By JAMIE BUSEN

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

When Maggi Arnold grows up, she'd like to be just like her dad. And in many ways, she already is.

The 11-year-old daughter of Blues Hog Barbecue Company owner Bill Arnold loves to perfect her recipes.

"I cooked a pretty good dinner the other night," she said of her hamburger and brat feast. "Pop said it was the best burger he'd ever had."

The duo was hanging out Friday night at their tent in Kesler Park for the second annual Quincy Exchange Club's Smoke on the River event.

Bill Arnold, whose sauces and rubs are sold and shipped all over the world from Blues Hog's base in Perry, Mo., took home last year's top trophy after the barbecue contest. He's hoping for a repeat.

"Smoke on the River rocks," he said. "I love the local people, love the location, it's all just so great."

Event chairman Mel Dillman was busy making sure everything was in place for the steak dinner for the public and the steak grilling contest.

While the club broke even last year, Dillman said he expects this year's event will raise between $5,000 and $10,000. All proceeds go back into the community, he said.

"This is a great, family-friendly event," he said.

Chad Allen, whose parents own Krieger's, where he is the head cook, took first place in the steak contest. He won a $400 gas grill, compliments of Hy-Vee. There were 12 entries in the contest.

The 19-year-old has applied to a culinary school. His secret? He mixed together sauces from the restaurant with his own barbecue sauce recipe. His steak was garnished with shrimp and stuffed with onions and peppers, then presented to a team of six judges,.

"It's awesome," Allen said, minutes after he learned he won. "I wasn't expecting to hear my name called, especially not with all those other guys competing."

Exchange Club members Jeff Dorsey and Mike Ireland were part of the judging team.

"There were no skinny guys at the table," Dorsey said with a laugh. "There wasn't a bad steak in the bunch."

Ireland said he, like Dorsey, was recruited to judge, but that it "wasn't a bad job to have."

Today, 23 teams will compete for $5,000 in prize money for the barbecue contest. There are four categories -- pork ribs, pork shoulder, chicken and beef brisket -- and each pays out for five places.

The event is sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society and is designated as a state championship competition. The grand champion and reserve grand champion are then eligible to compete in the American Royal Barbecue in Kansas City, Mo.

Tickets to vote for the "People's Choice Award" can be purchased for $10. The money buys people a wristband and they can sample the various offerings. Dillman, who said there will be a supervised area for children, expects several thousand people today.

Tom Veihl and Tim VonHolt were cooking steaks for the public dinner Friday night. Smoke swirled around the large grill as the two flipped dozens of ribeyes.

"No complaints yet," Veihl said.

Jimmie Louthan, one of the event chairman, said it was a nice, entertaining time and that today should be even bigger and better. Besides, he said with a grin, everyone loves food.

"Even families that hate each other get together to eat," he laughed.

-- jbusen@whig.com/221-3385