|
 In
the 1890's it was the promise of
gold and silver that brought
thousands of miners to the Colorado
Mountains. Today it was the chance
to qualify for the 41st Annual
Terlingua International Chili
Cookoff. Cooks traveled from Texas,
Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and New
Mexico. A postcard perfect day
greeted them for the 24th Annual
Colorado State Chili Championship in
Grand Lake Colorado. Mother Nature
cooperated with calm winds and fair
temperatures
This
event is a true community affair.
Since it was benefiting the local
Fire and Rescue units, there was a
fantastic turnout from the Fire
Department. But not to be outdone,
the Park Rangers from nearby Rocky
Mountain National Park showed up
along with their equestrian unit in
full search and rescue gear. To
this the Fire Department answered by
raising their ladders high into the
sky over the cookoff, giving us some
stellar photographs of the cookoff
site.
Before long, the cooks were busy
chopping and stirring while the
aroma of simmering chili filled the
air. Current TICC Champion Dana
Plocheck was also on hand to enjoy
the day’s festivities. Public
attendance was excellent. They
listened to exceptional Bluegrass
music while strolling through the
vendor areas and of course enjoying
the wonderful showmanship displayed
by the cooks. There was Beer, Hot
Dogs, Hamburgers, and Bratwursts to
be had. Along with some world class
Red and Green chili!
 Soon
the Judges were at work. They had
the hardest job of the day, not to
mention the most flavorful.
Deciding from among so many
exceptional chili’s, has to be a
chore.
There
was a bit of excitement just before
announcements. It seems that an
unnamed Great Pepper from Colorado
“misplaced” his ticket for his red
chili. When a feverish search did
not produce the errant ticket, he
resigned himself to the fates.
In the
end, Dana Plocheck from
Houston Texas won out over the rest
of the competition, and showing us
why she is the TICC champion.
John
Montgomery
from Golden Colorado was an
extremely close second.
Remember that “misplaced” ticket –
Third Place went Unclaimed.
Steve
Lee, of Longmont Colorado, and his “Warriors
of the Crimson Pepper” took
top honors in Showmanship. Followed
by Karen Hendricks with God Bless
America
Green
Chili was won by Ron Williams of
Farmington New Mexico while Doug
Ingerson of Broomfield Colorado took
the 2nd place spot
The
Colorado Chili Pod would like to
thank the organizers, sponsors,
cooks and everybody who showed up to
make this event successful.
Be
sure to mark your calendars for next
year’s event.
A
Celebration of 25 years - The 25th
Annual Colorado State Chili
Championship! |
