Marionville man is champ of Salute to America's hot dog eating contest

Contestants race to finish a basket of hot dogs Thursday during the J. Pfenny's Hotdog Eating Contest. The contest was part of the Salute to America event which also featured carnival rides, vendor booths, live music and performances.
Contestants race to finish a basket of hot dogs Thursday during the J. Pfenny's Hotdog Eating Contest. The contest was part of the Salute to America event which also featured carnival rides, vendor booths, live music and performances.

The crowd and clouds gathered, and then the feast for Fourth of July glory began on Salute to America's Madison Street stage as 10 contestants competed in J. Pfenny's Hotdog Eating Contest on Thursday.

The contestants had 10 minutes to eat as many Nathan's Famous hot dogs as they could, and people who volunteered stood behind the eaters to count the tally.

A crowd gathered and filled up most of the intersection of Madison and East High dtreets to watch. J. Pfenny's Sports Grill & Pub provided the hot dogs. Jefferson City Cleaning Services was on standby.

Greg Webb, of Marionville, was the men's champ, having eaten 20 hot dogs on buns. Mark Sullens, of Jefferson City - sponsored by Jefferson City Cleaning Services - was in second-place with nine hot dogs.

Alexis Backers and Keondra Samuels were the top finishers among the women who competed.

Event announcer Emily Larkin said Thursday's contest was the 13th hot dog eating competition.

"It's a Fourth of July tradition," J. Pfenny's owner Dan Pfenenger said.

Pfenenger said he likes to show people how tough a hot dog eating competition is.

"We've never got anybody to 40 (hot dogs) yet," Pfenenger said, though he said Webb is "always in his mid-20s."

Webb said he competes whenever he can, usually about three times a year.

Larkin said the women's record in the past five years has been six hot dogs.

She added Joey Chestnut, the winner of the annual Fourth of July Nathan's Famous hot dog eating contest at Coney Island, New York, had eaten 71 hot dogs in 10 minutes Thursday morning.

Women's champ Miki Sudo ate 31 hot dogs in that time, according to CBS News.

Contestants in Jefferson City had different strategies: slow and steady; hot dog first, then the bun; wash the bites down with tea, water or an orange sports drink.

There was $200 in prizes available for the top two male and female finishers - $50 in Missouri Lottery scratch-off tickets for each of the first place winners, and $50 gift cards to J. Pfenny's for each of the second-place finishers.