Won without a category win
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
SMELLAQUE won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 8th
- Brisket 11th
Montana BBQ Cookoff 2026
Jun 12–13, 2026 · Absarokee, MT · 📍 Main Street · State championship
Reps: Del Anderson, Forrest Bruce · Prize money: $9,200
SMELLAQUE won Grand Champion at the Montana BBQ Cookoff on June 12, 2026 in Absarokee, MT at Main Street, scoring 691.9428 in a field of 29 teams. Colorado Bulldawg BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 688.4912. Category winners: Chicken — SLINGIN MEATS (178.2972); Pork Ribs — SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ (180.0000); Pork — SinBin BBQ (176.5944); Brisket — Colorado Bulldawg BBQ (173.7028). This is the 4th of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Heifers, Butts, & Clucks 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.
382.77
median 675.35
691.94 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.30
- Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Pork 176.59
- Brisket 173.70
97.60
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2023 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
29
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
691.9428
Winning margin
3.4516
GC over RC
Field average
657.95
382.77691.94
median 675.35 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Brisket
1.7372 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
678.2172
382.77691.94
10th place overall
Field spread
309.1772
winner to last place
Prize money
$9,200
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 65%
beats 35% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
48%
16 of 33 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.73 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,594
avg power rating going in · stronger than 74% of contests
Storylines (5 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.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 13 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 4–5: 1 Bite BBQ and OWENS BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: Monarch BBQ and Whistle Pig BBQ tied on 173.7256 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 7–8: No Measurements BBQ and At Ease tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
- Pork Ribs 7–8 · tie
- Brisket 4–5 · tie
A contest record in pork ribs
180.0000
best pork ribs ever cooked here
SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 178.2972 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
- old best 178.2972
- across 3 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Colorado Bulldawg BBQ (won 2023).
- Colorado Bulldawg BBQ · 2023
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ · Pork Ribs
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 9, 2023 | Absarokee, MT | Woodard Ave | 36 | 707.4400 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Absarokee, MT | Main Street | 28 | 703.9772 | Bushmaster BBQ | American Heroes BBQ |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Absarokee, MT | Main Street | 33 | 691.3828 | Heifers, Butts, & Clucks BBQ | PAPA'S PIT CREW |
| Jun 12, 2026 ← this one | Absarokee, MT | Main Street | 29 | 691.9428 | Smellaque | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.2972 | 175.4172 | 173.1200 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 173.7256 | 171.9772 |
| Pork | 176.5944 | 173.1544 | 170.2628 |
| Brisket | 173.7028 | 171.9656 | 168.5488 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
29 entries · top 691.9428 · median 675.3480
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 2 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 3 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | |
| 4 | Texas Smoke Whisperer | |
| 5 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 6 | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ | |
| 7 | Heifers, Butts, and Clucks BBQ | |
| 8 | No Measurements BBQ | |
| 9 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 10 | Monarch BBQ | |
| 11 | At Ease | |
| 12 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 13 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 14 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 15 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 16 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 17 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 18 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 19 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 20 | WYO SMOKE SHOW | |
| 21 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 22 | Whistle Pig BBQ | |
| 23 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 24 | BEEHIVE BARBEQUE | |
| 25 | Frank's BBQ Trading Post | |
| 26 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 27 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 28 | Q McB's BBQ | |
| 29 | My Meat In Your Mouth |
Chicken
28 entries · top 178.2972 · median 170.5428
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 2 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 3 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 4 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 5 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 6 | Heifers, Butts, and Clucks BBQ | |
| 7 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 8 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 9 | Texas Smoke Whisperer | |
| 10 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 12 | Monarch BBQ | |
| 13 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 14 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | |
| 15 | No Measurements BBQ | |
| 16 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 17 | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ | |
| 18 | BEEHIVE BARBEQUE | |
| 19 | Frank's BBQ Trading Post | |
| 20 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 21 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 22 | WYO SMOKE SHOW | |
| 23 | Whistle Pig BBQ | |
| 24 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 25 | At Ease | |
| 26 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 27 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 28 | Q McB's BBQ |
Pork Ribs
29 entries · top 180 · median 169.1428 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 2 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 3 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 4 | Heifers, Butts, and Clucks BBQ | |
| 5 | Monarch BBQ | |
| 6 | Whistle Pig BBQ | |
| 7 | No Measurements BBQ | |
| 8 | At Ease | |
| 9 | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ | |
| 10 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 11 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 12 | WYO SMOKE SHOW | |
| 13 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | |
| 14 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 15 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 16 | Texas Smoke Whisperer | |
| 17 | BEEHIVE BARBEQUE | |
| 18 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 19 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 20 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 21 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 22 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 23 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 24 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 25 | Frank's BBQ Trading Post | |
| 26 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 27 | Q McB's BBQ | |
| 28 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 29 | My Meat In Your Mouth |
Pork
29 entries · top 176.5944 · median 167.4284
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 2 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 3 | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ | |
| 4 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | |
| 5 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 6 | At Ease | |
| 7 | No Measurements BBQ | |
| 8 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 9 | Texas Smoke Whisperer | |
| 10 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 11 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 12 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 13 | Heifers, Butts, and Clucks BBQ | |
| 14 | WYO SMOKE SHOW | |
| 15 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 16 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 17 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 18 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 19 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 20 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 21 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 22 | Monarch BBQ | |
| 23 | Whistle Pig BBQ | |
| 24 | Frank's BBQ Trading Post | |
| 25 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 26 | BEEHIVE BARBEQUE | |
| 27 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 28 | Q McB's BBQ | |
| 29 | My Meat In Your Mouth |
Brisket
29 entries · top 173.7028 · median 166.8344
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 2 | BIG BOYZ BBQ | |
| 3 | Texas Smoke Whisperer | |
| 4 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 5 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 6 | At Ease | |
| 7 | Brinkerhoff BBQ | |
| 8 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 9 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | |
| 10 | Monarch BBQ | |
| 11 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 12 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 13 | Whistle Pig BBQ | |
| 14 | SLINGIN MEATS | |
| 15 | CHICKEN FRIED BBQ | |
| 16 | No Measurements BBQ | |
| 17 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 18 | WYO SMOKE SHOW | |
| 19 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 20 | Heifers, Butts, and Clucks BBQ | |
| 21 | BEEHIVE BARBEQUE | |
| 22 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 23 | 1 Bite BBQ | |
| 24 | Smoke on the Water BBQ | |
| 25 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 26 | Frank's BBQ Trading Post | |
| 27 | My Meat In Your Mouth | |
| 28 | Q McB's BBQ | |
| 29 | BIG PIG 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 — Anything Goes
11 entries · top 180 · median 178.3200 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 2 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 3 | B-S BBQ OUTLAWS | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 5 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 6 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 7 | AMERICAN HEROES BBQ | |
| 8 | No Measurements BBQ | |
| 9 | SinBin BBQ | |
| 10 | Absarokee Fire Department | |
| 11 | Q McB's BBQ |