A razor-thin finish
Closer than 92% of the 4,742 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5484 points — closer than 92% of every championship in the data.
- Hold Your Horses BBQ
- Mad Dog BBQ
2025-04-25 – 2025-04-26 · Southaven, MS · 📍 6275 Snowden Lane · State championship
Reps: DEBRA GAGE, WILLIAM GAGE · Prize money: $14,500.00
Grand Champion: Hold Your Horses BBQ (699.9428) · 34 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 Mad Dog BBQ
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.
Closer than 92% of the 4,742 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).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-04-22 | Southaven, MS | Southaven, MS | 41 | 704.5256 | VICTORY LANE BBQ | SOUTH PORK |
| 2017-04-28 | Southaven, MS | 6275 Snowden Lane | 33 | 694.2400 | VICTORY LANE BBQ | Q-BONES BBQ |
| 2018-04-27 | Southaven, MS | 6275 Snowden Lane | 34 | 700.5604 | Q-BONES BBQ | NU BETA GAMMA |
| 2019-04-26 | Southaven, MS | 6275 Snowden Lane | 31 | 704.5256 | Razorracks | FIRE DANCER BBQ |
| 2021-10-29 | Southaven, MS | 6205 Snowdenlane | 36 | 704.5716 | Razzoracks | HOT COLE'S BBQ |
| 2022-04-22 | Southaven, MS | 8710 Northwest Drive | 36 | 702.8000 | Razorracks | Rankin County BBQ Company |
| 2023-04-21 | Southaven, MS | Snowden Grove Park | 34 | 714.2744 | Razorracks | MEMPHIS ORIGINAL BBQ |
| 2024-04-26 | Southaven, MS | 6275 Snowden Lane | 44 | 699.9428 | Optimus Swine | HOT COLE'S BBQ |
| 2025-04-25 ← this one | Southaven, MS | 6275 Snowden Lane | 34 | 699.9428 | Hold Your Horses BBQ | Mad Dog BBQ |
| 2026-04-24 | Southaven, MS | 6275 Snowden Lane | 33 | 713.1316 | RAZORRACKS | Electro-Que-ted |
| 2027-04-23 | Southaven, MS | — | — | — | — | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180.0000 | 178.8572 | 175.4056 |
| Pork Ribs | 180.0000 | 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 180.0000 · median 170.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
34 entries · top 180.0000 · median 171.9830 · 🔥 perfect 180
34 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.6800
34 entries · top 178.8800 · median 170.8170