Photo finishes
0.0116
decided the closest call
Chicken places 8–9: Bad Influence BBQ edged Rucking Fidiculous BBQ by 0.0116.
- Chicken 8–9 · 0.0116
Rock Island BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) 2023
Oct 13–14, 2023 · Stover, MO · 📍 401 W. 2nd St
Reps: Eugene Wickham, Sarah Wickham · Prize money: $4,400
HESSHOGS won Grand Champion at the Rock Island BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) on October 13, 2023 in Stover, MO at 401 W. 2nd St, scoring 510.3312 in a field of 16 teams. Smoke This Drink That BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 501.0852. Category winners: Chicken — Bad Influence BBQ - MO (173.1772); Pork Ribs — Smoke This Drink That BBQ (178.3200); Pork — HESSHOGS (171.9884). This is the 1st of 2 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2024.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
431.39
median 490.31
510.33 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 173.18
- Pork Ribs 178.32
- Pork 171.99
137.11
178.32
Entries
16
3 judged meats
Top score
510.3312
Winning margin
9.2460
GC over RC
Field average
482.63
431.39510.33
median 490.31 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
4.5256 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
488.5144
431.39510.33
10th place overall
Field spread
78.9376
winner to last place
Prize money
$4,400
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.72 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,542
avg power rating going in · stronger than 32% of contests
Storylines (2 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
How the title was won
3 of 3
meats called to the stage
HESSHOGS took the title on 3 calls from 3 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 4th.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 1st
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 2023 ← this one | Stover, MO | 401 W. 2nd St | 16 | 510.3312 | HessHogs4 |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Stover, MO | 207 N. Main St | 10 | 354.2628 | BBQ Pit Bros |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 173.1772 | 162.2628 | 157.1428 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.3200 | 168 | 162.3312 |
| Pork | 171.9884 | 167.4628 | 161.1772 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Backyard Series
Overall
16 entries · top 510.3312 · median 490.3084 · out of 540, not the usual 360
Chicken
16 entries · top 173.1772 · median 157.6742
Pork Ribs
16 entries · top 178.3200 · median 165.7144
Pork
16 entries · top 171.9884 · median 163.1198