WINNERS GET SAUCY FOR REDNECK BARBECUE

SIKESTON -- You might be a redneck if you like to chunk chickens, call hogs or make funny faces with your belly. Or you might be a contestant in one of the games held during the 3rd Annual Redneck Barbecue in Sikeston Saturday.

Steve McFeeder, president of the Sikeston Chamber of Commerce board of directors, said there was a large turnout of locals and visitors for the event, despite a gray day and afternoon rain. About 5,000 people attended the day-long event last year, and McFeeder estimated a similar attendance for this year's event.

The chamber first sponsored the picnic and barbecue contest in 1995 to provide a daytime event for people in town for the Jaycees Bootheel Rodeo. Chairman Shad Old said 18 teams from Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and Indiana competed for bragging rights on the best beans and barbecue in town.

"These people are serious cookers," Old said. "The whole idea is to give people something to do while they're waiting for the rodeo. There's not a lot of money involved; just a lot of cooking and a lot of fun."

The big winners of the day were the Cape Electric Supply Ribmen of Cape Girardeau, who have attended the competition all three years. Second-place winners last year, the Ribmen walked away with best beans, best ribs and the overall champion awards during Saturday's competition.

In addition, team member Brent Metje was the major redneck of the day, winning top honors in the Bubba triathalon and the chicken chucking contest.

"Everybody thought they could cook, so we decided to give it a try," said head chef Mike Haman of the team's formation four year's ago. "The secret is in the sauce; we use apricot in ours because we really like the flavor it gives."

Another team also knew the secret to good barbecue is in the sauce. The Riverdale Swine Smokers of Horn Lake, Miss. Although the team walked away with only a third-place trophy from the beans competition, team member Jim Long said he enjoyed the cookoff because of the fun it provides.

"You do it for the fun and the bragging rights," he said. "This was a blind competition, so we concentrated on our barbecue. It's just a real good time."

Sikeston local Karen Davidson said she's never the attended the event before, but she enjoyed it because it wasn't rodeo-oriented in a week that is full of rodeo activities. Jerry Crowley, another Sikeston resident, agreed.

"It gives people a chance to talk and visit and maybe meet new people before the rodeo," he said. "Everybody seems to have a really good time."

Redneck Barbecue Contest Winners

All food was judged on a scale of 1,000 points for aroma, appearance, taste and texture.

--Ribs:

1. Cape Electric Supply Ribmen

2. Backwoods BBQ

3. Penny Street Porkers

--Beans:

1. Cape Electric Supply Ribmen

2. SEMO Swine Cookers

3. Riverdale Swine Smokers

--Overall Grand Champion

Cape Electric Supply Ribmen

--Best Showmanship

Breyers-Good Humor Ribrackers

--Chef's Choice

Backwoods BBQ

--Bubba Triathalon Winners

(Events included (nonalcoholic) beer-chugging, wife-carrying and funny belly face contests)

Brent Metje

-- Old Lady Olympics

Jim Warf and Julie Greaser

-- Husband Calling Contest

Angie Metje

Chicken Chunking Contest

Brent Metje