Fiddler’s BBQ Wins First GBA Grand in Richland
Grand Champion – Fiddler’s BBQ
The Fiddler’s BBQ team of Harvey and Shirley Willis from Cusseta, GA didn’t have far to travel to compete in the Pig Fest CharBroil Challenge in Richland. The short trip was a memorable one for the couple as they won their first Grand Championship on the GBA competition trail. Fiddler’s BBQ Pork Loin entry in the finals round was just 0.3 off a perfect 600 score. It took every tenth of a point as Bethel Smoker’s finals rib box was just a tick behind with a score of 599.4.
Reserve Grand Champion – Bethel Smokers
Mr Joe Wright, pitmaster for Bethel Smokers, made finals in both ribs and pulled pork. Bethel was the only team in the contest that made finals in more than one category. The two top 3 preliminary round finishes along with 7th place in loin, gave the team from Douglas the highest cumulative score in the preliminary rounds and the Reserve Grand Championship.
Fiddler’s BBQ 599.7 score topped the Loin category. H & J Cooking Team came in second place with ET’s BBQ finishing in third. Lightning Strike BBQ tied for third place in the preliminary round, but fell on the 4th level of the tiebreaker to finish 4th. Holy Smoke, LLC claimed 5th place. ET’s BBQ scored a perfect 600 in the Loin preliminary round.
First Place Pulled Pork – Cooking with Sump
Cooking with Stump topped the field in the Pulled Pork category. Bethel Smokers took 2nd place. Smokin’ 42 BBQ of Tifton came in 3rd place. Fourth place went to ET’s BBQ. Fiddler’s BBQ took home 5th place just 0.3 of a point ahead of Swine Time Grillin’ Team. Just another 0.3 of a point back in 7th place was Lyles BBQ Company.
First place in Ribs went to Bethel Smokers with 92 BBQ as runnerup. Smokin’ J’s, cooking in their first GBA contest, took third place. Just Smokin’ Around BBQ took the 4th spot and Holy Smoke, LLC rounded out the top 5.
The Richland contest also held a backyard contest with 13 teams competing. Wicked Lickin’ BBQ Crew, led by 14 year old pitmaster Kason Gray, won the Grand Championship with 2nd place finishes in both Pulled Pork and Ribs, a 3rd place finish in Chicken and 1st place in From the Water with a perfect 600 score. Other category winners in the backyard division were:
Chicken: The Country Boy Cookers
Pulled Pork: Big Racks’ BBQ Cooking Team
Ribs: Bar B Que Bandits
The Georgia Barbecue Association was proud to once again be a part of this long running BBQ competition and festival. The next stop on the GBA trail will be in Moultrie as the GBA will sanction for the first time the Moultrie Moose Lodge 1158 Annual BBQ Cookoff on December 6-7.
Full Results:
| LOIN | PULLED PORK | |||||
| 1 | 599.7 | Fiddlers BBQ | 1 | 598.8 | Cooking With Stump | |
| 2 | 598.2 | H & J Cooking Team | 2 | 598.5 | Bethel Smokers | |
| 3 | 597.6 | E.T. ‘s BBQ | 3 | 598.2 | Smok’n 42 BBQ | |
| 4 | 591.5 | Lightening Strike BBQ | 4 | 591.5 | E.T. ‘s BBQ | |
| 5 | 589.9 | Holy Smoke, LLC | 5 | 589 | Fiddlers BBQ | |
| 6 | 588.3 | Smok’n 42 BBQ | 6 | 586.6 | Swine Time Grill’n Team | |
| 7 | 587.8 | Bethel Smokers | 7 | 586.3 | Lyles BBQ Company | |
| 8 | 584 | Cooking With Stump | 8 | 585.7 | Just Smok “N” Around BBQ | |
| 9 | 583.3 | Drive By Smoker’s | 9 | 584.8 | 92 BBQ | |
| 10 | 582.8 | Just Smok “N” Around BBQ | 10 | 583.5 | Drive By Smoker’s | |
| 11 | 579.4 | 92 BBQ | 11 | 583.4 | Holy Smoke, LLC | |
| 12 | 577.7 | Jethro’s Cooking Crew | 12 | 582.9 | TC’s BBQ | |
| 13 | 577 | TC’s BBQ | 13 | 581 | Old Henry’s BBQ | |
| 14 | 576.5 | Lick’em Lips BBQ | 14 | 578.3 | Jethro’s Cooking Crew | |
| 15 | 572.7 | Swine Time Grill’n Team | 15 | 576.4 | Smokin J’s | |
| 16 | 570.4 | Lyles BBQ Company | 16 | 568.7 | Lightening Strike BBQ | |
| 17 | 570.2 | Old Henry’s BBQ | 17 | 566.5 | H & J Cooking Team | |
| 18 | 568.1 | Smokin J’s | 18 | 564.9 | Lick’em Lips BBQ |
| RIBS | ||
| 1 | 599.4 | Bethel Smokers |
| 2 | 598.8 | 92 BBQ |
| 3 | 597.3 | Smokin J’s |
| 4 | 588.8 | Just Smok “N” Around BBQ |
| 5 | 588.2 | Holy Smoke, LLC |
| 6 | 586.9 | Cooking With Stump |
| 7 | 586.6 | Fiddlers BBQ |
| 8 | 586.6 | Jethro’s Cooking Crew |
| 9 | 583.6 | Old Henry’s BBQ |
| 10 | 583.2 | Swine Time Grill’n Team |
| 11 | 580 | H & J Cooking Team |
| 12 | 578.8 | Lyles BBQ Company |
| 13 | 575.4 | Lightening Strike BBQ |
| 14 | 575.1 | Drive By Smoker’s |
| 15 | 575.1 | TC’s BBQ |
| 16 | 569.7 | E.T. ‘s BBQ |
| 17 | 568.5 | Smok’n 42 BBQ |
| 18 | 567.1 | Lick’em Lips BBQ |
| Reserve Scores | |||||||
| Ribs | Pulled | Loin | Total | ||||
| 1 | Bethel Smokers | 591.5 | 592.1 | 587.8 | 1771.4 | ||
| 2 | Fiddlers BBQ | 586.6 | 589 | 592.5 | 1768.1 | ||
| 3 | Cooking With Stump | 586.9 | 595.1 | 584 | 1766 | ||
| 4 | 92 BBQ | 599.1 | 584.8 | 579.4 | 1763.3 | ||
| 5 | Holy Smoke, LLC | 588.2 | 583.4 | 589.9 | 1761.5 | ||
| 6 | E.T. ‘s BBQ | 569.7 | 591.5 | 600 | 1761.2 | ||
| 7 | Just Smok “N” Around BBQ | 588.8 | 585.7 | 582.8 | 1757.3 | ||
| 8 | Smok’n 42 BBQ | 568.5 | 599.1 | 588.3 | 1755.9 | ||
| 9 | Jethro’s Cooking Crew | 586.6 | 578.3 | 577.7 | 1742.6 | ||
| 10 | Swine Time Grill’n Team | 583.2 | 586.6 | 572.7 | 1742.5 | ||
| 11 | Drive By Smoker’s | 575.1 | 583.5 | 583.3 | 1741.9 | ||
| 12 | H & J Cooking Team | 580 | 566.5 | 591.5 | 1738 | ||
| 13 | Lightening Strike BBQ | 575.4 | 568.7 | 591.5 | 1735.6 | ||
| 14 | Lyles BBQ Company | 578.8 | 586.3 | 570.4 | 1735.5 | ||
| 15 | TC’s BBQ | 575.1 | 582.9 | 577 | 1735 | ||
| 16 | Old Henry’s BBQ | 583.6 | 581 | 570.2 | 1734.8 | ||
| 17 | Smokin J’s | 589.5 | 576.4 | 568.1 | 1734 | ||
| 18 | Lick’em Lips BBQ | 567.1 | 564.9 | 576.5 | 1708.5 | ||