Sep 12–13, 2025 · Waller, TX · 📍 Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park · State championship
Reps: Debbie Spray, Eugene Wickham, Larry Voth, Lynda Voth, Sarah Wickham, Scott Spray · Prize money: $50,000
Rio Valley Meat BBQ won Grand Champion at the Navy SEAL Danny Dietz Memorial Classic Cookoff on September 12, 2025 in Waller, TX at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park, scoring 698.8344 in a field of 92 teams. The Pitfather BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 697.7600. Category winners: Chicken — The Pitfather BBQ (177.1772); Pork Ribs — KG Cookers (180.0000); Pork — Rio Valley Meat BBQ (178.2972); Brisket — Flying G BBQ (178.8572). This is the 3rd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Chillin & Grillin Texas 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, 2023 to 2025 — 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 85% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.0744 points — closer than 85% of every championship in the data.
698.8344 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 694.3772 Chillin & Grillin Texas BBQ set in 2024.
Pork Ribs places 3–4: Rio Valley Meat BBQ and The Pitfather BBQ tied on 178.2972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 1–2: Rio Valley Meat BBQ and Texas Revolution tied on 178.2972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 2–3: Texas Revolution and Always Forward BBQ tied on 178.2972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Rio Valley Meat BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 44th.
Flying G BBQ turned in 178.8572 in brisket — past the 177.7372 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
Bigger than 98% of the 5,462 contests in the data
92 teams — bigger than 98% of the 5,462 contests in the data.
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 8, 2023 | Waller, TX | Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park | 99 | 693.1660 | Race Crew Drum Smokers | Team Chupacabra |
| Sep 13, 2024 | Waller, TX | Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park | 67 | 694.3772 | Chillin & Grillin Texas BBQ | Flying G BBQ |
| Sep 12, 2025 ← this one | Waller, TX | Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park | 92 | 698.8344 | Rio Valley Meat BBQ | The Pitfather BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.1772 | 175.4744 | 174.3088 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 177.7372 | 174.8572 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 177.7028 | 176.5600 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 173.7144 | 171.9656 |
92 entries · top 698.8344 · median 662.5312
92 entries · top 177.1772 · median 166.8400
92 entries · top 180 · median 167.9714 · 🔥 perfect 180
92 entries · top 178.2972 · median 167.4056
90 entries · top 178.8572 · median 162.8342
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
6 entries · top 175.4516 · median 172.5830
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liam Chase | |
| 2 | Kenndy / BBQ PROJECT | |
| 3 | Grayson / Kibo-Q | |
| 4 | PRESLIE / THAT OIL MONEY | |
| 5 | Dakota / First Class 2.0 | |
| 6 | Meran / Rosie's BBQ |
21 entries · top 178.8572 · median 166.8572
14 entries · top 180 · median 170.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180
17 entries · top 171.4744 · median 151.9200
12 entries · top 173.7256 · median 157.0914