Connecticut Barbecue Challenge
2025-07-12 – 2025-07-13 · Somers, CT · 📍 Four Town Fair Grounds · State championship
Reps: BILL WRIGHT, KIM WRIGHT · Prize money: $5,300.00
Grand Champion: House of Que (705.1084) · 30 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY
Entries
Top score
Winning margin
Field average
Tightest race
Top-10 cutoff
Field spread
Prize money
Double threats
How hot was the win?
Traveled in
Form held
Field strength
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.
🧹 A double category winner
New Pigs on the Block won Chicken, Brisket — a double.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 3–4: House of Que and LG bbq tied on 177.1428 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: ELJEFE SMOKE and Risk it for the Brisket tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: ELJEFE SMOKE and Q42 tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: House of Que (won 2024).
🃏 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 24-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 | 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 ← this one | 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 | 173.7028 | 171.9884 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7028 | 174.2744 | 171.4172 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 176.5600 | 172.5600 |
| Brisket | 176.5600 | 174.2628 | 170.8228 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
30 entries · top 705.1084 · median 673.6572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | House of Que | |
| 2 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 3 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 4 | LG bbq | |
| 5 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 6 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 7 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 8 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 9 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 10 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 11 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 12 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 13 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 14 | Q42 | |
| 15 | Smokin' Jacks BBQ | |
| 16 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 17 | Hillside BBQ | |
| 18 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 19 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 20 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 21 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 22 | Q Shanty | |
| 23 | Professor Smoke | |
| 24 | Phil The Grill | |
| 25 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 26 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 27 | Karnivorus | |
| 28 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 29 | SAQ BBQ | |
| 30 | Warped BBQ |
Chicken
30 entries · top 180.0000 · median 168.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 2 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 3 | House of Que | |
| 4 | LG bbq | |
| 5 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 6 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 7 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 8 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 9 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 10 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 11 | Smokin' Jacks BBQ | |
| 12 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 13 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 14 | Hillside BBQ | |
| 15 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 16 | SAQ BBQ | |
| 17 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 18 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 19 | Q Shanty | |
| 20 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 21 | Q42 | |
| 22 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 23 | Karnivorus | |
| 24 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 25 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 26 | Professor Smoke | |
| 27 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 28 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 29 | Phil The Grill | |
| 30 | Warped BBQ |
Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 177.7028 · median 167.9658
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | House of Que | |
| 3 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 4 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 5 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 6 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 7 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 8 | Q42 | |
| 9 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 10 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 11 | LG bbq | |
| 12 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 13 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 14 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 15 | Q Shanty | |
| 16 | Smokin' Jacks BBQ | |
| 17 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 18 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 19 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 20 | Professor Smoke | |
| 21 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 22 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 23 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 24 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 25 | Phil The Grill | |
| 26 | Karnivorus | |
| 27 | Hillside BBQ | |
| 28 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 29 | SAQ BBQ | |
| 30 | Warped BBQ |
Pork
30 entries · top 178.2972 · median 169.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 3 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 4 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 5 | House of Que | |
| 6 | Q42 | |
| 7 | Smokin' Jacks BBQ | |
| 8 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 9 | Hillside BBQ | |
| 10 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 11 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 12 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 13 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 14 | LG bbq | |
| 15 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 16 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 17 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 18 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 19 | Q Shanty | |
| 20 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 21 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 22 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 23 | Karnivorus | |
| 24 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 25 | Phil The Grill | |
| 26 | Professor Smoke | |
| 27 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 28 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 29 | SAQ BBQ | |
| 30 | Warped BBQ |
Brisket
30 entries · top 176.5600 · median 167.6914
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Pigs on the Block | |
| 2 | Silva Back BBQ | |
| 3 | Let It Smoke Barbecue | |
| 4 | House of Que | |
| 5 | LG bbq | |
| 6 | HUMPHREY'S BBQ | |
| 7 | ELJEFE SMOKE | |
| 8 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 9 | Titans of BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 11 | SmoKEN Meatz | |
| 12 | Hillside BBQ | |
| 13 | CANYON RIDERS BBQ | |
| 14 | STICKS & STONES BBQ | |
| 15 | Inclusive BBQ Events | |
| 16 | Two Little Pigs BBQ - East Coast Team | |
| 17 | Phil The Grill | |
| 18 | Q42 | |
| 19 | Q Shanty | |
| 20 | Risk it for the Brisket | |
| 21 | Professor Smoke | |
| 22 | smoKINGBATKO BBQ | |
| 23 | Big Betty BBQ | |
| 24 | Smokingrillindrinkin | |
| 25 | Smokin' Jacks BBQ | |
| 26 | Karnivorus | |
| 27 | Cow-Hen-Pig | |
| 28 | Pray for Me BBQ | |
| 29 | Warped BBQ | |
| 30 | SAQ 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.
Kids-Q — Kids-Q Sliders
6 entries · top 180.0000 · median 171.4286 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burger Queen | |
| 2 | Starla's Sinister Smoke | |
| 3 | Ninja BBQ | |
| 4 | Rub Me All Over | |
| 5 | Baller BBQ | |
| 6 | Crusher BBQ |