Results from Wild West BBQ and Lamar Days Parade

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The annual Wild West BBQ competition, run under the guidelines of the Kansas City Barbecue Society had a record 31 entries for this year’s competition at Willow Creek Park on Friday and Saturday, May 10 and 11, in conjunction with Voces Unidas and the Cinco De Mayo celebration.  The events were named Springplosion and featured inflatable rides for kids, music and a low-rider style car show.  The Backyard Grillers contest came back after an absence of several years and a green chili cook-off was a new feature for the cooking contests.

Cowboy Joe’s Catering from Silt, CO won the Backyard Grillers contest, and Fred Neuhold of Lamar had the best judged green chili.  Orie Matthews of Lucky’s BBQ won the best sauce category. Several classes of entries were sampled by about two dozen judges from the community and prizes were awarded for the top ten entries in Overall Competition, Pork Ribs, Chicken, Pork and Brisket.

The top five placers in Overall were:  Clark Crew BBQ, Whiskey Pit BBQ Company, 2 Lil’ Macs BBQ, CHIBI-Q and Smoking Triggers.  Pork Rib winners were: Wild Hogs BBQ, Clark Crew BBQ, Smokers Wild, Smokin Triggers and CHIBI-Q.  Chicken winners were: Whiskey Pit BBQ, GQUE, A Frog and A Dog BBQ, CHIBI-Q and Clark Crew BBQ.  Top Pork winners were:  2 Lil’ Macs BBQ, Clark Crew BBQ, Lucky’s Have BBQ Will Travel, Bayou Bar-B-Que Catering and Swinestone Cowboys.  The winners in the Brisket competition were:  Double Trouble, Grillin’ Beavers, Smokin Triggers, Whiskey Pit BBQ Company and 2 Lil’ Macs BBQ.  This year, there was a purse of $10,000 for the various winners.

Parade theme, best vehicle and best equine entry were the three main areas of competition for the Lamar Days Parade, held along East Olive and Main Streets this past Saturday, May 18.  The parade theme was, “Celebrate Lamar Days, the Cowboy Way”.  The first place float was Valley National Bank, followed by Lamar MOPS and the musical float featuring the band, Judi, from the Buzzard’s Roost.

The top three vehicle entries were: “Wheels Ablaze”, from The Muscle Car Ministry.  The entry was a student-built engine which would be raffled off to benefit the Andrew Ricken Memorial Scholarship.  Second place went to the rebuilt, 1947 pick-up truck, owned and driven by Lamar Mayor Roger Stagner and third place was awarded to the 1986 pick-up driven by Gordon and Dixie Stokes.  Under equine entries, the Arkansas Valley Fair Royalty took first place, followed by the wagon owned by Rose Garcia of High Plains Insurance and pulled by a Belgian horse.  The third place finisher was a while limousine carriage pulled by a spotted draft horse and driven by Lora Pierce from the Quarter Moon Ranch.  Judging was conducted by members of the Lamar Chamber Board of Directors and volunteers.

By Russ Baldwin