After smoking hogs through the night, Columbus and Batesville teams took home the bacon, winning first in their categories Saturday at the annual Roast-n-Boast.
Thirty-five teams competed at the Columbus Fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday, duking it out for first-place wins in whole hog, ribs and shoulder categories.
The Columbus-based Short Bus Cookers, competing for the first time, were named grand champions in the backyard category for amateurs, earning $500.
“I”ve been waiting on this opportunity for two years now and here we are,” said 27-year-old team member Eric Yarbrough.
The team placed first in its category for its ribs while the Hogg Ugly team won first for its shoulder.
The Batesville-based Red Hot Smokers won the title in the professional category and $2,500. They also placed first in their category for their ribs.
The winner of the professional category usually represents the Roast-n-Boast at the Memphis In May World Championship.
However, because the Red Hot Smokers were already planning to represent another festival in Memphis, the torch passed to the Columbus-based Cotton Patch Cooking Team.
About 60 volunteer judges participated in the event, awarding more than $8,000 prize money to the winners, said planning committee Vice President Mike Law.
More than 2,000 people attended the two-day event, which was mostly rain-free except for a 20-minute period Saturday evening.
Those who attended the Roast-n-Boast were able to sample a variety of music and have their faces painted, among other activities.
“We love this contest and we keep coming back because of the people involved,” said Melissa Cookston, of the Yazoo”s Delta Q team.
Cookston, who is part of the family team that won the Memphis In May Grand Championship, was a finalist in last week”s episode of the TLC show “BBQ Pitmasters.”
But the Nesbit-native, who travels about 36,000 miles each year to compete across the country, said she was just “glad to be home for once.”
Regular attendees said the event, which was created in the mid-1980s, has become more family-friendly over the years.
“To me, this is all about friends, family and a good time. And you throw a little competition in there,” said Yarbrough. “If you win, you win, and if you don”t, you don”t. You still ate good food.”
Although the event has had its rowdy moments, those who attended Friday evening said everything went smoothly.
“It was excellent (Friday night). That”s why I”m back for lunch,” said Clay Jones, a 45-year-old Columbus resident, Saturday afternoon.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 46 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.