Captain Morgan
Chef Extraordinaire
What's already been a pretty good season for Chatham Artillery BBQ turned even better at the 16th annual Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival.
The Savannah, Ga.-based cookers made their Blue Ridge debut a most successful one, besting 77 other cook teams to claim the title of Grand Champion at the annual Barbecue Festival competition in Tryon, North Carolina.
It's the second Grand Champion's title for Chatham Artillery this year - the team also won the Florida BBQ Association Contest in Albany, Ga.
"We've been in five events so far, and we've finished in the top five in four of the them," said team member Lee Sweat. "We've been in the top 10 in all of them. We've had a good year."
Making Chatham Artillery's win even more impressive - the team topped 2008 Grand Champion Tuffy Stone and Cool Smoke, which earned honors as Reserve Grand Champion this go-around. Rounding out the top five were Raw Talent, BUB-BA-Q and Swamp Boys BBQ.
"I can't believe it," said Bill Anderson of Chatham Artillery. "This feels great.
"Usually our strength is brisket and pork, but we did better here in ribs and chicken. It's just great to win. This is our first time in this contest."
Screamin Nite Hog BBQ earned the Governor's Trophy as the top North Carolina squad.
In the individual classes, Polk County's Foothills Mountain BBQ captured first place in Chicken for the second consecutive year and third time overall at the Tryon BBQ festival, barely edging Cool Smoke. Chatham Artillery won the Pork Ribs class, with Pickin' Porkers of Clemmens, S.C. taking top honors in Pork. Former Grand Champion Byron Chism and his Buttrub.com team won Brisket.
Another former Grand Champion, veteran Tryon competitors Oink, Cackle and Moo Two, walked away with the top prize in Whole Hog. The Texas Young Guns of Pasadena, Texas, placed first in Anything Butt, while Tarheel Smokers of Herford, N.C. won the Dessert competition, a new addition to the Blue Ridge event.
The competition highlighted another successful Festival - veteran Blue Ridge attendees said Saturday's crowd seemed among the biggest ever. Some 20,000 to 25,000 guests were expected to sample great cuisine, music, crafts, rides and fireworks during the two days of the event.
"We had a great time here. This is a great festival," said Sweat. "We definitely were coming back here no matter what."
16th Annual Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival
Overall
1. Chatham Artillery BBQ, Bill Anderson, Savannah, Ga.
2. Cool Smoke, Tuffy Stone, Richmond, Va.
3. Raw Talent, Gary Kunes, Tega Cay, S.C.
4. BUB-BA-Q, Bubb Lattimer, Jasper, Ga.
5. Swamp Boys BBQ, Rob Bagby, Winter Haven, Fla.
6. Buttrub.com, Byron Chism, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.
7. Screamin Nite Hog BBQ, Charlie Welch, Winston-Salem, N.C.
8. Big Mo's & The AHO BBQN Outlaws, Morris Hampton, Blowing Rock, N.C.
9. Governor's BBQ, Gary Roberts, Nashville, Tenn.
10. Two Old Men & A Grill, Howard Wooten, Alexis, N.C.
Chicken
1. Foothills Mountain BBQ, Paul Dale, Columbus, N.C.
2. Cool Smoke, Tuffy Stone, Richmond, Va.
3. BUB-BA-Q, Bubb Lattimer, Jasper, Ga.
4. Big Mo's & The AHO BBQN Outlaws, Morris Hampton, Blowing Rock, N.C.
5. Chatham Artillery BBQ, Bill Anderson, Savannah, Ga.
6. Swamp Boys BBQ, Rob Bagby, Winter Haven, Fla.
7. Screamin Nite Hog BBQ, Charlie Welch, Winston-Salem, N.C.
8. Two Old Men & A Grill, Howard Wooten, Alexis, N.C.
9. Raw Talent, Gary Kunes, Tega Cay, S.C.
10. Learn2Q.com, Troy Black, Fultondale, Ala.
Pork Ribs
1. Chatham Artillery BBQ, Bill Anderson, Savannah, Ga.
2. Governor's BBQ, Gary Roberts, Nashville, Tenn.
3. Two Old Men & A Grill, Howard Wooten, Alexis, N.C.
4. Big Mo's & The AHO BBQN Outlaws, Morris Hampton, Blowing Rock, N.C.
5. Screamin Nite Hog BBQ, Charlie Welch, Winston-Salem, N.C.
6. Tarheel Smokers, Roy Murray, Hertford, NC
7. Swamp Boys BBQ, Rob Bagby, Winter Haven, Fla.
8. Buttrub.com, Byron Chism, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.
9. Allnighters, Chris Johnson, Kings Mountain, N.C.
10. Cool Smoke, Tuffy Stone, Richmond, Va.
Pork
1. Pickin' Porkers, Roger Wise, Clemmens, S.C.
2. P&C Smoke-A-Holics, Brad Van Cannon, Salisbury, N.C.
3. C. Eliots BBQ, Chris Turner, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
4. Munchee's Smokehouse, Gary Blevins, Lake City, Fla.
5. Serial Griller, Mark Breen, Yorktown, Va.
6. Smoky Mountain Smokers, Joe Amore, Sevierville, Tenn.
7. Too Bad You're My Cousin, Hudson Denney, Greenville, S.C.
8. Raw Talent, Gary Kunes, Tega Cay, S.C.
9. Cool Smoke, Tuffy Stone, Richmond, Va.
10. Little Vaughn's Q-Shack, Doug Shanklin, Jr., Knoxville, Tenn.
Brisket
1. Buttrub.com, Byron Chism, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.
2. Swamp Boys BBQ, Rob Bagby, Winter Haven, Fla.
3. BUB-BA-Q, Bubb Lattimer, Jasper, Ga.
4. Raw Talent, Gary Kunes, Tega Cay, S.C.
5. Texas Young Guns, Doug Lonidier, Pasadena, Tex.
6. Carolina BBQ Company, Dale Duckworth, Hildebran, N.C.
7. Chatham Artillery BBQ, Bill Anderson, Savannah, Ga.
8. B4BBQ, Michael Volpe, Tryon, N.C.
9. GB's BBQ, Gordon Bryant, Tavares, Fla.
10. NARD's Backyard BBQ, Lawrence Knight, Piedmont, S.C.
Whole Hog
1. Oink, Cackle & Moo Two, Donnie Weddington, Tullahoma, TN
2. Bare Bonz BBQ, Brian Lyons, Greenwood, S.C.
3. Pigs In Heat, John Childers, Toccoa, Ga.
4. Texas Rib Rangers, Bill Milroy, Denton, Tex.
5. King's Cooking Inc., Chip Davis, Shelby, N.C.
6. Two Old Men & A Grill, Howard Wooten, Alexis, N.C.
7. Mike's Catering, Mike Fields, Dorchester, S.C.
8. Big Bad Wolf Barbecue, Aaron Price, Martinex, Ga.
9. Po’ Boyz BBQ, Matt Sparrow, Chandler, Ariz.
10, Pig-N-Out Pork Cookers, Ricky Toney, Forest City, N.C.
Dessert
1. Texas Young Guns, Doug Lonidier, Pasadena, Tex.
2. Sue E. Pigg, Steve Wainscott, Clemson, S.C.
3. Too Bad You're My Cousin, Hudson Denney, Greenville, S.C.
4. Cannon's BBQ Hut, L.J. Cannon, Spartanburg, S.C.
5. B4BBQ, Michael Volpe, Tryon, N.C.
6. Mountain View BBQ, Shane Blackwell, Columbus, N.C.
7. Dr. Bones Bar-B-Q, Marshall Jones, Thonotosassa, Fla.
8. Raw Talent, Gary Kunes, Tega Cay, S.C.
9. Double "F" Cookers, Henry Fierova, Woodsboro, Tex.
10. Mountain Magic Country BBQ, Thomas Tessneer, Shelby, NC
The Savannah, Ga.-based cookers made their Blue Ridge debut a most successful one, besting 77 other cook teams to claim the title of Grand Champion at the annual Barbecue Festival competition in Tryon, North Carolina.
It's the second Grand Champion's title for Chatham Artillery this year - the team also won the Florida BBQ Association Contest in Albany, Ga.
"We've been in five events so far, and we've finished in the top five in four of the them," said team member Lee Sweat. "We've been in the top 10 in all of them. We've had a good year."
Making Chatham Artillery's win even more impressive - the team topped 2008 Grand Champion Tuffy Stone and Cool Smoke, which earned honors as Reserve Grand Champion this go-around. Rounding out the top five were Raw Talent, BUB-BA-Q and Swamp Boys BBQ.
"I can't believe it," said Bill Anderson of Chatham Artillery. "This feels great.
"Usually our strength is brisket and pork, but we did better here in ribs and chicken. It's just great to win. This is our first time in this contest."
Screamin Nite Hog BBQ earned the Governor's Trophy as the top North Carolina squad.
In the individual classes, Polk County's Foothills Mountain BBQ captured first place in Chicken for the second consecutive year and third time overall at the Tryon BBQ festival, barely edging Cool Smoke. Chatham Artillery won the Pork Ribs class, with Pickin' Porkers of Clemmens, S.C. taking top honors in Pork. Former Grand Champion Byron Chism and his Buttrub.com team won Brisket.
Another former Grand Champion, veteran Tryon competitors Oink, Cackle and Moo Two, walked away with the top prize in Whole Hog. The Texas Young Guns of Pasadena, Texas, placed first in Anything Butt, while Tarheel Smokers of Herford, N.C. won the Dessert competition, a new addition to the Blue Ridge event.
The competition highlighted another successful Festival - veteran Blue Ridge attendees said Saturday's crowd seemed among the biggest ever. Some 20,000 to 25,000 guests were expected to sample great cuisine, music, crafts, rides and fireworks during the two days of the event.
"We had a great time here. This is a great festival," said Sweat. "We definitely were coming back here no matter what."
16th Annual Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival
Overall
1. Chatham Artillery BBQ, Bill Anderson, Savannah, Ga.
2. Cool Smoke, Tuffy Stone, Richmond, Va.
3. Raw Talent, Gary Kunes, Tega Cay, S.C.
4. BUB-BA-Q, Bubb Lattimer, Jasper, Ga.
5. Swamp Boys BBQ, Rob Bagby, Winter Haven, Fla.
6. Buttrub.com, Byron Chism, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.
7. Screamin Nite Hog BBQ, Charlie Welch, Winston-Salem, N.C.
8. Big Mo's & The AHO BBQN Outlaws, Morris Hampton, Blowing Rock, N.C.
9. Governor's BBQ, Gary Roberts, Nashville, Tenn.
10. Two Old Men & A Grill, Howard Wooten, Alexis, N.C.
Chicken
1. Foothills Mountain BBQ, Paul Dale, Columbus, N.C.
2. Cool Smoke, Tuffy Stone, Richmond, Va.
3. BUB-BA-Q, Bubb Lattimer, Jasper, Ga.
4. Big Mo's & The AHO BBQN Outlaws, Morris Hampton, Blowing Rock, N.C.
5. Chatham Artillery BBQ, Bill Anderson, Savannah, Ga.
6. Swamp Boys BBQ, Rob Bagby, Winter Haven, Fla.
7. Screamin Nite Hog BBQ, Charlie Welch, Winston-Salem, N.C.
8. Two Old Men & A Grill, Howard Wooten, Alexis, N.C.
9. Raw Talent, Gary Kunes, Tega Cay, S.C.
10. Learn2Q.com, Troy Black, Fultondale, Ala.
Pork Ribs
1. Chatham Artillery BBQ, Bill Anderson, Savannah, Ga.
2. Governor's BBQ, Gary Roberts, Nashville, Tenn.
3. Two Old Men & A Grill, Howard Wooten, Alexis, N.C.
4. Big Mo's & The AHO BBQN Outlaws, Morris Hampton, Blowing Rock, N.C.
5. Screamin Nite Hog BBQ, Charlie Welch, Winston-Salem, N.C.
6. Tarheel Smokers, Roy Murray, Hertford, NC
7. Swamp Boys BBQ, Rob Bagby, Winter Haven, Fla.
8. Buttrub.com, Byron Chism, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.
9. Allnighters, Chris Johnson, Kings Mountain, N.C.
10. Cool Smoke, Tuffy Stone, Richmond, Va.
Pork
1. Pickin' Porkers, Roger Wise, Clemmens, S.C.
2. P&C Smoke-A-Holics, Brad Van Cannon, Salisbury, N.C.
3. C. Eliots BBQ, Chris Turner, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
4. Munchee's Smokehouse, Gary Blevins, Lake City, Fla.
5. Serial Griller, Mark Breen, Yorktown, Va.
6. Smoky Mountain Smokers, Joe Amore, Sevierville, Tenn.
7. Too Bad You're My Cousin, Hudson Denney, Greenville, S.C.
8. Raw Talent, Gary Kunes, Tega Cay, S.C.
9. Cool Smoke, Tuffy Stone, Richmond, Va.
10. Little Vaughn's Q-Shack, Doug Shanklin, Jr., Knoxville, Tenn.
Brisket
1. Buttrub.com, Byron Chism, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.
2. Swamp Boys BBQ, Rob Bagby, Winter Haven, Fla.
3. BUB-BA-Q, Bubb Lattimer, Jasper, Ga.
4. Raw Talent, Gary Kunes, Tega Cay, S.C.
5. Texas Young Guns, Doug Lonidier, Pasadena, Tex.
6. Carolina BBQ Company, Dale Duckworth, Hildebran, N.C.
7. Chatham Artillery BBQ, Bill Anderson, Savannah, Ga.
8. B4BBQ, Michael Volpe, Tryon, N.C.
9. GB's BBQ, Gordon Bryant, Tavares, Fla.
10. NARD's Backyard BBQ, Lawrence Knight, Piedmont, S.C.
Whole Hog
1. Oink, Cackle & Moo Two, Donnie Weddington, Tullahoma, TN
2. Bare Bonz BBQ, Brian Lyons, Greenwood, S.C.
3. Pigs In Heat, John Childers, Toccoa, Ga.
4. Texas Rib Rangers, Bill Milroy, Denton, Tex.
5. King's Cooking Inc., Chip Davis, Shelby, N.C.
6. Two Old Men & A Grill, Howard Wooten, Alexis, N.C.
7. Mike's Catering, Mike Fields, Dorchester, S.C.
8. Big Bad Wolf Barbecue, Aaron Price, Martinex, Ga.
9. Po’ Boyz BBQ, Matt Sparrow, Chandler, Ariz.
10, Pig-N-Out Pork Cookers, Ricky Toney, Forest City, N.C.
Dessert
1. Texas Young Guns, Doug Lonidier, Pasadena, Tex.
2. Sue E. Pigg, Steve Wainscott, Clemson, S.C.
3. Too Bad You're My Cousin, Hudson Denney, Greenville, S.C.
4. Cannon's BBQ Hut, L.J. Cannon, Spartanburg, S.C.
5. B4BBQ, Michael Volpe, Tryon, N.C.
6. Mountain View BBQ, Shane Blackwell, Columbus, N.C.
7. Dr. Bones Bar-B-Q, Marshall Jones, Thonotosassa, Fla.
8. Raw Talent, Gary Kunes, Tega Cay, S.C.
9. Double "F" Cookers, Henry Fierova, Woodsboro, Tex.
10. Mountain Magic Country BBQ, Thomas Tessneer, Shelby, NC
:twisted: 
