Published: April 04, 2009 07:56 pm      

Derrick Days Gone By 4/3/09

The 2001 Derrick Days Chili Cookoff



By Barbara Forman

Daily Sun Staff



The grounds of the Navarro County Youth Exposition was a busy place during the Derrick Days Chili Cook-off.

Contestants from Navarro County and other parts of Texas had a good time as they cooked up chili, brisket and beans to be judged in the festivities.

It was difficult to tell who was having the best time during the cook-off. Those who were participating or the ones who had come to see what was cooking and taking a sample whenever possible.

The air was filled with smells of smoked meat, chili spices and other aromas that would whet anyone’s appetite. The air was also filled with laughter, music, cooks who thought they were singers and the roar of 4-wheelers going in and out of the booth areas.

Although determining the best of the best in the delicacies being prepared was the ultimate goal, fun was definitely part of the menu.

All of the contestants were from Texas. Participants from Sequin, a city near San Antonio, and Channelview, which is east of Houston, traveled the greatest distance for the Derrick Days chili cook-off.

The chili cook-off had 63 entries; beans division - 43 and barbecue - 40. Besides showing their skills in cooking, contestants also had the opportunity to show off their talents for displaying their entrees in the showmanship entry.

Although the cook-off was for fun and gave contestants the opportunity to enter future contests which might bring prizes and money, it was also a lot of hard work to set up and prepare for the event. Contestants said it took several days to even months to get everything prepared and ready to set up in a booth.

“Even though there is a lot of work, we have more fun than work,” said Bronk Kirk who was a participant with Eureka Ready Mix and Contractors Steel Supply.

The judging was a difficult task. There were 18 different entries of chili that made it into the final judging stages. The top 10 winners received a trophy and the top three winners earned a chance to be in the champion chili cook-off which will be in Terlingua, Texas.

The chili contest was broken down into contestants from Navarro County and contestants from all over Texas. The top three winners for the local chili contest was Mike Fitzhugh, Corsicana; Larry Taylor, Lively; and Jeff Golden, Blooming Grove. The top three winners in the overall finals were Ted Hume, Dallas; Robert Corley, Corsicana; Tommy Bennett, Benbrook.

Because the chili entries, which made it into the finals, were so unique in taste and texture it took the judges three times to break the ties that kept coming up for the final judging.

Any entry that made it to the top 10 finalist is capable of winning in a championship cook-off. A 3 time world champion for chili, Buffalo Church, said “Don’t quit cooking (if you don’t win the top three), it will be a winner another day.”

In the barbecue entries the top three winners were Randy Taylor, Corsicana; Jana Taylor, Corsicana and T.J. Erickson, Pottsboro.

Cooking up the best beans were Rodney Glasgow, Hearne; Nina Bennett, Benbrook and Mike Bryant, Corsicana.

The winners for showmanship were Bill Pruitt, Dawson; Dave Trent, Corsicana and Oil City Iron Works, Cheri Nesmith.

Other winners included:

Chili for local

4th place- Rusty Barlow, Blooming Grove

5th place- Scott Dechaume, Corsicana

Chili overall

4th place- Nina Bennet, Benbrook

5th place- Dewey Lawhon, Kyle

6th place- Debbie Turner, Brooksmith

7th place- Bill Coad, San Angelo

8th place- Rob Higgins, Dallas

9th place- Debra Frey, Emory

10th place- Nancy Skipper, Bellville

Barbecue

4th place- Ben Laudan, Blooming Grove

5th place- Ben Farmer, Blooming Grove

6th place- Gary Copas, Blooming Grove

7th place- Benny Barnett, Corsicana

8th place- Rusty Barlow, Blooming Grove

9th place- Roscoe Douglas- Dallas

10th place- Charlie Lowe, Union High

Beans

4th place- Terry Bowling, Blooming Grove

5th place- Sam Gordan, Corsicana