Q's & Brews Bighorn BBQ Competition
2026-03-27 – 2026-03-28 · Lake Havasu City, AZ · 📍 165 Sunray Dr · State championship
Reps: MICHAEL SANTIAGO, RHONDA SANTIAGO · Prize money: $8,000.00
Grand Champion: Brinkerhoff BBQ (707.9888) · 33 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 Small Axe BBQ
Entries
33
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
707.9888
Winning margin
5.1772
GC over RC
Field average
678.18
median 682.23
Perfect 180s
4 🔥
Small Axe BBQ (Brisket), SHIG NINJA BBQ (Brisket), LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ (Chicken), DRY 2 DA BONE (Chicken)
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.2856 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
691.9660
10th place overall
Field spread
111.5548
winner to last place
Prize money
$8,000.00
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 11%
beats 89% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
61%
of the 33 teams with a home region came from outside AZ
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.7 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1593
avg power rating going in · stronger than 88% of contests
Storylines
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
Brinkerhoff BBQ took the Grand Championship home to CO.
🔥 A day of perfect scores
4 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.
🧹 A double category winner
LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ won Chicken, Pork — a double.
📸 Photo finishes
Chicken places 1–2: LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ and DRY 2 DA BONE tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ and SoCal Outlaw BBQ tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ and ONE PIT WONDER tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
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)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-27 ← this one | Lake Havasu City, AZ | 165 Sunray Dr | 33 | 707.9888 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | Small Axe BBQ |
| 2027-02-19 | Lake Havasu City, AZ | — | — | — | — | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180.0000 | 177.7028 | 174.8572 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 176.5716 | 175.4172 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 176.5716 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 180.0000 | 175.4172 | 173.7028 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
33 entries · top 707.9888 · median 682.2288
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 2 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 3 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 4 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 5 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 6 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 7 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 8 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 9 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 10 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 11 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 12 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 13 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 14 | ONE PIT WONDER | |
| 15 | LADY OF Q | |
| 16 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 17 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 18 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 19 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 20 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 21 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 22 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 23 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 24 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 25 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 26 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 27 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 28 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 29 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 30 | Smoke em Good | |
| 31 | B&E BBQ | |
| 32 | TCB-Takin Care of BBQ | |
| 33 | Smoke on the Waterfront |
Chicken
33 entries · top 180.0000 · median 171.9884 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 2 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 3 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 5 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 6 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 7 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 8 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 9 | ONE PIT WONDER | |
| 10 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 11 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 12 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 13 | LADY OF Q | |
| 14 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 15 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 16 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 17 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 18 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 19 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 20 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 21 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 22 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 23 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 24 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 25 | B&E BBQ | |
| 26 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 27 | Smoke em Good | |
| 28 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 29 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 30 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 31 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 32 | TCB-Takin Care of BBQ | |
| 33 | Smoke on the Waterfront |
Pork Ribs
33 entries · top 178.8572 · median 171.4172
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 2 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 3 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 4 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 5 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 6 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 7 | ONE PIT WONDER | |
| 8 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 9 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 10 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 11 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 12 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 13 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 14 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 15 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 17 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 18 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 19 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 20 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 22 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 23 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 24 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 25 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 26 | LADY OF Q | |
| 27 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 28 | TCB-Takin Care of BBQ | |
| 29 | B&E BBQ | |
| 30 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 31 | Smoke em Good | |
| 32 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 33 | Smoke on the Waterfront |
Pork
33 entries · top 178.8572 · median 171.9772
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 2 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 3 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 4 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 5 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 6 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 7 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 8 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 9 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 10 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 11 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 12 | ONE PIT WONDER | |
| 13 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 14 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 15 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 16 | LADY OF Q | |
| 17 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 18 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 19 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 20 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 21 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 22 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 23 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 24 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 25 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 26 | Smoke em Good | |
| 27 | B&E BBQ | |
| 28 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 29 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 30 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 31 | TCB-Takin Care of BBQ | |
| 32 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 33 | Smoke on the Waterfront |
Brisket
33 entries · top 180.0000 · median 170.8456 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 2 | SHIG NINJA BBQ | |
| 3 | STEVO'S BBQ TEAM | |
| 4 | LADY OF Q | |
| 5 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 6 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 7 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 8 | Big Johns BBQ Company | |
| 9 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 10 | SIMPLY MARVELOUS BBQ | |
| 11 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 12 | SMOKIN' VOLTS BBQ | |
| 13 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 14 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 15 | PORTERHOUSE BBQ | |
| 16 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 17 | B' MACKIN BBQ | |
| 18 | SoCal Outlaw BBQ | |
| 19 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 20 | Can Do BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKERS PURGATORY | |
| 22 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 23 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 24 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 25 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 26 | Vegas Grillbillies | |
| 27 | ONE PIT WONDER | |
| 28 | Tuffy's BBQ | |
| 29 | Bad Boyz BBQ | |
| 30 | Smoke em Good | |
| 31 | B&E BBQ | |
| 32 | Smoke on the Waterfront | |
| 33 | TCB-Takin Care of BBQ |
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.
Ancillary — Mushroom
5 entries · top 176.5944 · median 174.8572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GIRLS CAN GRILL | |
| 2 | Bowling Bro's BBQ | |
| 3 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 4 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | |
| 5 | SinBin BBQ |