HARVEY GEBHARD

SMOKE ‘UM & STROKE ‘UM

BURNET, TX - home to our newest Cooker of the Year.  Harvey won a Grand Champion and decided that it was so much fun, he just went out and won the next one and the next one, and just kept on winning. But more about that later. Here is his story.

Harvey found the Lone Star Barbecue Society on the internet and joined in 1999. He  tells us he always loved cooking BBQ and he and his wife Jean bought their first large pit so they could sell BBQ at craft shows. During that time Harvey’s buddy Ron asked him to cook with him in the Dripping Springs Cookoff Club (not associated w/sanctioned cookoffs). They cooked about five events the first year, including the LSBS sanctioned Celebrate Texas held at Stone Mountain Event Center.

The second year Harvey cooked at Stone Mountain, his grandson Travis, and ex-brother-in-laws Rusty & Donald, wanted to help.  They bought some fancy team shirts with their logo and we were off and running. That was the year they met and became friends with David (last years COTY winner) & Debbie McInroe. The McInroes shared ideas and techniques with Harvey and then he began to make some changes on his own and he just kept on winning.

They cooked approximately 10 events that first year and did pretty good. The other team members, due to other priorities are no longer involved. Now his wife Jean, after giving up her craft shows, has joined him. She even learned to cook pinto beans and is doing very well.

They love to travel and see all the small towns and meet the people. Lone Star Barbecue Society is proud to have Harvey as one of our Vice Presidents in the Hill Country and Jean is now a Head Judge and doing very well.

Harvey has traveled a bunch of miles over this past year. It started out with him just wanting to finish in the top 10. Then the more he won the more he wanted to win and the more they traveled around the state and pretty soon he worked his way to number one. Congratulations Harvey!