Apr 25–26, 2025 · Southaven, MS · 📍 6275 Snowden Lane · State championship
Reps: Debra Gage, William Gage · Prize money: $14,500
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ won Grand Champion at the Southaven Springfest on April 25, 2025 in Southaven, MS at 6275 Snowden Lane, scoring 699.9428 in a field of 34 teams. Mad Dog BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 699.3944. Category winners: Chicken — TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Take It Easy BBQ (180.0000); Pork — PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ (178.8572); Brisket — TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN (178.8800). This is the 9th of 11 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Optimus Swine; the next was held in 2026.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2016 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
This contest holds the KCBS record for tightest contest ever cooked — 5 teams within a point of the lead, in a field of 34 · won with 699.9428, set right here. Nobody has beaten it since.
Closer than 92% of the 4,722 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5484 points — closer than 92% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 82 times in 100
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, JANKY LEG BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 18-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
HOLD YOUR HORSES BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 2 calls from 4 boards, best of them 4th. Consistency beat fireworks.
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
4 of 10 tracked editions
Razorracks has won this contest 4 times across its 10 tracked editions.
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 0.5828 points — 5 teams sat within a single point of the lead.
Chicken places 1–2: TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN and Glamping Grillers tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: JANKY LEG BBQ and Can Country Outlaw BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: Can Country Outlaw BBQ and PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
TENNESSEE SMOKE SHOWIN won Chicken, Brisket — a double.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Razorracks (won 2019, 2022, 2023).
What happened at this contest that stands in the all-time KCBS record book. A gold line is a record nobody has beaten.
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 22, 2016 | Southaven, MS | Southaven, MS | 41 | 704.5256 | VICTORY LANE BBQ | SOUTH PORK |
| Apr 28, 2017 | Southaven, MS | 6275 Snowden Lane | 33 | 694.2400 | VICTORY LANE BBQ | Q-BONES BBQ |
| Apr 27, 2018 | Southaven, MS | 6275 Snowden Lane | 34 | 700.5604 | Q-BONES BBQ | NU BETA GAMMA |
| Apr 26, 2019 | Southaven, MS | 6275 Snowden Lane | 31 | 704.5256 | Razorracks | FIRE DANCER BBQ |
| Oct 29, 2021 | Southaven, MS | 6205 Snowdenlane | 36 | 704.5716 | Razzoracks | HOT COLE'S BBQ |
| Apr 22, 2022 | Southaven, MS | 8710 Northwest Drive | 36 | 702.8000 | Razorracks | Rankin County BBQ Company |
| Apr 21, 2023 | Southaven, MS | Snowden Grove Park | 34 | 714.2744 | Razorracks | MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ |
| Apr 26, 2024 | Southaven, MS | 6275 Snowden Lane | 44 | 699.9428 | Optimus Swine | HOT COLE'S BBQ |
| Apr 25, 2025 ← this one | Southaven, MS | 6275 Snowden Lane | 34 | 699.9428 | Hold Your Horses BBQ | Mad Dog BBQ |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Southaven, MS | 6275 Snowden Lane | 33 | 713.1316 | RAZORRACKS | Electro-Que-ted |
| Apr 23, 2027 | Southaven, MS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 178.8572 | 175.4056 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 176.5600 | 174.2972 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 174.2628 | 172.5828 |
| Brisket | 178.8800 | 175.4172 | 174.8572 |
34 entries · top 699.9428 · median 685.5826
34 entries · top 180 · median 170.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
34 entries · top 180 · median 171.9830 · 🔥 perfect 180
34 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.6800
34 entries · top 178.8800 · median 170.8170