Chism delivers record performance to win 14th Festival

Twice a runner-up here, Byron Chism made certain - in record fashion - that he would leave the Blue Ridge Barbecue Festival in 2007 with that elusive grand championship trophy.

Chism's Buttrub.com team took first place in three categories, tying a Festival record, en route to winning the Grand Champion trophy on Saturday at the 14th annual event at Harmon Field in Tryon.

Chism took top honors in pork ribs, pork and brisket and also cracked the top 30 in chicken in putting together one of the most dominating efforts in the storied history of the event. Chism took top honors in the 85-cooker field by beating the only three-time winner of the event, Charles Fretwell of nearby Boiling Springs, S.C., whose B.S. Pitmeisters finished as Reserve Grand Champion for the second straight year.

Beaver Castors of Bellevue, Wash. won first place in three categories at the first Festival in 1994, while Head Country II of Ponca, Okla., won first place in poultry, pork and brisket during the 1996 competition

"A dream come true. One of those days," Chism said. "Sometimes you have magical days, and today is one of them."

Chism, of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., finished as the reserve champion in 2003 and 2004.

Rounding out the top five were Bare Bonz BBQ, Oink, Cackle & Moo Two and Cool Smoke.

Overall
1. Buttrub.com, Byron Chism, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., 684.5716
2. B.S. Pitmeisters, 661.7144
3. Bare Bonz BBQ, 659.4286
4. Oink, Cackle & Moo Two, 645.7140
5. Cool Smoke, 645.7136
6. Jack's Old South, 645.1430
7. Bill & The Dixie Chicks, 645.1428
8. Learn2Q, 643.9996
9. Firehouse BBQ.us, 641.7140
10. Checkered Pig, 637.1426

Chicken
1. Blindogs Outlaw BBQ Gang, Drew Grega, Huntsville, Ala.
2. Big Green Eggs & Ham
3. Josh McKinney Team
4. Courtney's Low Country
5. Bill & The Dixie Chicks
6. P&C Smoke-A-Holics
7. B.S. Pitmeisters
8. Learn2Q
9. Jack's Old South
10. Paradise Ridge Cookin' T

Pork Ribs
1. Buttrub.com, Byron Chism, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.
2. Cool Smoke
3. Pit Dogs BBQ
4. Firehouse BBQ.us
5. Courtney's Low Country
6. Little Vaughn's Q-Shack
7. A-Team
8. B.S. Pitmeisters
9. Rini's Bar & Grill
10. Good Ole Boys Country BBQ

Pork
1. Buttrub.com, Byron Chism, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.
2. Oink, Cackle & Moo Two
3. Bare Bonz BBQ
4. B.S. Pitmeisters
5. Little Bit of Texas
6. Gooney Creek BBQ
7. Pit Dogs BBQ
8. Carolina Rib King
9. Celtic Spirit
10. Texas Young Guns

Brisket
1. Buttrub.com, Byron Chism, Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.
2. Bare Bonz BBQ
3. Cool Smoke
4. Bub-Ba-Q
5. Josh McKinney Team
6. Jack's Old South
7. Fired Up Que
8. Bubba's Backyard BBQ
9. Good Ole Boys Country BBQ
10. Checkered Pig

Whole Hog
1. Jack's Old South, Myron Mixon, Vienna, Ga.
2. Windstream Green Smokers
3. Oink, Cackle & Moo Two
4. King's Cooking Inc.
5. Pigs In Heat
6. Texas Rib Rangers
7. Butts-n-Breasts
8. Black Mingo Brands
9. Allnighters
10. Bone Heads

Anything But
1. Pork Tenders
2. Texas Young Guns
3. Pirates of the Grillibean
4. Bone Heads
5. Mountain Magic Country BBQ
6. B4BBQ
7. Too Bad You're My Cousin
8. Creekside Smokers
9. Wood Chicks
10. Craggy Mountain Smokers

Governor's Trophy
1. Pit Dog BBQ, Andrew Gage, Asheville, N.C.
2. Josh McKinney Team

Booth Award
1. Mountain View BBQ, Chuck Britton, Columbus, N.C.