Luna County Heritage Days Festival
2026-05-15 – 2026-05-16 · Deming, NM · State championship
Reps: MICHAEL SANTIAGO, RHONDA SANTIAGO · Prize money: $8,500.00
Grand Champion: Mar-B-Que's BBQ (709.6800) · 16 teams
Entries
16
5 categories
Top score
709.6800
Winning margin
5.7256
GC over RC
Field average
640.91
median 664.99
Perfect 180s
3 🔥
Tightest race
Chicken
4.5828 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
663.8056
what a walk cost here
Field spread
155.9428
winner to last place
Prize money
$8,500.00
on the line
Double threats
6
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 5%
beats 95% of 2715 overall wins in the data
Field strength
1535
avg power rating going in · stronger than 41% of contests
Storylines
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ took the Grand Championship home to NV.
🔥 A day of perfect scores
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.
🃏 An upset on the books
MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, Meat Candy Q, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 20-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
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
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Ancillary — Carnitas
3 entries · top 161.6684 · median 160.6288
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 2 | M&M | |
| 3 | Tres Hermanos |
Master Series — Brisket
16 entries · top 176.5600 · median 164.5084
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 2 | AZ Buckeye BBQ | |
| 3 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 4 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 5 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 6 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 7 | Smoke Em Good BBQ | |
| 8 | HIGH DESERT HOLY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 9 | TEXAS OIL DUST | |
| 10 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 11 | Doc Rhoads | |
| 12 | Rusty Smrkovsky | |
| 13 | Tres Hermanos | |
| 14 | Matcor | |
| 15 | M&M | |
| 16 | RENOBS |
Master Series — Chicken
16 entries · top 176.5600 · median 167.9600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 2 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 3 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 4 | TEXAS OIL DUST | |
| 5 | Smoke Em Good BBQ | |
| 6 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 7 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 8 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 9 | HIGH DESERT HOLY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 10 | AZ Buckeye BBQ | |
| 11 | Tres Hermanos | |
| 12 | Doc Rhoads | |
| 13 | RENOBS | |
| 14 | Rusty Smrkovsky | |
| 15 | Matcor | |
| 16 | M&M |
Master Series — Overall
16 entries · top 709.6800 · median 664.9944
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 2 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 3 | HIGH DESERT HOLY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 4 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 5 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 6 | AZ Buckeye BBQ | |
| 7 | TEXAS OIL DUST | |
| 8 | Smoke Em Good BBQ | |
| 9 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 10 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 11 | Doc Rhoads | |
| 12 | Tres Hermanos | |
| 13 | RENOBS | |
| 14 | M&M | |
| 15 | Rusty Smrkovsky | |
| 16 | Matcor |
Master Series — Pork
16 entries · top 180.0000 · median 162.5142 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 2 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 3 | TEXAS OIL DUST | |
| 4 | HIGH DESERT HOLY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 5 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 6 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 7 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 8 | AZ Buckeye BBQ | |
| 9 | Smoke Em Good BBQ | |
| 10 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 11 | Tres Hermanos | |
| 12 | Doc Rhoads | |
| 13 | RENOBS | |
| 14 | M&M | |
| 15 | Matcor | |
| 16 | Rusty Smrkovsky |
Master Series — Pork Ribs
16 entries · top 180.0000 · median 164.2744 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HIGH DESERT HOLY SMOKE BBQ | |
| 2 | MAR-B-QUE'S BBQ | |
| 3 | Meat Candy Q | |
| 4 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 5 | Doc Rhoads | |
| 6 | POPPA PIG AND PORKCHOP | |
| 7 | AZ Buckeye BBQ | |
| 8 | Smoke Em Good BBQ | |
| 9 | M&M | |
| 10 | Ribbin-1-Out | |
| 11 | TEXAS OIL DUST | |
| 12 | Pork Bombin BBQ | |
| 13 | RENOBS | |
| 14 | Matcor | |
| 15 | Tres Hermanos | |
| 16 | Rusty Smrkovsky |