New champ takes California State Fair corn dog eating title. How many dogs were downed?
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Competitive eater Dan Kennedy won the 2023 Milo’s Corn dog eating competition, consuming 35 (and three-quarters) corn dogs in eight minutes.
Kennedy took home $2,500 and usurped the reigning champ, Molly Schuyler, in the weekend competition at the California State Fair & Food Festival.
Ten contestants qualified for the finals. There were a total of 128 corn dogs eaten by those 10 in the final round, and 110 eaten by 23 contestants in the qualifying rounds.
Milo’s 2023 Corn Dog Eating final results
Dan Kennedy: 35.75
Molly Schuyler: 33
Naader Reda: 10.75
Jay Kranz: 8.5
Michael Velasquez: 8.38
Russell Evanski: 7.33
Garrett Chan: 7
Jon Davis: 6.5
Leo Low: 6
Matt Lai: 5
Kennedy qualified Friday by eating 18 1/4 dogs in 4 minutes. His final total in 2022 was 28 corn dogs.
“It’s difficult to get into a rhythm when it’s hot,” Kennedy said. “But we battled through the heat, corn dogs were good and we made it happen.”
Schuyler, who won the past six competitions, qualified Friday by eating 19 corn dogs in 4 minutes. Schulyer’s total in 2022 was 30.5 dogs in 8 minutes.
“It’s my first year besting Molly,” Kennedy said. “Which doesn’t happen very often, so it’s sometimes surreal.”
Kennedy and Schuyler are “best friends” and both host competitive eating Youtube channels. The two are the only returning competitors from the past years.
Matt Lai, who came in 10th and ate five corn dogs, is a Northern California native. He competed in last year’s competition but did not qualify for the final round.
“The last time I ate a corn dog was last year’s competition,” he said. “I spaced it out pretty well.”
Milo Franks, owner of Milo’s Corn Dogs, has hosted the competition for 10 years. He prepared 160 corn dogs for the final round.
“I’m always prepared because I’d hate to run out,” he said. “It’s not like it’s rigged or anything, but these guys are way ahead of everyone else.”
Franks noted the popularity of other competitive eating competitions like the annual July 4 Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. He said the competition has only grown since he’s started hosting it and is hoping it can become a draw for people to attend the State Fair.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “Joey Chestnut and those guys, they’re on TV with it. So the fair could make it their little staple thing.”
When asked whether or not Franks could eat 35 corn dogs in 8 minutes, he said, “I’d die.”
“I think it’s real gross myself,” Franks said. “But everybody’s a little different. Right?”
