Rain and mud didn’t deter 29 teams from fighting it out at the first Double Points event this year – the Tifton Rhythm & Ribs BBQ Festival held in Tifton, GA on March 01. Tifton puts on one of the best festivals in Georgia, and hosts both a professional and backyard event. For those who have never attended, keep an eye on the GBA events page and be sure not to miss this one next year! 319Q walked last as our GBA Grand Champion, winning on their Finals Loin Entry. Rollin Pit BBQ was our Reserve Grand Champion, finishing 10th in Loin and 3rd in both Pork and Ribs, his first ever Double Finals & RGC.
The GBA held their first ever Kid’s Cookoff on Friday night. 6 teams turned in hamburgers they prepared and plated themselves. The judges had a tough job, as every entry was fantastic. When all the scoring had been tabulated only one point separated the Tope 3 entries. Camden Cisneros was crowned with the Best Burger, followed by Luke Thompson in 2nd Place and Sawyer Bennett in 3rd Place. We’re very proud of these future pitmasters, and wish all of them luck in their next challenge!
In the GBA sanctioned Cookoff, the judges were presented with 29 entries in each category, from some of the best cooks Georgia has to offer. Only the top 3 entries in each category make it to finals, and here’s how the judges ranked them:
PORK LOIN CATEGORY
319Q Won Loin, followed by Magnum P.I.G. 2nd Place, and B-Rads BBQ 3rd Place.
PORK CATEGORY
Bite My Butt BBQ Won Pork, with Shark Bite BBQ 2nd Place, and Rollin Pit coming in 3rd Place.
RIB CATEGORY
Posse BBQ Won Ribs, Heavy Metal Hogz 2nd Place, and Rollin Pit in at 3rd Place.
Tifton Rhythm & Ribs Results
Reserve Grand Results
As expected, there were some shakeups in TOTY points after our first Double Points event: 319Q shot up to the top of the Overall Points category with 90 points. Flyin Pig dropped one spot to second, and is tied with Rollin Pit at 64 points. Bite My Butt settled in at 4th, with B-Rads jumping into 5th.
319Q remains in the top Loin spot with 30 points, and Magnum P.I.G. moved into 2nd, 2 points ahead of B-Rads BBQ.
Shark Bite BBQ is now our top Pork team just ahead of Bite My Butt BBQ. Rollin Pit BBQ is in 3rd.
Posse BBQ is the top Rib team, followed by Heavy Metal Hogz and Rollin Pit.
The GBA travels next to Donalsonville, GA on March 16 for the Firehouse BBQ Festival. This is a great event with music, vendors – and don’t forget the fish fry on Friday night! After that we’ll hit one of the best events in Georgia – The FireAnt Festival in Ashburn, GA on March 23. Streets full of vendors, a carnival, music, and one of the best fireworks shows you’ll see! Next up is Smoking on Blackshear held on the shores of beautiful Lake Blackshear. This event is April 20, and is held at the Georgia War Veterans campground. Music, vendors, and an absolutely beautiful venue – don’t miss this one!
THE GBA WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR TOTY SPONSORS FOR 2024:
Dexter Meats – Locally owned and customer service driven, Dexter Meat Company is ready to provide fresh quality meats. https://www.facebook.com/dextermeatco/
Bubba Grills – You can’t go to a bbq event without seeing a bunch of Bubba Grills. Their direct-fired, reverse flow cookers produce consistent results that often have their pitmasters walking the stage. See https://www.bubbagrills.net for more information.
Fireant Festival BBQ Bash – Look no further than Ashburn, GA on March 22 – 23, 2024 for one of the best festivals Georgia has to offer. Hundreds of Vendors, a carnival, Kids Burger Challenge, a sanctioned GBA event, and the best fireworks display this side of Atlanta! https://www.fireantfestival.com
Heath Riles BBQ – If you’re looking to up your bbq flavor game head over to https://www.HeathRilesBBQ.com. Heath has spent years perfecting his rubs, sauces, and injections, and the results speak for themselves.
Sunflower Apparel & Promotions – If you’re in the market for new team shirts, hats, or logo design, check out http://www.sunflowerapparel.com