News : Cookout Queen: Dawnette Richards joins husband as State Fair Champ

Cookoff Queen: Dawnette Richards won the championship with her butter sage turkey recipe.

Brian Halstead won first place in the Pork category.

Justin Meredith was 2nd in the Poultry division.

Five years after her husband won the Iowa State Fair Cookout contest with his Poor Man's Prime Rib, Dawnette Richards joins Brett as Iowa Farm Burau Cookoff Champion.

Dawnette's sage butter turkey won the top overall honor as well as the 1st Place award in the Turkey category.

The Richards run the popular Smoken' on the Cedar barbecue catering business. Their trailer will be at Boomtown in Vinton on Aug. 26-27, as well as the Keystone Round-Up this weekend. After Brett's win in 2011, the couple began displaying his State Fair trophy; now they have to make room for two.

Other Benton County grillers also brought home trophies and prizes.

Brian Halstead earned 1st Place with his Pork entry; Justin Meredith earned 2nd Place with his Poultry.

Several cooks who had won at the Benton County Fair last month competed. They include: Emmet Cummings, Halane Cummings, Justin Meredith, Dawnette Richards, Michelle Bruce and Brian Halstead.

Benton County Farm Bureaul leader Bill Newton also attended the event to show his support for the local chefs. The contest took place on Tueday, Aug. 16, which was also Farm Bureau Day at the State Fair.

See a video of Dawn describing her championship-winning recipe (and advice for future competitors) HERE.