Chris Parks (left) won the People’s Choice award, and Tanya “Joe” Walling (right) was the Judges’ Choice winner. Courtesy | Twitter

Hillsdale’s American Legion Riders Post hosted its second annual chili cookoff on Feb. 11. Returning champion Tanya “Joe” Walling won first place from the judges, while Post Commander Chris Parks won the “People’s Choice” award.

Leading up to the official judging in the afternoon, visitors could try the chili and buy tickets to cast votes for their favorites. Whoever got the most tickets would receive the “People’s Choice” award. Last year, Parks and Walling were the only two contestants.

“I came in second in both categories, that’s why she has both trophies right over there,” Parks said, motioning across the tent.

Walling displayed her trophies from last year’s contest on the wooden picnic table where she was working.

“It’s my award-winning chili,” Walling said. “I have won five awards with this chili.”

Parks was glad to win first in at least one category.

“After last year, it just being me and Joe, and she won both of them, it’s pretty satisfying,” he said.

This year, there was more competition.

Jerry Moistner, who served in the Army and is now the kitchen manager at the post, won second place from the judges with his grandma’s chili recipe.

“I had a good time,” Moistner said. “It was a lot of fun.”

At another station, brothers Corban and Aldon Craddock teamed up to make white chicken chili.

Their mother, Jennie Post, said it was actually her recipe.

“I think he did it better than I did,” she said, laughing. “Don’t tell him that though, because he’ll get a big head.”

The brothers won second place in the “People’s Choice” category.

“My middle son and my youngest son did it together, and I think that my favorite part of it was that they worked together,” Post said. “They bought all of the groceries themselves for it. They really wanted to win.”

Post, whose husband served in the Marine Corps and National Guard, volunteers at the post twice a week. She said wants the community to know that the post is open to them.

“They think this is a private club, like you have to be a member to come here. That is not the case,” she said. “They can come for fish fry on Friday or steak fry on Saturday.”

At another station, Candida McCoy, who was a medic in the Air Force, said she came up with her own “Red Hot Chili” recipe and makes it for her family all the time.

“This is my first year ever being in a chili competition, but I’m going to start entering in them all,” she said.

McCoy’s chili came in third in both categories.

“I’ll take third for my first time out of the gate,” she said.

The ice on Lake Baw Beese was too thin for the planned ice fishing seminar, but McCoy’s fifth-grade son Armando Torres stood on the shore and broke chunks off the edge, throwing them like frisbees and watching them shatter on the lake.

A band called Pomegranate Whiskey performed live music later that evening. Post said the band was a good fit because it offered something for everyone.

Some contestants, including the two winners, already plan to come back next year.

“I feel like I kind of have to be, whether I’m the post commander or not,” Parks said. “I won, I’ve got to defend it, right?”

Walling said it feels great to take home at least one of the trophies for the second year in a row.

“It just tells me again that I make really, really good chili,” Walling said.

She said she hopes for even more competition next year.

“We had five people. Hopefully next year we’ll have more,” Walling said. “Let’s just get this thing bigger and bigger every year, every year.”