MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — Twelve different entrants battled on Sunday to see who can fill up a cowboy the best, with sweet beating heat.
The scorching temperatures stayed away just long enough to make the parking lot at the rodeo the perfect venue for the Corn Palace Stampede Family Fun Day event, with the chili cook-off acting as the signature activity. Some went with a thin concoction, others chose to thicken theirs up with beans or birds (chicken and turkey were represented), while others brought some beef to the game.
Coming in first was Pheasants Country with a sublime sweet entry. Performance Pets took second and Iversons, the hottest of the bunch, was third. The Davison County Highway Weed Department was honored for best camp setup.
Before the start of Family Fun Days, cowboy church was held inside the rodeo ground. Weaving its way in between the chili stations was a barrel train, typically filled to the brim with children. The star of the show was a water slide inflatable and bounce house.
The rodeo itself wrapped up on Sunday night. A link to full results are available in the sports roundup.