Many thanks to our sponsors and crew for producing an outstanding event! Here are the results for the 27th Annual Praise the Lard Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-off:

Memphis Barbecue Network 
Grand Champion: Victory Lane BBQ
Pass Down: Sweet Swine O’ Mine

Ribs
5) Clark Kent Super Smokers
4) FBI BBQ
3) Twyford’s BBQ & Catering
2) Victory Lane BBQ
1)Sweet Swine O’ Mine

Shoulder
5) Wild Irish Q
4) Gwatney Championship BBQ
3) Always Sugar Absolutely Fire
2) Sweet Swine O’ Mine
1) Victory Lane BBQ

Hog
5) Mispits
4) Party Q
3) The Flying Pigs
2) Will-Be-Que
1) Victory Lane BBQ

Kansas City Barbecue Society
Grand Champion: Iowa Smokey D’s BBQ
Reserve Grand Champion:  One2BBQ

Chicken
10) Posey County Cookers
9) Iowa Smokey D’s BBQ
8) 270 Smokers
7).St Louis Black Iron BBQ
6) Hickory Pit Stop
5) Monster Q
4) Pitmaster IQ BBQ
3) Backporch Q
2) Gilly’s BBQ
1) Boss Hawg BBQ

Ribs
10) 270 Smokers
9) A Boy & His BBQ
8) Monster Q
7) Smokin T’s BBQ
6) Pitmaster IQ
5) Sweet Swine O Mine
4) Carbondale Pork District
3) Iowa Smokey D’s BBQ
2) It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere
1) One2BBQ

Pork
10) Killer Hogs
9) Blazin’ Blues BBQ
8) Q Bones
7) FBI BBQ6) Pitmasters IQ BBQ
5) Big O Dang O BBQ
4) Backporch BBQ
3) Wild Ones
2) Gilly’s BBQ
1) Iowa Smokey D’s BBQ

Brisket
10) Smokin T’s BBQ
9) Monster Q
8) Too Big To Fail BBQ
7) Pitmaster IQ BBQ
6) It’s 5 O’Clock Somwhere
5) Iowa Smokey D’s BBQ
4) A Boy & his BBQ
3) Clark Kent Super Smokers
2) Quau
1) One2BBQ

Fish Contest – 1^st Place: Party Q
Wings Contest – 1^st Place: Mispits
Apple of Our Eye — Wild Irish Q

Townsend Spice Kids’ Que
7-11 age category: Emma Underwood and Haylee Lambert – The Grilling Legends
12-15 age category: Justin Bunch – A Pig’s Worst Nightmare

Ole Hickory Pits raffle
Shawn Stearns

Brews Brothers Taproom Best Bloody Mary
1) Posey County Cookers
2) A Pig’s Worst Nightmare
3) Clark Kent Super Smokers

Southern Illinois Showdown – World Food Championships Super Regional
Bacon
3) Porkmafia
2) Blazin’ Blues BBQ
1) Sugarfire Smokehouse

Seafood
3) TR’s Up In Smoke
2) All In Que
1) Piggy Style

A few years ago we decided to upgrade our trophies and come up with something special and meaningful that would represent Murphysboro and our contest. We’re fortunate to have award-winning glass artists at the Douglass School Art Place and we commissioned these one-of-a-kind glass apples, in varying sizes, to use for the category runners-up and the reserve grand champion.

The Frederick Douglass School was Murphysboro Illinois’s segregated black elementary school from 1897-1966. Purchased in 1993 by art historian Gretel Chapman and glassblower Jan Thomas for development as an art place, “The Doug” offers studios for rent to artists, exhibition and performance spaces, and a developing sculpture garden. The DO U GLASS Hot Shop is housed in the WWII quonset hut which was the school’s cafeteria . Cam and Jan are renowned glass artists and they sell their creations at fairs and festivals all over the region.

The lucky MBN and KCBS Grand Champions will each take home one of these chainsaw-carved apple and pig trophies, crafted by Bear Tracks Chainsaw Carving.  Boars Night Out won one of these several years ago and I saw pictures of this pig, strapped in with a seat belt and wearing sunglasses, riding all over the country in Allen Smith’s truck.

Wendy Rhodes and her dad, Mike Rhodes, are a father/daughter carving team. Mike cuts and preps the raw material and Wendy is the artist, finishing each intricate piece.

We’re thrilled to have Illinois artists creating these special pieces of art for our contest prizes. We’ll be awarding these trophies starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 20.

Instagram and Twitter: @17thstreetbbq  •   Official event hashtag is #PraiseTheLard

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