06/29/2026
Back on the Social Feed – Competition Recap!
I've taken a little break from social media over the past month, but I wanted to catch everyone up on
what we've been up to on the BBQ trail.
First up was Thunder on the Water in Grenada, Mississippi, and what a fantastic cook it was. We
were fortunate enough to final in Pulled Pork and bring home a 3rd-place finish, while our Ribs
landed 11th overall. As always, it was a great event, and we had an absolute blast.
A big thank you to Duan and Justin and the entire team that puts this event together each year. It's
always well run, and the hospitality is second to none. Congratulations to all the winners,
especially Grand Champions Will and Katie Hare of Smoke Masters. Outstanding job!
After a weekend off, we headed to Bootleggers Bash in Richland, Mississippi. This was their
inaugural competition, and they did an excellent job. The event was very organized, very well run,
and we learned a lot throughout the weekend. We will definitely be back next year.
At Bootleggers Bash, we managed a 4th-place finish in Pulled Pork and a 7th-place call in
Ribs. Congratulations to Meat Whiskey and all the finalists. Also, great job to Swine
Life and Fathead BBQ for their finals in Whole Hog.
Shoutout to Big Whit and the Boys and Girls and New Kenny, for a great cook,
and congratulations to our good friend Mike with Old Smokey BBQ, who had a strong showing in
Pulled Pork as well.
There were a lot of Heath Riles-sponsored teams competing, and it was great seeing those
products represented so well. We've been on a pretty good run lately, and those products have
certainly been part of our success.
Thank you to all the sponsors, organizers, judges, volunteers, and fellow competitors who make
these events possible. We had a great time at both competitions and are already looking forward to
the next one. A big thank you to CRL Construction for all your support!
We'll see you down the road and at the next cook!