A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 3 tracked editions
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 3 tracked editions.
- 2014
- 2015
State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship 2014
Jun 20–21, 2014 · State Center, IA
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ won Grand Champion at the State Center Rose Festival BBQ Championship on June 20, 2014 in State Center, IA, scoring 690.8000 in a field of 25 teams. LUCKY'S Q took Reserve Grand Champion with 685.0512. Category winners: Chicken — BUBBA-Q'S (173.7028); Pork Ribs — IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ (176.0000); Pork — Dry to da bone (172.5828); Brisket — BIG T'Z Q CRU (176.5600). This is the 2nd of 3 editions of this contest on record; the 2013 edition was won by MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO.; the next was held in 2015.
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.
590.66
median 650.75
690.80 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 173.70
- Pork Ribs 176
- Pork 172.58
- Brisket 176.56
138.23
176.56
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2015 — this edition picked out.
Entries
25
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
690.8000
Winning margin
5.7488
GC over RC
Field average
644.61
590.66690.80
median 650.75 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
2.2972 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
666.1488
590.66690.80
10th place overall
Field spread
100.1368
winner to last place
Double threats
8
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 69%
beats 31% of 4715 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
32%
9 of 28 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.76 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,561
avg power rating going in · stronger than 47% 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 rookie on the podium
3rd
at their first tracked contest
Dry to da bone finished 3rd overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 6 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 8–9: Dry to da bone and MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. tied on 170.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 2–3: BIG T'Z Q CRU and IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS edged LUCKY'S Q by 0.0116.
- Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Pork 2–3 · tie
- Chicken 6–7 · 0.0116
- Pork 1–2 · 0.0228
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 8th.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 3rd
- Brisket 8th
A contest record in brisket
176.5600
best brisket ever cooked here
BIG T'Z Q CRU turned in 176.5600 in brisket — past the 174.8570 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 174.8570
- across 1 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. (won 2013).
- MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. · 2013
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 | State Center, IA | State Center, IA | 28 | 691.4284 | MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. | WHISKEY PIT BBQ COMPANY |
| Jun 20, 2014 ← this one | State Center, IA | State Center, IA 50247 | 25 | 690.8000 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | LUCKY'S Q |
| Jun 19, 2015 | State Center, IA | State Center, IA 50247 | 27 | 687.9660 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | BIG T'Z Q CRU |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 173.7028 | 171.4056 | 168.5488 |
| Pork Ribs | 176 | 169.7028 | 162.2628 |
| Pork | 172.5828 | 169.7028 | 165.1544 |
| Brisket | 176.5600 | 171.9772 | 167.4172 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
25 entries · top 690.8000 · median 650.7544
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 2 | LUCKY'S Q | |
| 3 | Dry to da bone | |
| 4 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 5 | IOWA WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 6 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 7 | TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS | |
| 8 | PIGSKIN BBQ | |
| 9 | MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. | |
| 10 | BUBBA-Q'S | |
| 11 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 12 | BLACK DOG BBQ IA | |
| 13 | T. A. QUE | |
| 14 | Save the Day BBQ | |
| 15 | Chuck Wagon BBQ | |
| 16 | HOOLIGAN'S BBQ & SHOTGUN BBQ | |
| 17 | Smoking Bonz BBQ | |
| 18 | Off in the Smoke | |
| 19 | Jack's Beef Delight | |
| 20 | Andy's BBQ | |
| 21 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 22 | CAROLINA BACKYARD BARBAQUE | |
| 23 | P&T Cruisers | |
| 24 | Budda's Burnt Ends | |
| 25 | Smoking Big Dawgs |
Chicken
25 entries · top 173.7028 · median 165.1428
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BUBBA-Q'S | |
| 2 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 3 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 4 | IOWA WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 5 | HOOLIGAN'S BBQ & SHOTGUN BBQ | |
| 6 | TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS | |
| 7 | LUCKY'S Q | |
| 8 | Dry to da bone | |
| 9 | MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. | |
| 10 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 11 | Andy's BBQ | |
| 12 | Smoking Bonz BBQ | |
| 13 | Save the Day BBQ | |
| 14 | Chuck Wagon BBQ | |
| 15 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 16 | Jack's Beef Delight | |
| 17 | T. A. QUE | |
| 18 | BLACK DOG BBQ IA | |
| 19 | Smoking Big Dawgs | |
| 20 | PIGSKIN BBQ | |
| 21 | P&T Cruisers | |
| 22 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 23 | Budda's Burnt Ends | |
| 24 | CAROLINA BACKYARD BARBAQUE | |
| 25 | Off in the Smoke |
Pork Ribs
25 entries · top 176 · median 158.8572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 2 | Dry to da bone | |
| 3 | LUCKY'S Q | |
| 4 | TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS | |
| 5 | BLACK DOG BBQ IA | |
| 6 | Off in the Smoke | |
| 7 | PIGSKIN BBQ | |
| 8 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 9 | T. A. QUE | |
| 10 | IOWA WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 11 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 12 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 13 | MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. | |
| 14 | BUBBA-Q'S | |
| 15 | Save the Day BBQ | |
| 16 | Chuck Wagon BBQ | |
| 17 | Smoking Bonz BBQ | |
| 18 | Jack's Beef Delight | |
| 19 | CAROLINA BACKYARD BARBAQUE | |
| 20 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 21 | P&T Cruisers | |
| 22 | HOOLIGAN'S BBQ & SHOTGUN BBQ | |
| 23 | Smoking Big Dawgs | |
| 24 | Budda's Burnt Ends | |
| 25 | Andy's BBQ |
Pork
25 entries · top 172.5828 · median 161.6684
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dry to da bone | |
| 2 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 3 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 4 | LUCKY'S Q | |
| 5 | PIGSKIN BBQ | |
| 6 | MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. | |
| 7 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 8 | Save the Day BBQ | |
| 9 | IOWA WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 10 | T. A. QUE | |
| 11 | Chuck Wagon BBQ | |
| 12 | Jack's Beef Delight | |
| 13 | TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS | |
| 14 | BLACK DOG BBQ IA | |
| 15 | BUBBA-Q'S | |
| 16 | HOOLIGAN'S BBQ & SHOTGUN BBQ | |
| 17 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 18 | Off in the Smoke | |
| 19 | Smoking Bonz BBQ | |
| 20 | Andy's BBQ | |
| 21 | Budda's Burnt Ends | |
| 22 | P&T Cruisers | |
| 23 | CAROLINA BACKYARD BARBAQUE | |
| 24 | Smoking Big Dawgs | |
| 25 | TREEFROG BBQ |
Brisket
25 entries · top 176.5600 · median 161.7028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BIG T'Z Q CRU | |
| 2 | BUBBA-Q'S | |
| 3 | PIGSKIN BBQ | |
| 4 | IOWA WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 5 | TRUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 6 | THE SMOKING HILLS | |
| 7 | LUCKY'S Q | |
| 8 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 9 | MEADOW VALLEY BBQ CO. | |
| 10 | Off in the Smoke | |
| 11 | TEMPLETON RYE WOODFELLAS | |
| 12 | HOOLIGAN'S BBQ & SHOTGUN BBQ | |
| 13 | BLACK DOG BBQ IA | |
| 14 | Dry to da bone | |
| 15 | T. A. QUE | |
| 16 | CAROLINA BACKYARD BARBAQUE | |
| 17 | Andy's BBQ | |
| 18 | Chuck Wagon BBQ | |
| 19 | Save the Day BBQ | |
| 20 | Smoking Bonz BBQ | |
| 21 | TREEFROG BBQ | |
| 22 | Budda's Burnt Ends | |
| 23 | P&T Cruisers | |
| 24 | Smoking Big Dawgs | |
| 25 | Jack's Beef Delight |
Ancillary categories
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.
Master Series — Dessert
3 entries · top 177.7028 · median 176
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BUBBA-Q'S | |
| 2 | Andy's BBQ | |
| 3 | Budda's Burnt Ends |