3rd ANNUAL SMOKIN' FOR GOLD

Where can you find a Beer Festival, Car Show, and Barbeque Competition all combined into one fabulous day? This event was called the ‘3rd Annual Smokin for Gold. It was held in Placerville or may I dare to say Hangtown California. In the early days of Placerville hangings were a little too common. Fast forward to our politically correct times and Placerville was the place to be for a wonderful day.

Twenty five teams lit their barbeque fires in the fairgrounds to compete in a State Championship. Five thousand dollars was up for grabs. The teams had a beautiful grass lined arena to do battle. I also heard they did battle with some yellow jackets that smelled the sweet perfume of barbeque smoke.

Ms. Goofy and I donned our judging badges but this was a special judgment day. This would be my thirtieth KCBS competition judged. I am now eligible to become a Master Judge. This prestigious title is accomplished by judging 30 competitions, cooking with a Professional team, and finally taking an exam. The examination is the only thing left to achieve this coveted rank.

The margarita machine sure looked tempting in the heat of the afternoon. The battle was over and the score cards were tabulated. The competition team of ‘Smokey Luv BBQ won the ‘Grand Champion’. Our friends Chuck & Cindy of ‘Bowling Over Pigs’ took ‘Reserve Grand Champion”. Congratulations to all the teams for the great day. Thanks to Marta for organizing one of our favorite events. I now have to study for my test.