The High on the Hog Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
2024-05-17 – 2024-05-18 · Winchester, TN · 📍 1561 Phillip Fulmer Parkway
Reps: CAROL BIGLER, RANDY G BIGLER · Prize money: $3,800.00
Grand Champion: Smokey Bees BBQ (352.0000) · 39 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 Electro-Que-ted
Entries
39
3 judged meats · 3 ancillary
Top score
352.0000
Winning margin
0.0228
GC over RC
Field average
334.38
median 335.91
Tightest race
Chicken
2.2856 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
345.0972
10th place overall
Field spread
50.4116
winner to last place
Prize money
$3,800.00
on the line
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 42%
beats 58% of 708 Backyard Series wins in the data
Traveled in
74%
of the 39 teams with a home region came from outside TN
Came back for more
44%
15 of 34 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.69 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1560
avg power rating going in · stronger than 65% of contests
Storylines
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.0228 points — closer than 94% of every championship in the data.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
Smokey Bees BBQ - MS took the Grand Championship home to MS.
📸 Photo finishes
Backyard Series — Chicken places 3–4: LEE LA Q and Smokey Bees BBQ - MS tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Backyard Series — Chicken places 5–6: Small Batch BBQ - TN and Deviant Smoke tied on 176.5716 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Backyard Series — Pork Ribs places 3–4: NORALA BBQ TEAM and PUDDLEDUCK BBQ tied on 174.2744 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: 2 Swine Crew (won 2023).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-05-20 | Winchester, TN | 1561 Phillip Fulmer Parkway | 29 | 353.1316 | Veteran Pork Pullers | — |
| 2023-05-19 | Winchester, TN | 1561 Phillip Fulmer Parkway | 34 | 353.1200 | 2 Swine Crew | — |
| 2024-05-17 ← this one | Winchester, TN | 1561 Phillip Fulmer Parkway | 39 | 352.0000 | Smokey Bees BBQ | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 178.8572 | 176.5716 | 173.7144 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 175.4172 | 173.1200 | 171.4172 |
| Ancillary — Pork | 180.0000 | 173.1200 | 169.6800 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Backyard Series
Overall
39 entries · top 352.0000 · median 335.9084
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 2 | Electro-Que-ted | |
| 3 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 4 | B.G.Q. | |
| 5 | HOLY SMOKIN!!! | |
| 6 | Small Batch BBQ - TN | |
| 7 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 8 | MAD ROCKET BARBECUE | |
| 9 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 10 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | |
| 11 | LEE LA Q | |
| 12 | Ghost Hill BBQ | |
| 13 | Rollin Smoke BBQ | |
| 14 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 15 | 931 BBQ | |
| 16 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 17 | Bentley Que | |
| 18 | 4 Paws BBQ | |
| 19 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 20 | Bad company cookers | |
| 21 | Saturday Night Swine | |
| 22 | Dixie Pigs & Chick's BBQ Team | |
| 23 | Curly Bird BBQ | |
| 24 | SmoQued On Main St | |
| 25 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 26 | Chokin %22N%22 tha Smoke | |
| 27 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 28 | Rise and Swine-AL | |
| 29 | Green Dragon BBQ | |
| 30 | Pig Bossman BBQ | |
| 31 | Toolshed BBQ | |
| 32 | SERIOUS HOG | |
| 33 | Double Barrel Smokers | |
| 34 | MANOS AL FUEGO | |
| 35 | Bonnie Blue BBQ | |
| 36 | Black Label Smokers | |
| 37 | Smokin Willy BBQ | |
| 38 | Feeding Frenzy BBQ Team | |
| 39 | Tus-Que-Loosa |
Chicken
39 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 2 | HOLY SMOKIN!!! | |
| 3 | LEE LA Q | |
| 4 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 5 | Small Batch BBQ - TN | |
| 6 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 7 | Electro-Que-ted | |
| 8 | B.G.Q. | |
| 9 | 4 Paws BBQ | |
| 10 | MAD ROCKET BARBECUE | |
| 11 | Ghost Hill BBQ | |
| 12 | SmoQued On Main St | |
| 13 | Saturday Night Swine | |
| 14 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 15 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 16 | Bentley Que | |
| 17 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | |
| 18 | Dixie Pigs & Chick's BBQ Team | |
| 19 | Rollin Smoke BBQ | |
| 20 | 931 BBQ | |
| 21 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 22 | SERIOUS HOG | |
| 23 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 24 | Green Dragon BBQ | |
| 25 | Bad company cookers | |
| 26 | Double Barrel Smokers | |
| 27 | MANOS AL FUEGO | |
| 28 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 29 | Pig Bossman BBQ | |
| 30 | Black Label Smokers | |
| 31 | Curly Bird BBQ | |
| 32 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 33 | Toolshed BBQ | |
| 34 | Chokin %22N%22 tha Smoke | |
| 35 | Rise and Swine-AL | |
| 36 | Bonnie Blue BBQ | |
| 37 | Smokin Willy BBQ | |
| 38 | Feeding Frenzy BBQ Team | |
| 39 | Tus-Que-Loosa |
Pork Ribs
39 entries · top 175.4172 · median 168.5256
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electro-Que-ted | |
| 2 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 3 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 4 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | |
| 5 | B.G.Q. | |
| 6 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 7 | 931 BBQ | |
| 8 | Curly Bird BBQ | |
| 9 | Chokin %22N%22 tha Smoke | |
| 10 | Rollin Smoke BBQ | |
| 11 | MAD ROCKET BARBECUE | |
| 12 | Rise and Swine-AL | |
| 13 | HOLY SMOKIN!!! | |
| 14 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 15 | Small Batch BBQ - TN | |
| 16 | Ghost Hill BBQ | |
| 17 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 18 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 19 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 20 | Bad company cookers | |
| 21 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 22 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 23 | Bentley Que | |
| 24 | Toolshed BBQ | |
| 25 | LEE LA Q | |
| 26 | Dixie Pigs & Chick's BBQ Team | |
| 27 | Bonnie Blue BBQ | |
| 28 | Saturday Night Swine | |
| 29 | 4 Paws BBQ | |
| 30 | Smokin Willy BBQ | |
| 31 | Pig Bossman BBQ | |
| 32 | SmoQued On Main St | |
| 33 | Green Dragon BBQ | |
| 34 | Feeding Frenzy BBQ Team | |
| 35 | Tus-Que-Loosa | |
| 36 | SERIOUS HOG | |
| 37 | Double Barrel Smokers | |
| 38 | MANOS AL FUEGO | |
| 39 | Black Label Smokers |
Ancillary
Pork
21 entries · top 180.0000 · median 169.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 2 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 3 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 4 | Small Batch BBQ - TN | |
| 5 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 6 | Bonnie Blue BBQ | |
| 7 | HOLY SMOKIN!!! | |
| 8 | Ghost Hill BBQ | |
| 9 | Electro-Que-ted | |
| 10 | Rollin Smoke BBQ | |
| 11 | Feeding Frenzy BBQ Team | |
| 12 | MANOS AL FUEGO | |
| 13 | Chokin %22N%22 tha Smoke | |
| 14 | Double Barrel Smokers | |
| 15 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 16 | LEE LA Q | |
| 17 | Smokin Willy BBQ | |
| 18 | Bad company cookers | |
| 19 | Bentley Que | |
| 20 | 4 Paws BBQ | |
| 21 | Toolshed BBQ |
Ancillary categories
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
Ancillary — Dessert
21 entries · top 180.0000 · median 176.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toolshed BBQ | |
| 2 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 3 | Black Label Smokers | |
| 4 | Bonnie Blue BBQ | |
| 5 | Bad company cookers | |
| 6 | Tus-Que-Loosa | |
| 7 | MAD ROCKET BARBECUE | |
| 8 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 9 | LEE LA Q | |
| 10 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 11 | Smokin Willy BBQ | |
| 12 | Ghost Hill BBQ | |
| 13 | MANOS AL FUEGO | |
| 14 | Double Barrel Smokers | |
| 15 | Pig Bossman BBQ | |
| 16 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 17 | Curly Bird BBQ | |
| 18 | SERIOUS HOG | |
| 19 | Chokin %22N%22 tha Smoke | |
| 20 | 4 Paws BBQ | |
| 21 | Electro-Que-ted |
Ancillary — Hamburger
16 entries · top 174.2972 · median 164.0172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MANOS AL FUEGO | |
| 2 | Ghost Hill BBQ | |
| 3 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 4 | Bad company cookers | |
| 5 | LEE LA Q | |
| 6 | Toolshed BBQ | |
| 7 | Tus-Que-Loosa | |
| 8 | Smokin Willy BBQ | |
| 9 | Curly Bird BBQ | |
| 10 | Pig Bossman BBQ | |
| 11 | Bentley Que | |
| 12 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | |
| 13 | Bonnie Blue BBQ | |
| 14 | 4 Paws BBQ | |
| 15 | Chokin %22N%22 tha Smoke | |
| 16 | Feeding Frenzy BBQ Team |
Ancillary — Taco
25 entries · top 169.6800 · median 154.8000
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOLY SMOKIN!!! | |
| 2 | Feeding Frenzy BBQ Team | |
| 3 | Smokin Willy BBQ | |
| 4 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 5 | Toolshed BBQ | |
| 6 | MANOS AL FUEGO | |
| 7 | Bonnie Blue BBQ | |
| 8 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 9 | Curly Bird BBQ | |
| 10 | 4 Paws BBQ | |
| 11 | Bentley Que | |
| 12 | Rise and Swine-AL | |
| 13 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 14 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 15 | Bad company cookers | |
| 16 | Tus-Que-Loosa | |
| 17 | SERIOUS HOG | |
| 18 | LEE LA Q | |
| 19 | Chokin %22N%22 tha Smoke | |
| 20 | Pig Bossman BBQ | |
| 21 | Black Label Smokers | |
| 22 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | |
| 23 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 24 | Ghost Hill BBQ | |
| 25 | Small Batch BBQ - TN |