be ALL luck! Again, we were blown away by the organizers of the contest, Harpoon Brewery. They not only know how to set up a contest, and how to treat the teams, but they top off the whole thing with a free pass for their wonderful brews. It is like they have a hose running straight from the brewery. Again the Dizzy Pig team was tested against the best teams on the East, and while the top ten finishes were soon to be a little less common, it was a pleasure to receive a 9th place overall finish.
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Chicken
25th
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Ribs
9th
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Pork
11th
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Brisket
5th
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#1 New Holland Summerfest, New Holland Pennsylvania - August 2002
8th place overall / 34 teams
New Holland, or N'Holland as the locals call it, has become our traditional every year contest, and is fantastically run. The park setting is a beautiful place to spend a weekend, and the folks who run the contest made us feel at home immediately. We also enjoyed competing against so many great teams as one of our goals was to see if we could really cook, or whether people had just been lying to us all along! This weekend had a happy ending, and answered many questions for us. It was easy for us to decide this one would be a regular for us.
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Chicken
17th
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Ribs
13th
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Pork
7th
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Brisket
7th
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