Connecticut Barbecue Challenge
2024-07-12 – 2024-07-13 · Somers, CT · 📍 Four Town Fair Grounds · State championship
Reps: BILL WRIGHT, KIM WRIGHT · Prize money: $6,700.00
Grand Champion: House of Que (704.5600) · 30 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 Q Shanty
Entries
30
4 judged meats
Top score
704.5600
Winning margin
2.8568
GC over RC
Field average
666.71
median 674.73
Tightest race
Pork
1.1544 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
685.6228
10th place overall
Field spread
100.7544
winner to last place
Prize money
$6,700.00
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 25%
beats 75% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
37%
of the 30 teams with a home region came from outside CT
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.6 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1525
avg power rating going in · stronger than 29% of contests
Storylines
👑 A dynasty in the making
House of Que has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
House of Que took the Grand Championship home to VA.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 2–3: Waypoint BBQ and ELJEFE SMOKE tied on 178.2972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: Q Shanty and Let It Smoke Barbecue tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: Let It Smoke Barbecue and STICKS & STONES BBQ tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🃏 An upset on the books
House of Que came in rated below the field's top team, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 23-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-07-12 ← this one | Somers, CT | Four Town Fair Grounds | 30 | 704.5600 | House of Que | Q Shanty |
| 2024-07-12 | Somers, CT | Four Town Fair Grounds | 19 | 180.0000 | Smokin Hoggz BBQ-MA | — |
| 2025-07-12 | Somers, CT | Four Town Fair Grounds | 30 | 705.1084 | House of Que | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY |
| 2026-07-18 | Somers, CT | Four Town Fair Grounds | 36 | 702.2972 | Boggs Hog BBQ | Smokin' Hoggz BBQ - MA |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180.0000 | 177.7028 | 174.8456 |
| Pork Ribs | 180.0000 | 175.4172 | 169.7144 |
| Pork | 177.7144 | 176.5600 | 173.1428 |
| Brisket | 177.1428 | 172.5828 | 170.8228 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
30 entries · top 704.5600 · median 674.7314
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | House of Que | |
| 2 | Q Shanty | |
| 3 | Waypoint BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 5 | iQue | |
| 6 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 7 | LG bbq | |
| 8 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 9 | ACK-QUE | |
| 10 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 11 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 12 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 13 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 14 | Dirty Water Dawgs | |
| 15 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 16 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 17 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 18 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 19 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 20 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 21 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 22 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 23 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 24 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 25 | TWO LITTLE PIGS BBQ EAST | |
| 26 | SMOKIN' JACKS BBQ | |
| 27 | T & R BBQ | |
| 28 | Sunnyside Barbecue | |
| 29 | Professor Smoke | |
| 30 | Big Ed's Sweet Smoke BBQ |
Chicken
30 entries · top 180.0000 · median 171.4000 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | House of Que | |
| 2 | Waypoint BBQ | |
| 3 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 4 | Q Shanty | |
| 5 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 6 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 8 | ACK-QUE | |
| 9 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 10 | LG bbq | |
| 11 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 12 | Dirty Water Dawgs | |
| 13 | iQue | |
| 14 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 15 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 16 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 17 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 18 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 19 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 20 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 21 | TWO LITTLE PIGS BBQ EAST | |
| 22 | SMOKIN' JACKS BBQ | |
| 23 | Sunnyside Barbecue | |
| 24 | Professor Smoke | |
| 25 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 26 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 27 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 28 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 29 | T & R BBQ | |
| 30 | Big Ed's Sweet Smoke BBQ |
Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 180.0000 · median 167.9828 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | House of Que | |
| 3 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 4 | Q Shanty | |
| 5 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 6 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 7 | LG bbq | |
| 8 | iQue | |
| 9 | Waypoint BBQ | |
| 10 | Dirty Water Dawgs | |
| 11 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 12 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 13 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 14 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 15 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 16 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 17 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 18 | TWO LITTLE PIGS BBQ EAST | |
| 19 | ACK-QUE | |
| 20 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 21 | SMOKIN' JACKS BBQ | |
| 22 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 23 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 24 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 25 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 26 | T & R BBQ | |
| 27 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 28 | Big Ed's Sweet Smoke BBQ | |
| 29 | Sunnyside Barbecue | |
| 30 | Professor Smoke |
Pork
30 entries · top 177.7144 · median 169.7142
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LG bbq | |
| 2 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 3 | Q Shanty | |
| 4 | iQue | |
| 5 | Dirty Water Dawgs | |
| 6 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 7 | House of Que | |
| 8 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 9 | Waypoint BBQ | |
| 10 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 12 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 13 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 14 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 15 | ACK-QUE | |
| 16 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 17 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 18 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 19 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 20 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 21 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 22 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 23 | TWO LITTLE PIGS BBQ EAST | |
| 24 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 25 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 26 | T & R BBQ | |
| 27 | SMOKIN' JACKS BBQ | |
| 28 | Big Ed's Sweet Smoke BBQ | |
| 29 | Professor Smoke | |
| 30 | Sunnyside Barbecue |
Brisket
30 entries · top 177.1428 · median 167.1084
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waypoint BBQ | |
| 2 | iQue | |
| 3 | Big Bobby's Q | |
| 4 | ACK-QUE | |
| 5 | House of Que | |
| 6 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 8 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 9 | Q Shanty | |
| 10 | Matt's Backyard BBQ | |
| 11 | Meat Monarchy | |
| 12 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 13 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 14 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 15 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 16 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 17 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 18 | LG bbq | |
| 19 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 20 | T & R BBQ | |
| 21 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 22 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 23 | Dirty Water Dawgs | |
| 24 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 25 | Sunnyside Barbecue | |
| 26 | Professor Smoke | |
| 27 | SMOKIN' JACKS BBQ | |
| 28 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 29 | Big Ed's Sweet Smoke BBQ | |
| 30 | TWO LITTLE PIGS BBQ EAST |