Woman Reflects on Decades of State Fair of Texas Creative Arts Competitions

Sue Rainey was in her 30s when she entered her first State Fair of Texas Creative Arts competition in 1981.

"A friend of mine liked my cobblers...so she said, 'There's a pie contest, why don't you enter?" Rainey said.

She entered an apple pie and coconut cream pie.

"When they called it for 3rd place, you'd have thought I won the lottery...I was addicted!"

For 4-decades, Rainey has been making pies, cakes, candies, and more for State Fair of Texas competitions. She guesses she's collected about 1,000 ribbons in all her years of competing.

"I mean, I love to win, but if I don't, it's still fine," Rainey said. "I like to watch the people who do win."

Rainey's highlight was during a chocolate cake competition in 1996.

"Then Julia Child came in," Rainey said. "She's judging right here," she said pointing to a photo of the famed chef trying her cake.

Sue Rainey

"I was the lucky one," Rainey said. Her cake won Best in Show. Child put the ribbon on her.

"She told me how good the cake was, and then she invited my mother and I to go to the Farmer's Market to a cooking show she was doing...she said in her voice, 'Oh, I want to introduce you to the best chocolate cake maker in the world.'"

Rainey said Child did not say why she thought that cake was so good.

"But I did brush the layers with a little bourbon," Rainey said laughing. "Everybody said that's why she went for it!"

Sue Rainey

Celebrity chefs aside, Rainey said a secret ingredient keeps her coming back year after year.

"It's given me a lot of friends," Rainey said. "I'll probably be 90 years old coming in here with a walker or something!"