A new contest record
688.5256
highest overall ever cooked here
688.5256 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 687.9544 INSANE SWINE BBQ set in 2015.
- old record 687.9544
- set 2015 by INSANE SWINE BBQ
Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival 2019
May 4–5, 2019 · Ridgefield, CT · 📍 Lounsbury House · State championship
Reps: Don Lovely, Leslie Lovely · Prize money: $6,600
FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY won Grand Champion at the Ridgefield Gone Country BBQ Festival on May 4, 2019 in Ridgefield, CT at Lounsbury House, scoring 688.5256 in a field of 29 teams. PADDY MCQ'S took Reserve Grand Champion with 678.8572. Category winners: Chicken — CRESCENT MOON BBQ (178.2972); Pork Ribs — SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA (179.4400); Pork — MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ (174.8800); Brisket — SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES (174.9028). This is the 6th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2018 edition was won by Rhode Hog 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.
580.98
median 650.17
688.53 🏆
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 179.44
- Pork 174.88
- Brisket 174.90
129.66
179.44
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2014 to 2019 — this edition picked out.
Entries
29
4 judged meats · 5 ancillary
Top score
688.5256
Winning margin
9.6684
GC over RC
Field average
646.49
580.98688.53
median 650.17 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Pork
2.3084 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
662.1600
580.98688.53
10th place overall
Field spread
107.5428
winner to last place
Prize money
$6,600
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 75%
beats 25% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
57%
23 of 40 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.56 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,608
avg power rating going in · stronger than 82% of contests
Storylines (9 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
13-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 87 times in 100
FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY came in rated below the field's top team, INSANE SWINE BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 13-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1557
- top seed 1893
Won without a category win
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 6th
- Pork Ribs 6th
- Pork 5th
- Brisket 3rd
A first Grand Championship
14
tracked contests to get there
This was Fire at the End of the Day's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 14th tracked contest.
A statement win
9.6684
points clear of the field
Wider than 86% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 9.6684 points — a wider margin than 86% of championships in the data.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 6 tracked editions
INSANE SWINE BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 6 tracked editions.
- 2015
- 2016
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 7 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 5–6: DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM and FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY tied on 171.9656 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 4–5: HANDSOME DEVIL and Four Smoking Guys tied on 172.0344 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 3–4: SMOKIN' ADDICTION and SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Pork Ribs 4–5 · tie
- Pork 3–4 · tie
- Chicken 8–9 · 0.0116
A contest record in pork ribs
179.4400
best pork ribs ever cooked here
SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA turned in 179.4400 in pork ribs — past the 176.0344 that had stood across 5 earlier editions.
- old best 176.0344
- across 5 past editions
Back to defend
3
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA (won 2014), INSANE SWINE BBQ (won 2015, 2016), ACK-QUE (won 2017).
- SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA · 2014
- INSANE SWINE BBQ · 2015, 2016
- ACK-QUE · 2017
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 2014 | Ridgefield, CT | Ridgefield, CT 06877 | 17 | 673.0288 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ |
| May 2, 2015 | Ridgefield, CT | Ridgefield, CT 06877 | 30 | 687.9544 | INSANE SWINE BBQ | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ |
| Apr 30, 2016 | Ridgefield, CT | Ridgefield, CT 06877 | 39 | 670.8344 | INSANE SWINE BBQ | MEAT @ SLIMS |
| May 6, 2017 | Ridgefield, CT | 316 Main Street | 38 | 679.4172 | ACK-QUE | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM |
| May 5, 2018 | Ridgefield, CT | 316 Main Street | 40 | 685.1660 | Rhode Hog BBQ | BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT |
| May 4, 2019 ← this one | Ridgefield, CT | Lounsbury House | 29 | 688.5256 | Fire at the End of the Day | PADDY MCQ'S |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.2972 | 171.9656 | 170.2856 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 172.0344 | 166.2972 |
| Pork | 174.8800 | 172.5716 | 166.2744 |
| Brisket | 174.9028 | 172.5600 | 165.0972 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
29 entries · top 688.5256 · median 650.1716
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 2 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 3 | SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES | |
| 4 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 6 | SMOKIN' ADDICTION | |
| 7 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 8 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 9 | Four Smoking Guys | |
| 10 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 11 | INSANE SWINE BBQ | |
| 12 | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | |
| 13 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 14 | HANDSOME DEVIL | |
| 15 | BLACK DOG BBQ RI | |
| 16 | BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT | |
| 17 | Q HAVEN BBQ | |
| 18 | CRESCENT MOON BBQ | |
| 19 | ACK-QUE | |
| 20 | Hot Rods BBQ | |
| 21 | SMOKIN ACES | |
| 22 | RIBS WITHIN | |
| 23 | SMOKE THIS L.I. | |
| 24 | THAT'S OUR QUE | |
| 25 | Pikes Pits BBQ | |
| 26 | Team GottaQ | |
| 27 | BIG ANIMAL BBQ | |
| 28 | Rub My Butt | |
| 29 | THE OUTLAW BBQ NY |
Chicken
29 entries · top 178.2972 · median 166.2516
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CRESCENT MOON BBQ | |
| 2 | ACK-QUE | |
| 3 | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | |
| 4 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 5 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 6 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 7 | BLACK DOG BBQ RI | |
| 8 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 9 | INSANE SWINE BBQ | |
| 10 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES | |
| 12 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 13 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 14 | RIBS WITHIN | |
| 15 | SMOKIN' ADDICTION | |
| 16 | Hot Rods BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKE THIS L.I. | |
| 18 | THE OUTLAW BBQ NY | |
| 19 | Four Smoking Guys | |
| 20 | Q HAVEN BBQ | |
| 21 | BIG ANIMAL BBQ | |
| 22 | Pikes Pits BBQ | |
| 23 | HANDSOME DEVIL | |
| 24 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 25 | SMOKIN ACES | |
| 26 | BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT | |
| 27 | Team GottaQ | |
| 28 | THAT'S OUR QUE | |
| 29 | Rub My Butt |
Pork Ribs
29 entries · top 179.4400 · median 162.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | |
| 4 | HANDSOME DEVIL | |
| 5 | Four Smoking Guys | |
| 6 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 7 | RIBS WITHIN | |
| 8 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 9 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 10 | BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT | |
| 11 | Hot Rods BBQ | |
| 12 | Q HAVEN BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN' ADDICTION | |
| 14 | SMOKIN ACES | |
| 15 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 16 | BLACK DOG BBQ RI | |
| 17 | SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES | |
| 18 | Pikes Pits BBQ | |
| 19 | CRESCENT MOON BBQ | |
| 20 | ACK-QUE | |
| 21 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 22 | Rub My Butt | |
| 23 | INSANE SWINE BBQ | |
| 24 | SMOKE THIS L.I. | |
| 25 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 26 | Team GottaQ | |
| 27 | THAT'S OUR QUE | |
| 28 | THE OUTLAW BBQ NY | |
| 29 | BIG ANIMAL BBQ |
Pork
29 entries · top 174.8800 · median 162.2512
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 2 | INSANE SWINE BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKIN' ADDICTION | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES | |
| 5 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 6 | SMOKIN ACES | |
| 7 | Four Smoking Guys | |
| 8 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 9 | THAT'S OUR QUE | |
| 10 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 11 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 12 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 13 | Q HAVEN BBQ | |
| 14 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 15 | BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT | |
| 16 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 17 | ACK-QUE | |
| 18 | BLACK DOG BBQ RI | |
| 19 | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | |
| 20 | RIBS WITHIN | |
| 21 | HANDSOME DEVIL | |
| 22 | SMOKE THIS L.I. | |
| 23 | BIG ANIMAL BBQ | |
| 24 | CRESCENT MOON BBQ | |
| 25 | Hot Rods BBQ | |
| 26 | THE OUTLAW BBQ NY | |
| 27 | Pikes Pits BBQ | |
| 28 | Rub My Butt | |
| 29 | Team GottaQ |
Brisket
29 entries · top 174.9028 · median 162.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES | |
| 2 | Team GottaQ | |
| 3 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 4 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 5 | PADDY MCQ'S | |
| 6 | BACKDRAFT BAR-B-Q CT | |
| 7 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 8 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 9 | A MAZIE Q | |
| 10 | INSANE SWINE BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKIN' ADDICTION | |
| 12 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 13 | SMOKE THIS L.I. | |
| 14 | Hot Rods BBQ | |
| 15 | HANDSOME DEVIL | |
| 16 | THAT'S OUR QUE | |
| 17 | Four Smoking Guys | |
| 18 | Q HAVEN BBQ | |
| 19 | CRESCENT MOON BBQ | |
| 20 | BLAZIN' BUTTZ BBQ | |
| 21 | BLACK DOG BBQ RI | |
| 22 | Rub My Butt | |
| 23 | Pikes Pits BBQ | |
| 24 | ACK-QUE | |
| 25 | SMOKIN ACES | |
| 26 | SMOKIN' TEX BBQ | |
| 27 | RIBS WITHIN | |
| 28 | BIG ANIMAL BBQ | |
| 29 | THE OUTLAW BBQ NY |
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 — Beef Hamburger
8 entries · top 175.4056 · median 167.4284
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pikes Pits BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES | |
| 3 | RIBS WITHIN | |
| 4 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 5 | THE OUTLAW BBQ NY | |
| 6 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 7 | Rub My Butt | |
| 8 | CRESCENT MOON BBQ |
Ancillary — Chef'S Choice
8 entries · top 178.8572 · median 165.9770
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rub My Butt | |
| 2 | RIBS WITHIN | |
| 3 | CRESCENT MOON BBQ | |
| 4 | Pikes Pits BBQ | |
| 5 | THE OUTLAW BBQ NY | |
| 6 | SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES | |
| 7 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 8 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM |
Ancillary — Pizza
8 entries · top 179.4400 · median 165.7314
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | RIBS WITHIN | |
| 2 | THE OUTLAW BBQ NY | |
| 3 | Rub My Butt | |
| 4 | SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES | |
| 5 | Pikes Pits BBQ | |
| 6 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY | |
| 7 | CRESCENT MOON BBQ | |
| 8 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM |
Kids-Q — Pork Tenderloin
2 entries · top 177.7028 · median 177.1428
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Handsome Devil Kids | |
| 2 | The Outlaw BBQ Kids |
Ancillary — Taco
8 entries · top 171.9772 · median 163.3942
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rub My Butt | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' HOT PIGGIES | |
| 3 | RIBS WITHIN | |
| 4 | THE OUTLAW BBQ NY | |
| 5 | CRESCENT MOON BBQ | |
| 6 | Pikes Pits BBQ | |
| 7 | DR. PEARL'S MEDICINAL SMOKE BBQ TEAM | |
| 8 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY |