King of the Corn
2025-05-16 – 2025-05-17 · Ottumwa, IA · 📍 2818 North Court Street · State championship
Reps: CINDY JUHL, TOM JUHL · Prize money: $10,000.00
Grand Champion: Wag's Backwoods BBQ (702.2516) · 33 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW
Entries
33
4 judged meats
Top score
702.2516
Winning margin
6.8456
GC over RC
Field average
679.36
median 681.03
Tightest race
Chicken
2.2856 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
685.6456
10th place overall
Field spread
54.9832
winner to last place
Prize money
$10,000.00
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 37%
beats 63% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
30%
of the 33 teams with a home region came from outside IA
Came back for more
64%
23 of 36 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.64 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1577
avg power rating going in · stronger than 78% of contests
Storylines
🔥 A day of perfect scores
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 1–2: Bad Influence BBQ - MO and Bramble BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ and THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE and MACHETE BOYS BBQ tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: T-Rex BBQ (won 2022), SON OF A BOAR BBQ (won 2023), SHIGGIN & GRINNIN (won 2024).
🃏 An upset on the books
WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, HOT DADDY'S BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 35-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
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)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-10-14 | Ottumwa, IA | 2818 N. Court St. | 36 | 697.6572 | T-Rex BBQ | PARTS 'R' SMOKIN |
| 2023-05-19 | Ottumwa, IA | 2818 N. Court St. | 45 | 703.3944 | SON OF A BOAR BBQ | 4 LEGS UP BBQ |
| 2024-05-17 | Ottumwa, IA | 2818 N. Court Street | 36 | 694.2284 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW |
| 2025-05-16 ← this one | Ottumwa, IA | 2818 North Court Street | 33 | 702.2516 | Wag's Backwoods BBQ | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW |
| 2026-10-16 | Ottumwa, IA | — | — | — | — | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180.0000 | 177.7144 | 175.4172 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.2972 | 173.7028 | 171.9884 |
| Pork | 180.0000 | 176.5600 | 172.5944 |
| Brisket | 176.5600 | 172.5484 | 171.4056 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
33 entries · top 702.2516 · median 681.0284
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 2 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 3 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 4 | Bad Influence BBQ - MO | |
| 5 | Givey's Que | |
| 6 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 7 | Low Eye Que | |
| 8 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 9 | Bramble BBQ | |
| 10 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 11 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 12 | Broke Boys BBQ | |
| 13 | Son of a Boar BBQ | |
| 14 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 15 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 16 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 17 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 18 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 19 | Second String BBQ | |
| 20 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 21 | T-Rex BBQ | |
| 22 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 23 | Darty-Q | |
| 24 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 25 | Family Tradition BBQ | |
| 26 | The Bearded Bandits | |
| 27 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 28 | Hawg Holler BBQ | |
| 29 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 30 | CHICK HUGGINS BBQ | |
| 31 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 32 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 33 | Smokin at Noonish |
Chicken
33 entries · top 180.0000 · median 173.7028 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bad Influence BBQ - MO | |
| 2 | Bramble BBQ | |
| 3 | The Bearded Bandits | |
| 4 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 5 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 6 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 7 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 8 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 9 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 10 | Son of a Boar BBQ | |
| 11 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 12 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 13 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 14 | Low Eye Que | |
| 15 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 16 | Second String BBQ | |
| 17 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 18 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 19 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 20 | Broke Boys BBQ | |
| 21 | Hawg Holler BBQ | |
| 22 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 23 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 24 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 25 | T-Rex BBQ | |
| 26 | CHICK HUGGINS BBQ | |
| 27 | Givey's Que | |
| 28 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 29 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 30 | Darty-Q | |
| 31 | Family Tradition BBQ | |
| 32 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 33 | Smokin at Noonish |
Pork Ribs
33 entries · top 178.2972 · median 170.8112
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Givey's Que | |
| 2 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 3 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 4 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 5 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 6 | Low Eye Que | |
| 7 | Family Tradition BBQ | |
| 8 | Second String BBQ | |
| 9 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 10 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 11 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 12 | Bad Influence BBQ - MO | |
| 13 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 14 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 15 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 16 | Bramble BBQ | |
| 17 | Broke Boys BBQ | |
| 18 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 19 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 20 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 21 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 22 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 23 | T-Rex BBQ | |
| 24 | CHICK HUGGINS BBQ | |
| 25 | Son of a Boar BBQ | |
| 26 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 27 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 28 | Darty-Q | |
| 29 | Hawg Holler BBQ | |
| 30 | Smokin at Noonish | |
| 31 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 32 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 33 | The Bearded Bandits |
Pork
33 entries · top 180.0000 · median 169.1084 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 2 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 3 | The Bearded Bandits | |
| 4 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 5 | Givey's Que | |
| 6 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 7 | Darty-Q | |
| 8 | Family Tradition BBQ | |
| 9 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 10 | Bad Influence BBQ - MO | |
| 11 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 12 | Bramble BBQ | |
| 13 | T-Rex BBQ | |
| 14 | Broke Boys BBQ | |
| 15 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 16 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 17 | Hawg Holler BBQ | |
| 18 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 19 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 20 | Low Eye Que | |
| 21 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 22 | Son of a Boar BBQ | |
| 23 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 24 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 25 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 26 | CHICK HUGGINS BBQ | |
| 27 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 28 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 29 | Smokin at Noonish | |
| 30 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 31 | Second String BBQ | |
| 32 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 33 | Smokin Suckers |
Brisket
33 entries · top 176.5600 · median 170.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 2 | Low Eye Que | |
| 3 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 4 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 5 | Givey's Que | |
| 6 | Broke Boys BBQ | |
| 7 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 8 | Darty-Q | |
| 9 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 11 | T-Rex BBQ | |
| 12 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 13 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 14 | Son of a Boar BBQ | |
| 15 | Bad Influence BBQ - MO | |
| 16 | AWESOME RACKS COOKIN CREW | |
| 17 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 18 | Second String BBQ | |
| 19 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 20 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 21 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 22 | 2 CASE BBQ | |
| 23 | Smokin at Noonish | |
| 24 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 25 | Bramble BBQ | |
| 26 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 27 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 28 | Family Tradition BBQ | |
| 29 | Hawg Holler BBQ | |
| 30 | BLAIR'S BIGFOOT BBQ | |
| 31 | CHICK HUGGINS BBQ | |
| 32 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 33 | The Bearded Bandits |