A stacked field
1634
average power rating going in
Stronger than 92% of every rated contest
The field averaged a 1634 power rating going in — stronger than 92% of every contest tracked.
- top seed HOT DADDY'S BBQ (1874)
- 20 rated teams
Rose Festival's 25th Annual KCBS BBQ Competition
Jun 19–20, 2026 · State Center, IA · 📍 2nd St SE and 3rd Ave SE · State championship
Reps: Clara Williams, Jonathan B Williams · Prize money: $7,000
HOT DADDY'S BBQ won Grand Champion at the Rose Festival's 25th Annual KCBS BBQ Competition on June 19, 2026 in State Center, IA at 2nd St SE and 3rd Ave SE, scoring 705.1084 in a field of 20 teams. WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 697.1088. Category winners: Chicken — SMOKEHOUSE 72 (180.0000); Pork Ribs — SIX BUTT BBQ (176.5716); Pork — HOT DADDY'S BBQ (178.2972); Brisket — Ambition Que (174.2972).
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.
613.59
median 684.22
705.11 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 176.57
- Pork 178.30
- Brisket 174.30
137.65
180
Entries
20
4 judged meats
Top score
705.1084
Winning margin
7.9996
GC over RC
Field average
679.74
613.59705.11
median 684.22 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork
1.7372 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
684.5032
613.59705.11
10th place overall
Field spread
91.5196
winner to last place
Prize money
$7,000
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 14%
beats 86% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.65 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,634
avg power rating going in · stronger than 92% of contests
Storylines (4 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 18 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 1–2: SMOKEHOUSE 72 and Crossed Rifles BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 2–3: WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ and BrewsCue tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 9–10: SMOKEHOUSE 72 and BBQ Pit Bros tied on 171.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 1–2 · tie
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
- Pork Ribs 9–10 · tie
- Pork 3–4 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
HOT DADDY'S BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was brisket at 8th.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 4th
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 8th
A perfect score on the table
2
perfect 180s
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- SMOKEHOUSE 72 · Chicken
- Crossed Rifles BBQ · Chicken
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)
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.7144 | 175.4400 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.5716 | 174.2628 | 171.4172 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 176.5600 | 173.1316 |
| Brisket | 174.2972 | 171.9772 | 171.4172 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
20 entries · top 705.1084 · median 684.2174
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 2 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 3 | Crossed Rifles BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 5 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 6 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 7 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 8 | BrewsCue | |
| 9 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 10 | OnlyCans Competition BBQ | |
| 11 | SIX BUTT BBQ | |
| 12 | DB BBQ | |
| 13 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 14 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 15 | Low Eye Que | |
| 16 | Ambition Que | |
| 17 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 18 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 19 | NOT DAT BAD | |
| 20 | On the Spit BBQ, LLC |
Chicken
20 entries · top 180 · median 175.4286 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 2 | Crossed Rifles BBQ | |
| 3 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 4 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 5 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 6 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 7 | DB BBQ | |
| 8 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 9 | Low Eye Que | |
| 10 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 11 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 13 | OnlyCans Competition BBQ | |
| 14 | SIX BUTT BBQ | |
| 15 | Ambition Que | |
| 16 | BrewsCue | |
| 17 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 18 | On the Spit BBQ, LLC | |
| 19 | NOT DAT BAD | |
| 20 | BUCKSHOTBBQ |
Pork Ribs
20 entries · top 176.5716 · median 171.1200
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SIX BUTT BBQ | |
| 2 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 3 | BrewsCue | |
| 4 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 5 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 6 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 8 | Crossed Rifles BBQ | |
| 9 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 10 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 11 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 12 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 13 | DB BBQ | |
| 14 | OnlyCans Competition BBQ | |
| 15 | NOT DAT BAD | |
| 16 | Low Eye Que | |
| 17 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 18 | Ambition Que | |
| 19 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 20 | On the Spit BBQ, LLC |
Pork
20 entries · top 178.2972 · median 171.4058
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 2 | Crossed Rifles BBQ | |
| 3 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 4 | BrewsCue | |
| 5 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 6 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 7 | Low Eye Que | |
| 8 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 9 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 11 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 12 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 13 | Ambition Que | |
| 14 | OnlyCans Competition BBQ | |
| 15 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 16 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 17 | SIX BUTT BBQ | |
| 18 | DB BBQ | |
| 19 | NOT DAT BAD | |
| 20 | On the Spit BBQ, LLC |
Brisket
20 entries · top 174.2972 · median 171.1372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ambition Que | |
| 2 | OnlyCans Competition BBQ | |
| 3 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 4 | BrewsCue | |
| 5 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 6 | DB BBQ | |
| 7 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | |
| 8 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 9 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 10 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 11 | SIX BUTT BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 13 | Bourbon & Blues BBQ | |
| 14 | Crossed Rifles BBQ | |
| 15 | DRY 2 DA BONE | |
| 16 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 17 | Low Eye Que | |
| 18 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 19 | NOT DAT BAD | |
| 20 | On the Spit BBQ, LLC |