Page 36 - Barbecue News April 2020 Issue

cover story
Whole Hoggin’ in Houston The 2020 Houston Livestock Rodeo World Championship BBQ Cookoff helped me check off one of my "BBQ Bucket List" items while adding yet another item to it at the same time!
By Kell Phelps
Publisher Barbecue News Magazine info@barbecuenews.com
I grew up hearing stories
about the Houston Live-
stock Rodeo (HLSR) World
Championship BBQ
Cookoff. Every year I would
hear all about this "Mega"
barbecue event and listen
to details why it was the
biggest of them all. I would
also see all of the photos
and articles about the
cookoff inside the National
Barbecue News while it was
running on the printing
press that I was operating. Way back then, in the 1990s, I put this event down on my "BBQ Bucket List." On February 26th, I arrived at NRG Park to mark off this personal BBQ Bucket List item.
I was first invited to the
HLSR event by barbecue
family members Lon and
Sandy Babcock after just
meeting them. This awe-
some couple were both ac-
tively involved in helping
with the contest and prom-
ised me all access to this
grandest of all BBQ events.
I made a point to see both
Lon and Sandy (along with
several other Texas BBQ
Family members) when I
arrived in the Houston
area. Only a few people
know how many times I
put this event on the cal-
endar, but due to one situ-
ation or another, I had to remove it.
Texas Social Club. I met this Texas group back in the middle '90s at the World Barbecue Association event held in Jamacia. Bill Felder, who is a director for the group and is also the very first life- time subscriber of the Barbecue News. Bill, along with Tom Laird, Terry Koch, along
Photo courtesy of Kell Phelps The 2020 edition of the Hog Boss crew from the Texas Social Club
during the HLSR World Championship BBQ Cookoff.
Another ton of invitations came from members of the
eight whole hogs during the event), Gene Johnson and Jim Holland, has also extended multiple invitations to come hang out with them every year too. I was honored to help
BarbecueNews.com - 36
APRIL 2020
Photo courtesy of Kell Phelps Houston Texas BBQ family members and I enjoying a quick
visit during HLSR BBQ week.
can play any music, and 1,400 BBQ friends and fam- ily all enjoying their visit would only start to explain their party. Bill wanted to make sure I reminded all the past attendees of these gracious parties that the Texas Social Club is still hosting the coldest beer, prettiest ladies, best music, and best food found during the annual HSLR BBQ World Championship.
A couple of long time "Hog Bosses" (the crew who is responsible for cooking
with their spouses, and a host of other team members have always been known for their iconic parties during the an- nual event. After attending their 2020 event, I can testify that this crew hosts every aspect of the party life that any- one would want, and they offer it in abundance. Excellent food, endless adult beverages, an exceptional live band that