Our Champions

  • Aaron Lesley

    Aaron Lesley

    Aaron Lesley born in Midland Tx and raised right in the middle of the Oilfields of West Texas. Aaron has always had a love for cooking and the culinary arts, learning the art of bbq and grilling from his Papaw and the love of comfort foods from his granny. Aaron started catering in 2012 grilling over 300 ribeyes a week and had a need for a good steak seasoning that fit his flavor profile, so he created what is now the “Oil Dust”(all purpose rub). He found a love for competition bbq in 2015 and while catering, working in the oil fields and competing on the weekends, he started up the Texas Oil Dust brand as a hobby and a way to create a line of great tasting seasonings that he could use both in the BBQ-Food service industry as well as competition bbq. Over the last 7 years he has created 8 different rubs, 3 injections and a bbq sauce called Brandin’ Oil that is quietly taking Texas by storm as one of the top brisket glazes. He currently works for Midland Meat Company and is the Pit master in their BBQ restaurant called the MMC Half Acre. As a guy who is dedicated to the ever growing sport of bbq competition, competes in upwards of 40 events each year, his love of grilling, smoking meats, teaching folks the art of bbq and his flair for spiceology, this fuels his fire to keep driving the Texas highways every weekend. Bbq family is and will always be important for each of us, with our bbq family, there is no bbq.

  • Phil Breeden

    Phil grew up In Sour Lake, Texas, his love for food started at a young age, and sports fueled his competitive drive to be the best. He now resides in Bandera Texas with his wife Carmen and their four children. Phil’s first competition was in January of 2015…Hardin County Go Texan in Silsbee, TX. The cookoff had 19 teams and they only called top 3 places in each meat. Phil remembers “I sat on my butt through chicken, then ribs, then brisket until they got to 1st place…Boom! I was hooked.” Now borderline obsessed with the sport of competition barbecue he was constantly mixing up new concoctions to get an edge. That’s when Fowl Play was born, Phil went through many versions starting in 2016 until perfection was reached and he launched LC BBQ Fowl Play in 2018. This same method is still in place, He perfects each recipe and tests them in real competitions until the results let him know it’s a winner. Play Bull debuted later in 2018, with Bosshog and Angry Bull to follow in 2019.

  • Josh Hale

    I have never had a passion for anything as I do BBQ Competition. I am beyond thankful for Texas Chrome Hero’s Foundation for opening my eyes to this new found love of BBQ. I not only enjoy the cook aspect, but I love the new found BBQ Family that we have grown into. I am thankful that my own family finds joy in it, has made connections and also anticipates our road trips around Texas. The competitive aspects of aspiring to always be better and do better motivated me and I continue to set higher goals for myself in BBQ competition. I want to eventually be the mentor so many have graciously been for me.

  • JARED & LACEY MCCRORY

    We are Jared and Lacey McCrory. We competed in our first and only BBQ competition in October of 2020. Shortly after we found the love in cooking & competing. In 2022 we welcomed a little boy into the world named Connor. January of 2023, we decided to hit the BBQ trail hard & competing with some of the best each weekend. We are looking forward to Connor being able to grow up in the BBQ world & starting Kids Que when he becomes of age. We just love to cook, it gives us that outlet for cooking & competing, the more we cook the better we get. We have met some of the best people that have become family. We can’t wait to see everyone on the BBQ trail.

  • Dennis Butterworth

    We started out as a competition BBQ team in 2009. I had a sauce sponsor that would eventually go out of business and leave us looking for something that would give us a competitive edge. I decided it was time to make my own sauce, to formulate something with the color, consistency, and flavor I was looking for. I started bottling the sauce in mason jars and using it in competitions. Once I made the stage at the HLSR cookoff placing 8th in ribs, the other competitors came around asking to buy my sauce. So, I decided to rent space in a local commercial kitchen and bottle the sauce for retail. As a veteran, I wanted to be able to donate money from my sauce sales to veterans charities. I teamed up with the Folds Of Honor and decided to donate $.50 of every bottle sold. I had no idea what this would lead to. I got into a few small BBQ shops across the state and then one of my friends suggested I enter HEB’s Quest for Texas Best. Out of over 600 products, our FUBAR Sauce (For Use On Butts And Ribs) took 1st place! So, in January 2018, we entered HEB, we started in 150 stores an by the end of 2018, we were in over 280 stores. FUBAR was the number one selling sauce in HEB for 2018 in their premium section. In 2018, we were able to donate $26,000 to the Folds Of Honor! In January of 2019, I placed two new flavors of sauce into HEB and they are already selling out. My SNAFU sauce (Situation Normal All Fowler Up) is an orange, pineapple and chipotle sauce that donates to the Lone Survivor Foundation and my FUBAR Flamethrower teamed up again with the Folds Of Honor. goes here

  • Allan Freeman

    Allan started his journey in 2003. All his backyard friends said he cooked the best Brisket they ever had, he should compete. So he did, and lost. And lost and lost and lost until one day he went and taste judged. WOW, what an eye opener. Upped his game and the rest is history. Learning old school, trial and error, finally made it to a consistent winning team.

    Now some 19 years later and still going strong Allan has served on 2 Sanctioning body Board of Directors and as Regional Director for IBCA. He has cooked in most sanctioning bodies in or near Texas, including TGCBCA, IBCA, LoneStar, CBA, BCA, Outlaw and KCBS.

    Always seems to find himself in the top 10 and more often than not in the top 3. And none of this would be possible without his lovely wife Vivian Freeman who has helped develop their winning flavor profiles.

    Quote

    “I Love This Sport” Hearing my name called in the top 10 is the ultimate adrenaline rush. When I lose that, I quit or if I’m in a wheel chair.

  • Bill Purvis

    It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • The Robey's

    Two teams in one house equals no secrets! After 30-something years of marriage, we came across something that we enjoy equally and can do together, but separately. Competition BBQ has put us where we want to be at this stage in our lives! We have the same passion for the competition, but we have different tastes and methods. That is what keeps this game so interesting and fun. Which one will out do the other? Sometimes it’s a long drive home from the cookoff, but win or lose, we’re out there doing what we enjoy - together!

  • Corbin Stone

    Hello, my name is Corbin Stone with Smokin Donkey’s Barbecue, the son of the founder, and owner of the barbeque store. I have been competing in barbeque for little over a year now and I am currently in the top 10 in the state of Texas. While competing for a short time, I have met some of the greatest, most helpful people from not knowing anything to competing with the best. I wouldn’t trade cooking for anything.

    “WHERE YOU GO TO WIN”

  • Michelle Castillo

    Before I became a mom, I did have some exposure to BBQ (no not eating it). I was on a BBQ Cook Team, and we cooked small backyard competitions, my last cook-off was in 2012. In 2019 I met Adam Martinez and was quickly introduced to a different level of BBQ, Competition BBQ. After about a year of helping Adam, we decided I would give it a go on my own. My first comp was in September of 2020 at the Waller County Fair & Rodeo Cook-Off. I was so nervous with so many great cooks in attendance, but to my surprise, I was Reserve Grand Champion that day! I was beyond thrilled and couldn’t wait to cook again! The rest is history, LOL!

    BBQ and BBQ family was one of the best things that came with meeting Adam. Everyone was so welcoming, and I’ve truly enjoyed meeting so many people and learning so much from so many great cooks. I love cooking and BBQ is just an extension of that. You never quit learning new things and meeting new people, who wouldn’t love this life!

  • Robert Smith

    Robert Smith is the Pitmaster of First Class BBQ competition team out of Hempstead, TX. He is a 2 time World BBQ Champion winning both of his World Champions at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Robert has won over 100 Grand Champions and over 50 Reserve Champions competing in 3 different sanctioning bodies, IBCA, BCA and KCBS. Robert has even been a guest judge on the hit TV series Smoked.

    Robert has been competing on the competition circuit since 2004. He loves to BBQ and is always learning and working to perfect the art of smoking. His passion for BBQ can be seen at his very successful BBQ restaurant he owns in Hempstead, TX.

    His 100% tell-all competition cooking school is packed full of Pro Tips, techniques, and recipes that will show you everything you need to know to take your backyard BBQ, KCBS and IBCA Competition Cooking to a level you never thought was possible. What are you waiting for? Select the meat you want to learn how to cook, hit the buy button and start cooking like a World Champion today!!

  • Joey Smith

    Joey is the Pitmaster of the Texas Chrome BBQ competition team out of Austin, TX. Specializing in Texas BBQ, this World Champion Pitmaster won the renowned Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo in 2019. Joey has won multiple Grand Champions and Reserve Grand Champions competing in sanctioned events over the past 15 years.

    His tell-all competition cooking school is going to show you everything you need to know to take your backyard BBQ, tailgating events, KCBS or IBCA Competition Cooking to a level you have never thought possible. What are you waiting for? Select the meat you want to learn how to cook, hit the buy button and start cooking like a World Champion today!!