A new contest record
707.3944
highest overall ever cooked here
707.3944 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 702.7884 Hot Daddy's Barbeque set in 2023.
- old record 702.7884
- set 2023 by Hot Daddy's Barbeque
Shenandoah ShenDig 2025
Jul 18–19, 2025 · Shenandoah, IA · 📍 709 S. Fremont Street · State championship
Reps: Eugene Wickham, Sarah Wickham · Prize money: $7,000
Low Eye Que won Grand Champion at the Shenandoah ShenDig on July 18, 2025 in Shenandoah, IA at 709 S. Fremont Street, scoring 707.3944 in a field of 30 teams. HOT DADDY'S BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 698.8000. Category winners: Chicken — HOT DADDY'S BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Low Eye Que (180.0000); Pork — HOME FARM BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — Bad Influence BBQ - MO (180.0000). This is the 2nd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2023 edition was won by Hot Daddy's Barbeque; the next was held in 2026.
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.
594.71
median 680.74
707.39 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 180 🔥
143.95
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2023 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
30
4 judged meats
Top score
707.3944
Winning margin
8.5944
GC over RC
Field average
676.42
594.71707.39
median 680.74 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
4 🔥
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
3.4400 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
693.0512
594.71707.39
10th place overall
Field spread
112.6860
winner to last place
Prize money
$7,000
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 8%
beats 92% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
35%
13 of 37 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.66 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,588
avg power rating going in · stronger than 69% of contests
Storylines (7 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.
An upset on the books
18-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 82 times in 100
Low Eye Que came in rated below the field's top team, HOT DADDY'S BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 18-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1603
- top seed 1867
A first Grand Championship
25
tracked contests to get there
This was Low Eye Que's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 25th tracked contest.
A day of perfect scores
4
perfect 180s
4 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- Bad Influence BBQ - MO · Brisket
- HOT DADDY'S BBQ · Chicken
- HOME FARM BBQ · Pork
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 10 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 6–7: Damn Fine Beef & Swine and TEAM BREW & QUE tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: CASUAL SMOKERS and HOME FARM BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 9–10: Damn Fine Beef & Swine and Who's Cookin' tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
- Pork 9–10 · tie
- Brisket 2–3 · tie
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
Low Eye Que took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 13th.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 13th
- Brisket 5th
A contest record in brisket
180.0000
best brisket ever cooked here
Bad Influence BBQ - MO turned in 180.0000 in brisket — past the 176.0000 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 176.0000
- across 1 past editions
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 | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2023 | Shenandoah, IA | 701 S. Fremont Street | 37 | 702.7884 | Hot Daddy's Barbeque | RAILYARD BBQ |
| Jul 18, 2025 ← this one | Shenandoah, IA | 709 S. Fremont Street | 30 | 707.3944 | Low Eye Que | HOT DADDY'S BBQ |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Shenandoah, IA | 709 S. Fremont Street | 28 | 703.9544 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | HOT DADDY'S BBQ |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Shenandoah, IA | 709 S. Fremont Street | 17 | 178.2972 | BBQ Pit Bros | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 175.4172 | 173.7256 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 176.5600 | 173.1544 |
| Pork | 180 | 176.5600 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 180 | 175.4288 | 170.8228 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
30 entries · top 707.3944 · median 680.7372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low Eye Que | |
| 2 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 3 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 4 | Damn Fine Beef & Swine | |
| 5 | CASUAL SMOKERS | |
| 6 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 7 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 8 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 9 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 10 | HOME FARM BBQ | |
| 11 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 12 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 13 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 14 | SAUCE BOSSES | |
| 15 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 16 | RAILYARD BBQ | |
| 17 | Bad Influence BBQ - MO | |
| 18 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 19 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 20 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 21 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 22 | Backroad BBQ | |
| 23 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 24 | Sweet Smokin' Jones | |
| 25 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 26 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 27 | Smokin A BBQ | |
| 28 | On the Brink | |
| 29 | Grill Reapers | |
| 30 | JK Smokin BBQ |
Chicken
30 entries · top 180 · median 171.4114 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 2 | Low Eye Que | |
| 3 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 4 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 6 | Damn Fine Beef & Swine | |
| 7 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 8 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 9 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 10 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 11 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 13 | CASUAL SMOKERS | |
| 14 | RAILYARD BBQ | |
| 15 | Smokin A BBQ | |
| 16 | On the Brink | |
| 17 | HOME FARM BBQ | |
| 18 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 19 | Backroad BBQ | |
| 20 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 21 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 22 | SAUCE BOSSES | |
| 23 | Sweet Smokin' Jones | |
| 24 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 25 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 26 | Bad Influence BBQ - MO | |
| 27 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 28 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 29 | Grill Reapers | |
| 30 | JK Smokin BBQ |
Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 180 · median 171.3942 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low Eye Que | |
| 2 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 3 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 4 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 5 | CASUAL SMOKERS | |
| 6 | HOME FARM BBQ | |
| 7 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 8 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 9 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 10 | Backroad BBQ | |
| 11 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 12 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 13 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 14 | Damn Fine Beef & Swine | |
| 15 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 16 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 17 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 18 | RAILYARD BBQ | |
| 19 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 20 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 21 | SAUCE BOSSES | |
| 22 | Bad Influence BBQ - MO | |
| 23 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 24 | On the Brink | |
| 25 | Grill Reapers | |
| 26 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 27 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 28 | Sweet Smokin' Jones | |
| 29 | Smokin A BBQ | |
| 30 | JK Smokin BBQ |
Pork
30 entries · top 180 · median 171.9656 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOME FARM BBQ | |
| 2 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 3 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 4 | SAUCE BOSSES | |
| 5 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 6 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 7 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 8 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 9 | Damn Fine Beef & Swine | |
| 10 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 11 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 12 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 13 | Low Eye Que | |
| 14 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 15 | CASUAL SMOKERS | |
| 16 | RAILYARD BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 19 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 20 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 21 | Sweet Smokin' Jones | |
| 22 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 23 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 24 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 25 | Bad Influence BBQ - MO | |
| 26 | On the Brink | |
| 27 | Backroad BBQ | |
| 28 | Smokin A BBQ | |
| 29 | Grill Reapers | |
| 30 | JK Smokin BBQ |
Brisket
30 entries · top 180 · median 166.5256 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bad Influence BBQ - MO | |
| 2 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 3 | CASUAL SMOKERS | |
| 4 | Damn Fine Beef & Swine | |
| 5 | Low Eye Que | |
| 6 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 7 | SAUCE BOSSES | |
| 8 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 9 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 10 | Cities Edge BBQ | |
| 11 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 12 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 13 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 14 | SMOKIN DINGER - THE PROFESSOR OF HOGOLOGY | |
| 15 | Bocephus BBQ | |
| 16 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 17 | Backroad BBQ | |
| 18 | HOME FARM BBQ | |
| 19 | RAILYARD BBQ | |
| 20 | Sweet Smokin' Jones | |
| 21 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 22 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 23 | Smokin A BBQ | |
| 24 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 25 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 26 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 27 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 28 | Grill Reapers | |
| 29 | On the Brink | |
| 30 | JK Smokin BBQ |