Feeling guilty entering clones into competition?

Hey everyone, I'm about to enter my first beer competition now that I'm producing some quality brews. I do a lot of clone brews from CYBI and other magazines but I think I would feel guilty entering those beers b/c they're not my recipes. I would feel like a total ass if I won best of show (they brew your beer at a local brewpub) and had to tell them that the recipe is of another commercial beer!

Anyone else have some insight into this?

It's a brewing competition, not a recipe competition. There are so many different variables in brewing that even if you had the brewery's exact recipe, you'd still end up with a different product.

Enter it and don't feel guilty.

Recipes are only small factor in the success or failure of a beer. I wouldn't hesitate at all.

Yeah, don't even worry. Plus, "clone" brews aren't literal clones. I'm sure the grain you got was from a different supplier and the hops were gown in other areas (and taste different) than the ones the commercial brewers use.

The beer you enter was made by you, using your two hands, at your home, using your equipment. The yeasties (the ones who actually make the beer, but get too little credit..hehe) did their stuff on your watch, in the home of wort you built for them.

Be proud.

Ok cool, I'm going all out for this one! I'm really excited about the beers lately and have been getting rave reviews at my homebrew club.

Here's what I'm entering:
Rogue Shakespeare Stout Clone
Rogue Dead Guy Clone (not sure which category)
Arrogant Bastard Clone (also not sure which category)
Saison - my own recipe
Rye IPA - my own recipe
Dirty Water Brown Ale - from Brewing Classic Styles

In a way, brewing for BJCP guidelines is sort of brewing "clones". You're attempting to "clone" very specific guidelines better than anyone else. Since they list specific commercial examples, a clone of those examples (if truly cloned) would theoretically be a competition winner. Essentially what I'm saying is, cloning is in a way what the whole competition scene is about!

The only thing that matters it that you brewed it.

I'm with the consensus. Competitions are a measure of a brewer's ability to brew, not a recipe. Granted, if a recipe is crappy, no amount of brewing skill will make it better, but that's all the more reaon to enter clone recipes.