A new contest record
692.5484
highest overall ever cooked here
692.5484 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 682.8228 BUTCHER BBQ set in 2015.
- old record 682.8228
- set 2015 by BUTCHER BBQ
City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival 2016
Sep 3–4, 2016 · Bedford, TX · 📍 1951 Dondodson
Fergolicious BBQ won Grand Champion at the City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival on September 3, 2016 in Bedford, TX at 1951 Dondodson, scoring 692.5484 in a field of 58 teams. UNCLE BC'S took Reserve Grand Champion with 689.6912. Category winners: Chicken — UNCLE BC'S (175.4400); Pork Ribs — BUTCHER BBQ (176.0000); Pork — REDNECK COOKERS (178.8800); Brisket — TINY E BBQ (175.4400). This is the 4th of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2015 edition was won by BUTCHER BBQ.
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.
157.11
median 647.03
692.55 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 175.44
- Pork Ribs 176
- Pork 178.88
- Brisket 175.44
20
178.88
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2016 — this edition picked out.
Entries
58
4 judged meats · 6 ancillary
Top score
692.5484
Winning margin
2.8572
GC over RC
Field average
639.44
157.11692.55
median 647.03 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
1.7372 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
674.7656
157.11692.55
10th place overall
Field spread
535.4400
winner to last place
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 62%
beats 38% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
40%
28 of 70 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.49 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,538
avg power rating going in · stronger than 28% 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.
An upset on the books
25-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 75 times in 100
Fergolicious BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, BUFFALO'S BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 25-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1669
- top seed 1860
Won without a category win
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
Fergolicious BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 4th
- Pork Ribs 14th
- Pork 3rd
- Brisket 9th
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 4 tracked editions
BUTCHER BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
- 2013
- 2015
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 15 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 7–8: Packy Que and THREE HOG NIGHT SMOKERS tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 6–7: 4 LEGS UP BBQ and UNCLE BC'S tied on 174.8456 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 7–8: UNCLE BC'S and THREE HOG NIGHT SMOKERS tied on 174.8456 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 7–8 · tie
- Pork 6–7 · tie
- Pork 7–8 · tie
- Pork 9–10 · tie
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: BUTCHER BBQ (won 2013, 2015).
- BUTCHER BBQ · 2013, 2015
One of the big ones
58
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 91% of the 5,462 contests in the data
58 teams — bigger than 91% of the 5,462 contests in the data.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 31, 2013 | Bedford, TX | Bedford, TX | 89 | 682.2972 | BUTCHER BBQ | SMOKE ON WHEELS |
| Aug 30, 2014 | Bedford, TX | Bedford, TX 76021 | 76 | 681.1084 | FIRE DANCER BBQ | HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE |
| Sep 4, 2015 | Bedford, TX | Bedford, TX 76021 | 70 | 682.8228 | BUTCHER BBQ | HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE |
| Sep 3, 2016 ← this one | Bedford, TX | 1951 Dondodson | 58 | 692.5484 | Fergolicious BBQ | UNCLE BC'S |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 175.4400 | 173.7028 | 171.9884 |
| Pork Ribs | 176 | 173.7144 | 171.9656 |
| Pork | 178.8800 | 175.4056 | 172.5600 |
| Brisket | 175.4400 | 173.1428 | 171.4056 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
58 entries · top 692.5484 · median 647.0286
Chicken
57 entries · top 175.4400 · median 165.1200
Pork Ribs
57 entries · top 176 · median 163.4056
Pork
56 entries · top 178.8800 · median 166.2972
Brisket
58 entries · top 175.4400 · median 162.0172
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 — Backyard Chicken
9 entries · top 154.8916 · median 141.2228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | AARON'S BBQ | |
| 2 | HARDWOOD BBQ | |
| 3 | Pitfaced BBQ BY | |
| 4 | Blue Blazes BBQ | |
| 5 | The Holy Smokers | |
| 6 | Rub & Tugg BBQ | |
| 7 | ASH KICKIN BBQ | |
| 8 | Smokin' 7 BBQ | |
| 9 | Flameworthy BBQ |
Master Series — Backyard Overall
9 entries · top 298.8912 · median 276.0340
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pitfaced BBQ BY | |
| 2 | HARDWOOD BBQ | |
| 3 | AARON'S BBQ | |
| 4 | ASH KICKIN BBQ | |
| 5 | Blue Blazes BBQ | |
| 6 | Rub & Tugg BBQ | |
| 7 | Smokin' 7 BBQ | |
| 8 | The Holy Smokers | |
| 9 | Flameworthy BBQ |
Master Series — Backyard Ribs
9 entries · top 154.3084 · median 138.8796
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pitfaced BBQ BY | |
| 2 | HARDWOOD BBQ | |
| 3 | ASH KICKIN BBQ | |
| 4 | Smokin' 7 BBQ | |
| 5 | Flameworthy BBQ | |
| 6 | Rub & Tugg BBQ | |
| 7 | Blue Blazes BBQ | |
| 8 | AARON'S BBQ | |
| 9 | The Holy Smokers |
Master Series — Beans
24 entries · top 178.8572 · median 161.9942
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKING JOE'S BARBERQ | |
| 2 | ABECEDARIAN OF Q | |
| 3 | SMOKE'N ICE | |
| 4 | Suck the Bone BBQ | |
| 5 | BIG JOHN'S TEXAS BAR-B-QUE | |
| 6 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 7 | Team Rage 2 | |
| 8 | RED RIVER BBQ | |
| 9 | Lush Landsacpe | |
| 10 | BIG ED BBQ | |
| 11 | DEJA Q | |
| 12 | OTAKU SMOKE N BREW | |
| 13 | REDNECK COOKERS | |
| 14 | BIG BLOCK BBQ | |
| 15 | THREE HOG NIGHT SMOKERS | |
| 16 | Twin Grillas | |
| 17 | Lolli Q | |
| 18 | SMOKIN GOOD BBQ | |
| 19 | SMOKIN PENDEJOS | |
| 20 | DirtyByrd Cookers | |
| 21 | Redneck Cookers 2 | |
| 22 | Sterling's BBQ | |
| 23 | 1911 Outlaw Cookers | |
| 24 | Team Rage |
Master Series — Dessert
19 entries · top 180 · median 174.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | OLD 99 MEAT CO. | |
| 2 | DEJA Q | |
| 3 | ABECEDARIAN OF Q | |
| 4 | Sterling's BBQ | |
| 5 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 6 | SUPER SWINE | |
| 7 | UNCLE BC'S | |
| 8 | 1911 Outlaw Cookers | |
| 9 | Team Rage | |
| 10 | THIN, BEAUTIFUL, BLUE SMOKE | |
| 11 | SMOKE'N ICE | |
| 12 | SONS OF SMOKE | |
| 13 | BIG JOHN'S TEXAS BAR-B-QUE | |
| 14 | Lush Landsacpe | |
| 15 | SMOKIN GOOD BBQ | |
| 16 | THREE HOG NIGHT SMOKERS | |
| 17 | BIG DADDY G'S BBQ | |
| 18 | Team Rage 2 | |
| 19 | SMOKIN PENDEJOS |
Master Series — Sauce
31 entries · top 177.1428 · median 166.2168
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A ROLLIN' SMOKE | |
| 2 | DEJA Q | |
| 3 | DOUBLE J BBQ | |
| 4 | TEXAS-CAR-B-QUE | |
| 5 | Suck the Bone BBQ | |
| 6 | OLD 99 MEAT CO. | |
| 7 | SMOKIN PENDEJOS | |
| 8 | CLOUDSMOKER | |
| 9 | SONS OF SMOKE | |
| 10 | BARNHILL BROTHERS | |
| 11 | JOE'S COOKSHACK | |
| 12 | ELLIS COUNTY BBQ | |
| 13 | BIG BLOCK BBQ | |
| 14 | Lolli Q | |
| 15 | 4 LEGS UP BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOKIN GOOD BBQ | |
| 17 | THIN, BEAUTIFUL, BLUE SMOKE | |
| 18 | THREE HOG NIGHT SMOKERS | |
| 19 | SMOKE DAWG BARBECUE | |
| 20 | Sterling's BBQ | |
| 21 | REDNECK COOKERS | |
| 22 | 1911 Outlaw Cookers | |
| 23 | Smoke Dogs 2 | |
| 24 | SUPER SWINE | |
| 25 | DUSTY CREEK BBQ | |
| 26 | Lush Landsacpe | |
| 27 | RED RIVER BBQ | |
| 28 | ABECEDARIAN OF Q | |
| 29 | Team Rage 2 | |
| 30 | Team Rage | |
| 31 | OTAKU SMOKE N BREW |