Gillespie farmer crowned barbecue grand champion

By Tammie Sloup

FarmWeek

With a little nudge, Bill Heyen went from backyard barbecuer to a barbecue grand champion.

The Gillespie resident often cooked at home for friends and family and was always rustling up some barbecue on camping trips.

"I was just cooking here at home and while camping, and a friend put on a rib cookoff and wanted me to compete," Heyen said from his shop in Macoupin County, where he's vice president of the county Farm Bureau.

"I shouldn't have done that because now I got hooked," he said, adding he's been competing since 2016 as Triple H BBQ, but it wasn't until three ye...