A new contest record
714.2628
highest overall ever cooked here
714.2628 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 707.3944 Shake 'n Bake BBQ set in 2024.
- old record 707.3944
- set 2024 by Shake 'n Bake BBQ
Trekking for CDH 2025
Sep 13–14, 2025 · Pierron, IL · 📍 208 Edward Street · State championship
Reps: Charlie Brinza, Jeanne Titus · Prize money: $8,300
JANKY LEG BBQ won Grand Champion at the Trekking for CDH on September 13, 2025 in Pierron, IL at 208 Edward Street, scoring 714.2628 in a field of 27 teams. IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 703.9660. Category winners: Chicken — TRIPLE H BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — Swine-O-Licious BBQ (178.8572); Pork — IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ (178.8572); Brisket — JANKY LEG BBQ (180.0000). The Backyard Series standings were won by WEEZ'S GROOVIN' BBQ with 346.2516. This is the 2nd of 5 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Shake 'n Bake BBQ; the next was held in 2025.
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.
636.37
median 690.21
714.26 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Master Series — Chicken 178.86
- Master Series — Pork Ribs 178.86
- Master Series — Pork 178.86
- Master Series — Brisket 180 🔥
- Backyard Series — Chicken 173.12
- Backyard Series — Pork Ribs 175.43
153.05
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2024 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
27
6 judged meats
Top score
714.2628
Winning margin
10.2968
GC over RC
Field average
686.62
636.37714.26
median 690.21 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
1.1544 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
693.6228
636.37714.26
10th place overall
Field spread
77.8972
winner to last place
Prize money
$8,300
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 1%
beats 99% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
50%
30 of 60 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.56 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,610
avg power rating going in · stronger than 83% of contests
Storylines (6 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 statement win
10.2968
points clear of the field
Wider than 88% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 10.2968 points — a wider margin than 88% of championships in the data.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 24 calls decided inside half a point
Master Series — Chicken places 1–2: TRIPLE H BBQ and ROCKSTAR BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 2–3: ROCKSTAR BBQ and SMOKE THIS BBQ MO tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 6–7: JDQ BBQ and IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Master Series — Chicken 1–2 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Master Series — Chicken 8–9 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
JANKY LEG BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 5th.
- Chicken 5th
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 2nd
- Brisket 1st
A contest record in pork ribs
178.8572
best pork ribs ever cooked here
Swine-O-Licious BBQ turned in 178.8572 in pork ribs — past the 177.7144 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 177.7144
- across 1 past editions
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.
- JANKY LEG BBQ · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 2024 | Pierron, IL | 208 Edwards Street | 35 | 707.3944 | Shake 'n Bake BBQ | Heavy Smoke BBQ |
| Sep 13, 2025 ← this one | Pierron, IL | 208 Edward Street | 27 | 714.2628 | Janky Leg BBQ | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
| Sep 13, 2025 | Pierron, IL | 208 Edward Street | 19 | 177.7028 | My3Sons BBQ | — |
| Sep 19, 2026 | Pierron, IL | 208 Edward Street | 27 | 711.4288 | Local Yokels BBQ | We Will Rock Que |
| Sep 19, 2026 | Pierron, IL | 208 Edward Street | 15 | 178.8572 | 1 Bite Stand | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 178.8572 | 177.7028 | 175.4056 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 177.1544 | 175.4172 |
| Master Series — Pork | 178.8572 | 176.5716 | 173.1200 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 180 | 177.7028 | 173.1316 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 173.1200 | 169.6800 | 167.3944 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 175.4288 | 169.6800 | 166.2400 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
27 entries · top 714.2628 · median 690.2056
Chicken
27 entries · top 178.8572 · median 174.2628
Pork Ribs
27 entries · top 178.8572 · median 173.1200
Pork
27 entries · top 178.8572 · median 170.8112
Brisket
27 entries · top 180 · median 171.4172 · 🔥 perfect 180
Backyard Series
Overall
24 entries · top 346.2516 · median 331.9372
Chicken
23 entries · top 173.1200 · median 166.2400
Pork Ribs
24 entries · top 175.4288 · median 165.9828