ROCKINGHAM - The Rockingham Dragstrip was the place to be on Saturday, August 18, as competitors gathered to prepare their specialties for awards for the best in barbecue pork and chicken.
Some of the chefs traveled from as far away as Greensboro to be part of the experience for the first time. There were competitors from Wake County, Robeson County, Moore County, and Richmond County as well.
Josh Horn of Horn’s Smoke Shack in Greensboro, “specializing in pork and chicken,” brought his team of Andrew, Ashley, Travis, and Connor to prepare smoked chicken wings, pulled pork, and ribs. They utilized two Big Green Eggs as well as a tall black smoker, working as a cohesive group through Friday night into Saturday afternoon.
Terry Bell and his 12-year-old son Braden drove a big red truck with a classic pull-behind cooker, using maple-flavored wood chunks for the huge pig that was smoking alongside the plump chicken thighs. They relaxed from time to time in their East Carolina University chairs, enjoying the cooling breeze passing through the tall pines.
Robert Veet, his wife Christine, and son Bob were competing for their first time, smoking Boston butts and chicken thighs using an Oklahoma Joe’s Holland Grill Smoker. They chatted with friends and others while the cookers continued to work to maintain the perfect temperatures.
The Moore County group of Chad Parks, Chris Lilly, and Wayne Pruitt had been hard at work on their smoked chicken thighs and Boston butts using a Masterbilt Sportsman Elite smoker that looked like a tall black safe with special thermostats connected to it rather than explosive devices.
Barry Willard of Pinehurst, another first-time competitor, used a special Cajun seasoning with jalapenos for his chicken thighs, and a savory apple juice flavored rub for the pork.
Cameron Williams, the 15-year old son of Ricky Williams, designed a unique cooker on the back end of a bright yellow go-kart, preparing Boston butts and chicken thighs.
Terry Taylor of Taylor Made Barbeque was there with his wife from Fuquay-Varina, putting on an impressive “old school” barbeque chopping display, with the meat in a wooden box on the ground, using long handles attached to sharp blades.
Kevin Williams was part of another team there with his mother Annie and Carla Edmisten. They were set up comfortably in a corner spot underneath a large tent, taking advantage of the shady pine trees.
In addition to the barbecue competition, a Cornhole Contest was part of the afternoon, and more than twenty gentlemen competed. Randy Rollins of Randy’s Custom Cornhole Games (843-622-5549) and Jerry Lamont brought in and set up an array of boards for the tournament. There was a variety of colors and designs, ranging from Duke to Clemson to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Some of the competitors were Phillip Kirk, Jerry Kirk, Tim Singletary, Jamie Saunders, Josh Ludlum, Cricket Boyette, Tyler Boyette, Ryan Dickerson, Meadow Allen, Sam Bone, Brendon Snell, Stephen Pitt, Mike Simmons, and Meto Allen. The first place winners were Harvey Melton and Stephen Graham. The duo of Shot Allen and Anthony Wilkes came in second place.
There are other cornhole tournaments coming up on August 25th at the VFW Post 4203 in Rockingham and at The Sports Connection in Hamlet on September 8th.
Special appreciation should be noted for two of the staff that work at the Rockingham Dragway-Bryan Phillips and Eddie Cranford. These men worked tirelessly throughout the event assisting the competitors and anyone else they could with a smile.
Cumberland County Line Bluegrass out of Fayetteville entertained the crowd with a mixture of traditional bluegrass and gospel music. Band members include Robert Phillips on mandolin, Shelia Phillips on fiddle, Rick Walton on bass, Gerald Bozarth on banjo, and Garland Johnston Jr. on guitar.
After sampling the many choices of barbecue and chicken, the anonymous judges named their top three in the two categories. The winner in the pork category was Rob-E-Que, followed by Horn’s Smoke Shack and BB Barbecue. The best chicken was Moore Smoke; second place was Barry’s Barbecue and third was Cameron’s Barbecue.
People’s Choice Awards were also given, with Cameron’s Barbecue winning first place in the chicken category. Other awards were given to Taylor Made Barbecue, Kevin’s Elite Barbecue, Horn’s Smoke Shack, and Barry’s Barbecue.
In the Pork category, the People’s Choice Awards were given to Moore Smoke, followed by (in no particular order), Horn’s Smoke Shack, BB Barbecue, Cameron’s Barbecue, and Taylor Made Barbecue.
It was a great way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon in Richmond County, especially if you enjoy sampling a variety of barbecue and talking with interesting people.
Make sure to keep an eye out next summer for the next Smoke at the Rock Barbecue Cookoff!!
