HOUSTON — Thousands of people were at NRG Park Thursday for the first night of the Houston Rodeo BBQ Cookoff, where the grills were hot and the party won’t soon stop.
For 35 years, Tom Stubblefield has been behind the pit.
“We’re doing brisket, ribs and chicken," Stubblefield said.
He hasn’t yet won a contest but said they've won in other ways.
“We win the best party," Stubblefield said. “That’s a guaranteed win.”
Across the road, Chris Cannon has one win under his belt.
“We won first place brisket, World Champion Brisket," Cannon said. "I still can’t describe it a year later. I’m world champion for another two days. I’m proud of it.”
But he’s working for another.
“We want Grand Champion. We want to be top in all three categories, as high as we can be," Cannon said.
Whether you're roaming the rows, touring the tents or living in luxury at VIP, the cookoff has entertainment for everyone - and food too.
Inside the Chuckwagon tent, massive amounts of meat will be served up over the next three days, feeding more than 40,000 people.
And even after 35 years, Tom’s hoping this will be their year, but if not, they'll still have a great time.
“We hope, but we’re still going to win the best party," Stubblefield said.