Arkansas 4-H’ers advance to state BBQ competition
Arkansas 4-H members Jose Aguillon of Monroe County and Caitlin Cooper of White County are headed to the state BBQ championship next month after winning top honors in the 4-H Central Arkansas BBQ Competition.
May 22, 2026
By Tracy Courage
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- 4-H members from 11 counties competed in 4-H Central Arkansas BBQ Competition
- Top winners advance to state BBQ competition at Poultry Festival in Rogers
- Competitors represented Benton, Cleburne, Faulkner, Greene, Hot Spring, Lonoke, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Saline, and White counties
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Download BBQ photos
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas 4-H members Jose Aguillon of Monroe County and Caitlin Cooper of White County are headed to the state BBQ championship in June after winning top honors in the 4-H Central Arkansas BBQ Competition.
Aguillon, competing for the first time, won the senior chicken competition, while Cooper, a repeat winner, won the turkey contest. They were among the two dozen 4-H members who competed in the Arkansas 4-H Central Arkansas BBQ competition May 16 at the Cooperative Extension Service state headquarters in Little Rock.
The event drew competitors from Benton, Cleburne, Faulkner, Greene, Hot Spring, Lonoke, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Saline and White counties. Other regional competitions have been held in Jonesboro, Arkadelphia and Fayetteville. The first- and second-place winners in the senior chicken and turkey categories from all regional contests now advance to the state competition at the Poultry Festival, set for June 12-13 in Rogers, Arkansas.
Central Arkansas contest winners
Senior Division — Chicken
First place — Jose Aguillon, Monroe County
Second place — Keegan Bryant, Saline County
Third place — Mikey Johnson, Perry County
Junior / Intermediate Division — Chicken
First place — Finn Cassidy, Benton County
Second place — Elijah Wigington, Pope County
Third place — Jessalyn O’Dell, White County
Senior Division — Turkey
First place — Caitlin Cooper, White County
Second place — Evan Cloud, Hot Spring County
Third place — Joseph Haywood, Greene County
Junior / Intermediate Division — Turkey
First place — Carleigh Cooper, White County
Skills on display
Judges scored competitors not just on taste and texture of the grilled meats but also on fire safety and food safety, watching to see that grillers kept their tables clean, avoided cross-contamination of raw and cooked poultry, and cooked their poultry to the proper temperatures. They also had to prepare a poster with poultry facts.
“We have them do a little research on the poultry industry and show us what they’ve learned,” said Andrew Bolton, extension 4-H youth poultry instructor and contest coordinator for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Many of the posters offered nutrition information, calorie and protein breakdowns, health benefits and other facts.
Competitors started with the same ingredients. For the chicken competition, grillers received four bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs to cook and were required to plate two pieces for judging. Those competing in the turkey division received a pound of ground turkey and were required to turn in one cooked patty. All competitors had two hours to grill, plate and turn in their entries.
Secret sauces
Competitors put their own spin on flavoring, with most using a mix of store-bought sauces, spice rubs and seasonings.
Caitlin Cooper, the first-place turkey winner in the senior division, made a Texas turkey burger using a Texas steak seasoning she bought in San Antonio. She has competed for four years, opting to cook turkey the past two years.
“Turkey is just different,” she said. “I think it’s easier to make it your own.”
Aguillon, the first-place chicken winner in the senior division, used Kinder’s barbecue sauce as his base. Monroe County Extension agent Valerie Turner said he learned how to grill just so he could compete in the contest.
“We practiced getting the chicken ready, preparing the table for competition, and we worked on his recipe and his poster,” she said. “I am really proud of him.”
First-time competitor Keegan Bryant of Saline County 4-H used a mix of Kraft Original BBQ Sauce, Sweet Baby Rays Sweet and Spicy sauce, Cavender’s seasoning, salt and pepper.
“My uncle taught me how to barbecue, and my recipe is one that my grandmother passed to my uncle and my uncle passed to me,” Bryant said. “It’s simple, but it works.”
After turning in his best two thighs, he and his mother ate the other two pieces while waiting for the judges’ decision. “All I know is that if my mom, who doesn’t like to eat meat on the bone, eats it and likes it, then it must be good,” said Bryant, who placed second.
Grace Perry, 19, of Perry County, took extra precautions to keep her turkey patty from drying out. She used an aluminum foil boat with just enough water in the bottom to keep the patty from sticking to the foil. For her secret recipe, she used salt, pepper, garlic powder and a surprise ingredient.
“I put a blob of cream cheese in the middle of the patty,” she said.
The grilling competition fit perfectly with White County 4-H member Madilyn O’Dell’s 4-H project in food and healthy living.
“I love to cook and bake,” she said. “My dream job is to have my own bakery.”
Both she and her sister, Jessalyn O’Dell, 10, competed in the chicken category. However, grilling didn’t come naturally for Madilyn at first.
“When I first started, I was hesitant to light the fire,” she said. “My family bought me the longest lighters we could find. Now, it’s not a problem.”
The girls’ mother, Caitlin O’Dell, was watching from beneath a shade tree and said the 4-H competitive events have helped build her daughters’ confidence, not just with cooking but also with public speaking. At club meetings, members often give talks and demonstrations while they’re cooking.
“Madilyn wanted to compete but was shy at first,” O’Dell said. “Now she’s the president of our club. That’s one of the great things for me as a mom is seeing how much they grow as individuals and as team members. It builds their confidence.”
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media Contact: Tracy Courage
Director of Communications-Extension
U of A System Division of Agriculture
501-658-2044