Category: Contest Reports

Rescue Smokers crowned GBA State Champion at Deep Roots

Thirty-six professional BBQ teams met in Milledgeville, Georgia on October 26, 2019 at the annual Deep Roots Festival to compete for over $17,000 in prize money and bragging rights as the GBA State Champion.  In addition to the traditional GBS categories of Loin, Pork, and Ribs, the event also hosted ancillaries in poultry, stew, desert, bloody mary, and People’s Choice.

Rescue Smokers ended the weekend as Grand Champion and was crowned the GBA State Champion with a trophy and check for $3,500.  Rescue Smokers not only had the highest single score in the finals round, but also finished first in Loin, 19^th in Pork, and 14^th in Ribs.   Peach Coast BBQ won the Reserve Champion and $2,000 for the highest cumulative preliminary scores in all three categories by finishing 2^nd in both loin and pork, and then 5^th in ribs.

Rescue Smokers won the Loin category, with Peach Coast BBQ in second, and Smokin’ the Good Stuff in third.

The top teams in pulled pork were Johnson Boys BBQ in first place, followed by Peach Coast BBQ and Lang BBQ Smokers.

Pot’s BBQ claimed the top spot in Ribs.  The BBQ Ninja finished in second and Fire in the Hole was third.  Fire In The Hole has now reached the rib finals in all three events so far this season.

In the ancillary categories, 5 O’clock BBQ  won poultry, Rotary Roasters took the stew category, Pot’s BBQ won desserts, and Sensational Pigs claimed the Bloody Mary title for the second year in row.  5 O’clock BBQ also won the People’s Choice award as the fans’ favorite.

Full results can be found by clicking the links below.

 Full Loin, Pork, and Rib Results

All Reserve Scores

The next GBA sanctioned event is a first time contest at Lake Blackshear on November 16.  Returning contests in Moultrie on December 7, and Americus on December 14, wrap up the 2019 calendar year.  The next GBA judging class will be held in Barnesville on January 25, 2020.  There is still time to sign up for all these events at gbabbq.org

Carroll Sausage BBQ Bash at the Bark in the Park

The GBA travelled for the first time to Sylvester, Georgia on September 28, 2019 for the Carrol Sausage BBQ Bash as part of their annual Bark in the Park to benefit the Best Friends Humane Society for Worth County.  A full house of thirty-two professional BBQ teams competed for their share of over $6,000 in prize money and hand crafted wooden cutting boards.  It was announced at the end of the event that we will be returning next year on September 26, 2020.

Budmeisters made a triumphant return to GBA competition claiming the Grand Championship and $1,500 for their winning pork entry.  They finished 19^th in loin, 1^st in pork, and 2^nd in ribs.  They also earned the only 600 scores of the day in both the pork and ribs preliminary rounds.   Lang BBQ Team won their second Reserve Grand in a row, winning $1,500 in Sylvester by finishing 5^th in loin, 2^nd in pork, and 4^th in ribs.

Hold Your Horses won the Loin category, followed by We Want Que.  Smoke’N Cowboys took third place Loin in only their second contest.

Budmeisters finished first in the Pork category.  Lang BBQ Team came in second for the second straight contest, and Bayshore Porker’s took third place.

Fire in the Hole won ribs after finishing third last time in Griffin.  Budmeisters came in second and Bayshore Porker’s was third.

Full Loin, Pork, and Rib Results

https://gba.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Contest%20results/2019%20Sylvester%20Category%20Scores.pdf

All Reserve Scores

https://gba.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Contest%20results/2019%20Sylvester%20Reserve%20Scores.pdf

Next up is the always exciting GBA State Championship at the Deep Roots Festival in Milledgeville, Georgia on October 26.  Then we have Smokin’ on Blackshear,  another first time contest at Lake Blackshear on November 16.   We finish the calendar year with returning contests in Moultrie on December 7 and Americus on December 14.  The spring is starting to shape up as very busy with the possibility of eight contest over eleven weeks.

Hope to see everyone at a GBA event soon!

Doc Holliday BBQ Championship

Fifty-six professional BBQ teams and over 100 judges gathered at a great new park location in Griffin, Georgia on September 7, 2019 for the 7^th annual Doc Holliday BBQ Championship.  Not only was it the kick-off to the new 2019-20 GBA season, but it also jump started the Team of the Year race by awarding double points.  The teams competed for their share of more than $10,000 in prize money and very unique western themed trophies valued at an additional $3,000.

After the smoke cleared, Rescue Smokers took the Grand Championship for their loin entry.  In addition to being Grand Champion, they finished 1st in loin, 8^th in pork, and 9^th in ribs.  Lang BBQ Team won the Reserve Grand for the highest combined points in the preliminary round by .3 points by finishing 3^rd in loin, 2^nd in pork, and 12^th in ribs.

Rescue Smokers won the Loin category, followed by Off the Chain and Lang BBQ Team.  Off the Chain also had the only 600 score of the entire day with their preliminary loin entry.

Pots BBQ finished first in the Pork category.  Lang BBQ Team came in second, and Meat with Feet took third place in their first GBA contest.

Front Porch took the Rib category, with The Fat Guys in second and Fire in the Hole claiming third place.

Kelvin’s BBQ beat out thirty-five other teams to win the ancillary brisket category and claim the Official Georgia State Brisket Championship and a $500 check.   They were followed by Meat with Feet and Smokin the Good Stuff.

Full Loin, Pork, and Rib Results

https://gba.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Contest%20results/2019%20Doc%20Holiday%20Category%20results.pdf

Full Brisket results

https://gba.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Contest%20results/2019%20Doc%20Holiday%20Briskett%20Results.pdf

All Reserve Scores

https://gba.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Contest%20results/2019%20Doc%20Holiday%20Reserve%20Scores.pdf

Thank you to everyone who made this event such a big success.  Plans are already underway for bigger and better next year.  The next GBA sanctioned event will be the new Carroll’s Sausage BBQ Bash as part of the established Bark in the Park Festival in Sylvester, Georgia on September 28.   Then it is on to the GBA State Championship at the Deep Roots Festival in Milledgeville, Georgia on October 26, before another first time contest at Lake Blackshear on November 16.    Hope to see everyone at A GBA event soon.

The current GBA season came to an end when twenty-nine professional teams traveled to Donalsonville, Georgia on April 6, 2019 for the first ever Firehouse BBQ Festival.  Four teams used the opportunity to make their debut in competitive cooking.  $10,000 in prize money and unique trophies were awarded, in addition to deciding the final Team of the Year standings.

Off the Chain took home $2,000 and a unique fire axe trophy for winning the Grand Championship.  Budmeister BBQ also claimed $2,000 and the Reserve Grand Champion trophy by finishing 11th in loin, and 1^st place in both pork and ribs.

Off the Chain finished first in loin, with Rescue Smokers coming in second.  Hot Ash Q was third after scoring their first 600 in the preliminary round.

Budmeister BBQ won the pulled pork category.  The Pit Crew GA finished second after scoring the only other 600 of the day in preliminaries.  Kelvin’s BBQ claimed third place.

Budmeister BBQ also finished first in the rib category.  Hold Your Horses continued their rib run with second place, and Pirates of Porkscents walked in third place.

Acworth will host an event “In Association With” the GBA on May 11 that is open to any team with at least one current GBA member, but the results will not count towards the Team of the Year standing.  Team and judge registration are both available online at https://www.bbqga.org/waevents/

The full results for each category and reserve scores can be found at the following links:

Loin, Pork, and Rib Results

https://gba.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Contest%20Results/Firehouse%20Category%20Results.pdf

Reserve Scores

https://gba.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Contest%20Results/Firehouse%20Reserve%20Scores.pdf

Forty-one professional BBQ teams, including teams from Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina traveled to Ashburn, Georgia on March 23, 2019 for the 24^th annual Fire Ant Festival.

Not only was $10,000 in prize money and trophies awarded to the winners in three different BBQ categories, but Team of the Year points were also doubled for this event.  The high level of competition was evidenced by five different scores of 600 during the preliminary rounds.  Many teams also participated in the SCA Steak Cook-off held on Friday night.

Hold Your Horses claimed their long sought first Grand Championship and $2,000 after several previous trips to the finals.  The Pitt Crew GA also won $2,000 and Reserve Grand Champion in only their second GBA contest after finishing 4th in loin, 1^st in pork, and 12th in ribs.

Holy Smokes won loin after scoring a 600 in the preliminary round.  Weekend Warriors also scored a 600 in preliminaries and finished second in loin.  Bubba Grills returned after a long absence from GBA with third place in loin.

The top two finishers in the pulled pork category each scored 600s for their preliminary entries.  After finals, The Pit Crew GA came out on top in first place.  Second and third places in pulled pork were a repeat from the last GBA contest with Pot’s BBQ again in second place and Jack Fallin with Captain Jack’s BBQ Crew taking third.

Hold Your Horses won the rib category on the way to their Grand Championship.  Local Ashburn team Real-licious finished in second place after scoring a 600 in the preliminary round.  Shark Bite BBQ came in third in their first GBA finals.

The final TOTY standings will be decided on April 6 in Donalsonville, GA at the last points contest of the GBA season.  Acworth will host an event “In Association With” the GBA on May 11 that is open to any team with at least one current GBA member, but the results will not count towards the Team of the Year standing.

The full results for each category and Pro reserve scores can be found at the following links:

Loin, Pork, and Rib Results

https://gba.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Contest%20Results/Ashburn%202019%20categories.pdf

Reserve Scores

https://gba.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/Contest%20Results/Ashburn%202019%20Reserve.pdf