IFOCE Features Turducken (Turkey, Duck, Chicken) in 2003.s Final Championship Event

New York, NY, Nov. 26, 2003 . 100-pound rookie eater Sonya Thomas of Alexandria, VA, won the 2003 Thanksgiving Meal Invitational by consuming 7¾ one-pound plates of Thanksgiving meal (featuring Turducken, green beans, cranberry sauce and yams) in 12 minutes.

Edward "Cookie" Jarvis, the 409-pound mutli-title champion from Nesconsett, NY, took second place with 7½ one-pound plates, and 420-pound Eric "Badlands" Booker of Copaigue, NY, came in third with 5¾ one-pound plates.

Thomas' victory was a major upset. Jarvis has dominated the 2003 eating season, earning six major titles, and Booker, world matzo ball and corned beef hash eating champion, won the 2002 Thanksgiving Meal Invitational.

Turducken.com, the world.s leading provider of turducken (a semi-boneless turkey stuffed with a boneless chicken, duck breast and layers of sausage stuffing), was the exclusive sponsor of the IFOCE Thanksgiving Meal Invitational at Mickey Mantle.s Restaurant on Central Park South in Manhattan.

Turducken.com is the home of Cajun Stuff, the world.s foremost provider of turducken and other authentic Cajun fare, including gumbos, Louisiana-style Po-Boys, and Cajun spiced and stuffed meat. For several years, Cajun Stuff has sold the specialty meat, turducken, to a nation-wide customer base at www.turducken.com.

The Thanksgiving Invitational, which featured winners of the IFOCE.s eight Harvest Series events, was a 12-minute all-you-can-eat contest, utelsils encouraged. The Thanksgiving Meal Invitational is the final major event of 2003 and the culmination of the eating year.

.Americans love quality too much to limit themselves to turkey, duck or chicken at an important meal such as Thanksgiving,. said Bob Hanna, who is co-owner of Cajun Stuff with Kevin Trahan. .Turducken is a way to enjoy all three birds at once, bringing the holiday meal to a whole new level..

.The turducken is the first real advancement in Thanksgiving in the nearly 400 years since the pilgrims sat down for dinner with the Indians,. said Richard Shea, President of the IFOCE. .Turducken is the ideal entrée for competitive eaters, who truly appreciate the nuances of great food in great quantity..

The International Federation of Competitive Eating is the world body that governs all stomach-centric sport. The IFOCE Harvest Series, a fall circuit of competitive eating events making stops in Seymour, WI, New York, NY, and Reno, NV, concludes at the Thanksgiving Meal Invitational in New York City. Additional information is available by visiting www.ifoce.com.