A statement win
15.9998
points clear of the field
Wider than 97% of the 4,714 championships in the data
The champion won by 15.9998 points — a wider margin than 97% of championships in the data.
Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival 2013
Jun 14–15, 2013 · Tryon, NC
ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE won Grand Champion at the Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival on June 14, 2013 in Tryon, NC, scoring 704.5712 in a field of 97 teams. WILD BUNCH BUTT BURNERS took Reserve Grand Champion with 688.5714. Category winners: Chicken — ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE (177.7142); Pork Ribs — ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE (177.7142); Pork — FOWL BUTT BBQ (176.0000); Brisket — SMOKE IN THE MOUNTAINS (180.0000). This is the 1st of 5 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2014.
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.
146.29
median 642.86
704.57 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 177.71
- Pork Ribs 177.71
- Pork 176
- Brisket 180 🔥
20
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2016 — this edition picked out.
Entries
97
4 judged meats
Top score
704.5712
Winning margin
15.9998
GC over RC
Field average
633.63
146.29704.57
median 642.86 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Brisket
2.2856 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
673.7138
146.29704.57
10th place overall
Field spread
558.2856
winner to last place
Double threats
3
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 15%
beats 85% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.57 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,514
avg power rating going in · stronger than 10% 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
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 5 tracked editions
ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE has won this contest 2 times across its 5 tracked editions.
- 2013
- 2015
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 13 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 4–5: WICKED QUE and MOYERS COMPETITION BAR-B-Q TEAM tied on 174.2856 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 5–6: MOYERS COMPETITION BAR-B-Q TEAM and Blindog's Outlaw BBQ Gan tied on 174.2856 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: WILD BUNCH BUTT BURNERS and SMOKE ON THIS tied on 172.5714 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
- Pork Ribs 8–9 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork at 12th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 12th
- Brisket 3rd
One of the big ones
97
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 98% of the 5,469 contests in the data
97 teams — bigger than 98% of the 5,469 contests in the data.
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.
- SMOKE IN THE MOUNTAINS · Brisket
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 14, 2013 ← this one | Tryon, NC | Tryon, NC | 97 | 704.5712 | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE | WILD BUNCH BUTT BURNERS |
| Jun 13, 2014 | Tryon, NC | Tryon, NC 28782 | 73 | 694.7884 | WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS | HAMBONES BY THE FIRE |
| Aug 22, 2014 | Harrisonburg, VA | Harrisonburg, VA 22801 | 16 | 656.5028 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | ROCK'S MONEY PIT BBQ |
| Jun 12, 2015 | Tryon, NC | Tryon, NC 28782 | 78 | 697.6572 | ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE | TWO OLD MEN AND A GRILL |
| Jun 10, 2016 | Tryon, NC | Harmon Field Rd | 76 | 710.2972 | BRICKHEAD BBQ | HAMBONES BY THE FIRE |
| Jun 9, 2017 | Tryon, NC | — | — | — | — | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7142 | 174.2856 | 172 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7142 | 172.5714 | 170.8572 |
| Pork | 176 | 173.1428 | 170.8570 |
| Brisket | 180 | 177.7144 | 174.2856 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
97 entries · top 704.5712 · median 642.8566
Chicken
96 entries · top 177.7142 · median 161.4286
Pork Ribs
96 entries · top 177.7142 · median 159.4286
Pork
96 entries · top 176 · median 162.8570
Brisket
97 entries · top 180 · median 159.4284 · 🔥 perfect 180