Jun 19–20, 2015 · Miles City, MT
GRATE EXPECTATIONS won Grand Champion at the Miles City Cowtown Cook-Off on June 19, 2015 in Miles City, MT, scoring 686.2856 in a field of 26 teams. JO-BAWB'S BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 684.0000. Category winners: Chicken — JO-BAWB'S BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS (176.5600); Pork — GRATE EXPECTATIONS (180.0000); Brisket — CHARQUETERIE (177.1544). This is the 1st of 3 editions of this contest on record; the next was held in 2019.
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, 2015 to 2021 — 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.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 84 times in 100
Grate Expectations came in rated below the field's top team, PARROTHEAD SMOKERS, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 16-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was GRATE EXPECTATIONS's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 4th tracked contest.
Pork Ribs places 3–4: CHARQUETERIE edged BEER BELLY BBQ by 0.0116. Pork Ribs places 9–10: KEEP CALM AND BLAZE ON edged JO-BAWB'S BBQ by 0.0116. Pork places 6–7: BEER BELLY BBQ edged BIG BONE BBQ-MT by 0.0116.
GRATE EXPECTATIONS took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 16th.
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 19, 2015 ← this one | Miles City, MT | Miles City, MT 59301 | 26 | 686.2856 | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | JO-BAWB'S BBQ |
| Jun 14, 2019 | Miles City, MT | Riverside Park | 28 | 698.8112 | Beer Belly BBQ | RICHIE Z's |
| Jun 25, 2021 | Miles City, MT | Riverside Park | 25 | 704.5600 | Owens BBQ | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 170.8456 | 163.4284 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.5600 | 172.0228 | 166.8456 |
| Pork | 180 | 168.0228 | 162.8800 |
| Brisket | 177.1544 | 170.2856 | 161.7144 |
26 entries · top 686.2856 · median 646.2572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | |
| 2 | JO-BAWB'S BBQ | |
| 3 | SPITFIRE | |
| 4 | CHARQUETERIE | |
| 5 | LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS | |
| 6 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 7 | MONTANA Q | |
| 8 | KEEP CALM AND BLAZE ON | |
| 9 | CAMP HOUSE BBQ | |
| 10 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 11 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 12 | BRACKEN RACKS BBQ | |
| 13 | BIG DADDY QUE | |
| 14 | MONTANA BAR-BQ LLC | |
| 15 | GRILLIN' BEAVERS | |
| 16 | UP IN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 17 | BIG BONE BBQ-MT | |
| 18 | LUCKY SMOKE | |
| 19 | RICHARD'S RIBZ | |
| 20 | BADASH BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKIN JERKS | |
| 22 | Board by Board | |
| 23 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 24 | Beyond Hope Smokers | |
| 25 | Transco Railway | |
| 26 | Steadman's Ace Hardware |
26 entries · top 178.8572 · median 160.5600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | JO-BAWB'S BBQ | |
| 2 | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | |
| 3 | MONTANA Q | |
| 4 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 5 | SPITFIRE | |
| 6 | UP IN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 7 | CHARQUETERIE | |
| 8 | BRACKEN RACKS BBQ | |
| 9 | KEEP CALM AND BLAZE ON | |
| 10 | CAMP HOUSE BBQ | |
| 11 | Transco Railway | |
| 12 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 13 | LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS | |
| 14 | BADASH BBQ | |
| 15 | LUCKY SMOKE | |
| 16 | BIG DADDY QUE | |
| 17 | GRILLIN' BEAVERS | |
| 18 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 19 | Board by Board | |
| 20 | BIG BONE BBQ-MT | |
| 21 | MONTANA BAR-BQ LLC | |
| 22 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 23 | RICHARD'S RIBZ | |
| 24 | Beyond Hope Smokers | |
| 25 | SMOKIN JERKS | |
| 26 | Steadman's Ace Hardware |
26 entries · top 176.5600 · median 162.2742
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS | |
| 2 | MONTANA BAR-BQ LLC | |
| 3 | CHARQUETERIE | |
| 4 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 5 | SPITFIRE | |
| 6 | BIG DADDY QUE | |
| 7 | BRACKEN RACKS BBQ | |
| 8 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 9 | KEEP CALM AND BLAZE ON | |
| 10 | JO-BAWB'S BBQ | |
| 11 | CAMP HOUSE BBQ | |
| 12 | BIG BONE BBQ-MT | |
| 13 | GRILLIN' BEAVERS | |
| 14 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 15 | MONTANA Q | |
| 16 | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | |
| 17 | Board by Board | |
| 18 | LUCKY SMOKE | |
| 19 | UP IN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 20 | BADASH BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKIN JERKS | |
| 22 | RICHARD'S RIBZ | |
| 23 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 24 | Beyond Hope Smokers | |
| 25 | Steadman's Ace Hardware | |
| 26 | Transco Railway |
26 entries · top 180 · median 159.4114 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | |
| 2 | CAMP HOUSE BBQ | |
| 3 | SPITFIRE | |
| 4 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 5 | MONTANA BAR-BQ LLC | |
| 6 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 7 | BIG BONE BBQ-MT | |
| 8 | KEEP CALM AND BLAZE ON | |
| 9 | JO-BAWB'S BBQ | |
| 10 | CHARQUETERIE | |
| 11 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 12 | GRILLIN' BEAVERS | |
| 13 | RICHARD'S RIBZ | |
| 14 | BIG DADDY QUE | |
| 15 | MONTANA Q | |
| 16 | LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS | |
| 17 | SMOKIN JERKS | |
| 18 | BRACKEN RACKS BBQ | |
| 19 | UP IN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 20 | LUCKY SMOKE | |
| 21 | Board by Board | |
| 22 | BADASH BBQ | |
| 23 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 24 | Steadman's Ace Hardware | |
| 25 | Beyond Hope Smokers | |
| 26 | Transco Railway |
26 entries · top 177.1544 · median 157.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHARQUETERIE | |
| 2 | JO-BAWB'S BBQ | |
| 3 | LONESTAR SMOKE RANGERS | |
| 4 | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | |
| 5 | MONTANA Q | |
| 6 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 7 | KEEP CALM AND BLAZE ON | |
| 8 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 9 | BIG DADDY QUE | |
| 10 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 11 | SPITFIRE | |
| 12 | BRACKEN RACKS BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN JERKS | |
| 14 | GRILLIN' BEAVERS | |
| 15 | UP IN SMOKE BBQ | |
| 16 | LUCKY SMOKE | |
| 17 | CAMP HOUSE BBQ | |
| 18 | RICHARD'S RIBZ | |
| 19 | MONTANA BAR-BQ LLC | |
| 20 | BADASH BBQ | |
| 21 | BIG BONE BBQ-MT | |
| 22 | Beyond Hope Smokers | |
| 23 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 24 | Board by Board | |
| 25 | Transco Railway | |
| 26 | Steadman's Ace Hardware |