Back-to-back
2 in a row
editions of this contest
Gettin' Basted won here last time out too — 2 straight editions of this contest.
- 2024
- 2025
Wild West BBQ Cook-Off 2025
Apr 25–26, 2025 · Lamar, CO · 📍 Willow Creek Park · State championship
Reps: Brian Moore, Michael Winter · Prize money: $10,000
GETTIN' BASTED won Grand Champion at the Wild West BBQ Cook-Off on April 25, 2025 in Lamar, CO at Willow Creek Park, scoring 691.9200 in a field of 30 teams. TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER took Reserve Grand Champion with 687.3944. Category winners: Chicken — Smoked & Furious (180.0000); Pork Ribs — GETTIN' BASTED (176.5600); Pork — POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP (177.7144); Brisket — HIGH DESERT HOLY SMOKE BBQ (176.5828). This is the 9th of 10 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Gettin' Basted; 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.
607.25
median 673.07
691.92 🏆
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 176.56
- Pork 177.71
- Brisket 176.58
135.93
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2016 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
30
4 judged meats
Top score
691.9200
Winning margin
4.5256
GC over RC
Field average
667.65
607.25691.92
median 673.07 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Brisket
2.3200 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
675.9428
607.25691.92
10th place overall
Field spread
84.6740
winner to last place
Prize money
$10,000
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 66%
beats 34% of 4723 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
69%
20 of 29 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.45 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,605
avg power rating going in · stronger than 81% 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.
A dynasty in the making
3×
wins at this contest
3 of 10 tracked editions
Gettin' Basted has won this contest 3 times across its 10 tracked editions.
- 2021
- 2024
- 2025
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 10 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 9–10: Brinkerhoff BBQ and SUPER SWINE tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 2–3: SUPER SWINE and HEIFERS, BUTTS, & CLUCKS BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 4–5: Bull-B-Que and GETTIN' BASTED tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
- Brisket 4–5 · tie
- Pork 5–6 · 0.0116
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
GETTIN' BASTED took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 15th.
- Chicken 15th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 9th
- Brisket 5th
A contest record in pork
177.7144
best pork ever cooked here
POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP turned in 177.7144 in pork — past the 177.7028 that had stood across 8 earlier editions.
- old best 177.7028
- across 8 past editions
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Bushmaster BBQ (won 2019, 2023), Gettin' Basted (won 2021, 2024).
- Bushmaster BBQ · 2019, 2023
- Gettin' Basted · 2021, 2024
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- Smoked & Furious · Chicken
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2016 | Lamar, CO | Willow Creek Park | 33 | 692.5488 | CLARK CREW BBQ | BACKDRAFT BBQ |
| May 12, 2017 | Lamar, CO | Willow Creek Park | 31 | 703.4400 | THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ | CLARK CREW BBQ |
| May 11, 2018 | Lamar, CO | Willow Creek Park | 26 | 680.5372 | BACKDRAFT BBQ | BIG DADDY'S BACKYARD BBQ |
| May 10, 2019 | Lamar, CO | Willow Creek Park | 28 | 691.4056 | Bushmaster BBQ | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS |
| May 7, 2021 | Lamar, CO | Willow Creek Park | 35 | 683.9428 | Gettin' Basted | BIG DADDY'S BACKYARD BBQ |
| May 6, 2022 | Lamar, CO | Willow Creek Park | 33 | 695.9772 | Rise N Swine | CLARK CREW BBQ |
| May 12, 2023 | Lamar, CO | Willow Creek Park | 30 | 702.8456 | Bushmaster BBQ | GETTIN' BASTED |
| May 10, 2024 | Lamar, CO | Willow Creek Park | 29 | 703.3828 | Gettin' Basted | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ |
| Apr 25, 2025 ← this one | Lamar, CO | Willow Creek Park | 30 | 691.9200 | Gettin' Basted | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER |
| Apr 24, 2026 | Lamar, CO | Willow Creek Park | 27 | 686.1828 | BrewsCue | Brinkerhoff BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 174.2972 | 172.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.5600 | 173.7372 | 171.4288 |
| Pork | 177.7144 | 171.4172 | 169.6800 |
| Brisket | 176.5828 | 174.2628 | 169.6800 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
30 entries · top 691.9200 · median 673.0740
Chicken
30 entries · top 180 · median 170.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
30 entries · top 176.5600 · median 166.8400
Pork
30 entries · top 177.7144 · median 168.2572
Brisket
30 entries · top 176.5828 · median 165.6856