Decided by a tiebreaker
Tie
identical totals at the top
The top two teams finished on identical totals — the Grand Championship came down to the KCBS tiebreaker rules.
Capital BBQ Festival 2019
May 25–26, 2019 · Ottawa, ON · CANADA · 📍 Clarke Field Park
Reps: Craig Maidens, Heather Maidens
THE PIG'S PAJAMAS won Grand Champion at the Capital BBQ Festival on May 25, 2019 in Ottawa, ON at Clarke Field Park, scoring 674.8800 in a field of 43 teams. SMELLAQUE took Reserve Grand Champion with 674.8800. Category winners: Chicken — THE PIG'S PAJAMAS (172.5828); Pork Ribs — SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA (174.8572); Pork — MEAN MOE'S BBQ (177.1428); Brisket — WALLY BBQ (176.5828). This is the 2nd of 2 editions of this contest on record; the 2017 edition was won by SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS.
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.
440.62
median 648.48
674.88 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 172.58
- Pork Ribs 174.86
- Pork 177.14
- Brisket 176.58
20
177.14
Entries
43
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
674.8800
Winning margin
Tie
identical totals — KCBS tiebreaker
Field average
633.59
440.62674.88
median 648.48 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
1.7372 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
663.4512
440.62674.88
10th place overall
Field spread
234.2624
winner to last place
Double threats
3
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 94%
beats 6% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
40%
17 of 42 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.67 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,548
avg power rating going in · stronger than 36% of contests
Storylines (7 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.
A new contest record
674.8800
highest overall ever cooked here
674.8800 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 673.0512 SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS set in 2017.
- old record 673.0512
- set 2017 by SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS
An upset on the books
10-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 90 times in 100
The Pig's Pajamas came in rated below the field's top team, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 10-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
- champion 1497
- top seed 1887
A knife fight at the top
2.3544
points across the top five
First to fifth in the overall standings covered just 2.3544 points — 2 teams sat within a single point of the lead.
- 1st THE PIG'S PAJAMAS
- 2nd SMELLAQUE
- 3rd PRAIRIE SMOKE & SPICE BBQ
- 4th SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA
- 5th SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 13 calls decided inside half a point
Pork places 1–2: MEAN MOE'S BBQ and PRAIRIE SMOKE & SPICE BBQ tied on 177.1428 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 5–6: SMELLAQUE and JACK9 BBQ tied on 171.4400 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: WINE COUNTRY BARBECUE edged Rogue Hog BBQ by 0.0116.
- Pork 1–2 · tie
- Pork 5–6 · tie
- Chicken 9–10 · 0.0116
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · 0.0116
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
THE PIG'S PAJAMAS took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 17th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 7th
- Pork 17th
- Brisket 6th
A contest record in pork
177.1428
best pork ever cooked here
MEAN MOE'S BBQ turned in 177.1428 in pork — past the 172.5600 that had stood across 1 earlier editions.
- old best 172.5600
- across 1 past editions
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2017 | Ottawa, ON | 3790 Card Rd | 42 | 673.0512 | SHORTSVILLE SMOKERS | TRUE SMOKE BBQ |
| May 25, 2019 ← this one | Ottawa, ON | Clarke Field Park | 43 | 674.8800 | The Pig's Pajamas BBQ | SMELLAQUE |
| May 21, 2022 | Ottawa, ON | — | — | — | — | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 172.5828 | 170.8456 | 169.1084 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.8572 | 169.7144 | 167.9772 |
| Pork | 177.1428 | 171.4400 | 169.1428 |
| Brisket | 176.5828 | 170.3200 | 167.4400 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
43 entries · top 674.8800 · median 648.4800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE PIG'S PAJAMAS | |
| 2 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 3 | PRAIRIE SMOKE & SPICE BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 5 | SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | |
| 6 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 7 | PIRATESBBQ | |
| 8 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 9 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 10 | JACK9 BBQ | |
| 11 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 12 | RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ | |
| 13 | WINE COUNTRY BARBECUE | |
| 14 | NORTH POLE BBQ TEAM | |
| 15 | WALLY BBQ | |
| 16 | Bark Boys Qc | |
| 17 | Pistol Packin Piggies | |
| 18 | WHISKEY'N'CLEAVERS | |
| 19 | FAT TIGER BBQ | |
| 20 | Smoldering Ash Holes | |
| 21 | THE GOOD CUE CREW | |
| 22 | PAT BBQ | |
| 23 | Q+BREW | |
| 24 | McLay Brothers BBQ | |
| 25 | Lords Of The Ribs | |
| 26 | PRIME BBQ- | |
| 27 | AUBRY'S BAR-B-QUE | |
| 28 | PIGSTART MY HEART | |
| 29 | Sugar Daddy Bacon BBQ Team | |
| 30 | Van Damme Good BBQ | |
| 31 | SHOP BOYS BBQ | |
| 32 | Goon's BBQ | |
| 33 | SIBLING RIVALRY | |
| 34 | SKARA OLD SCHOOL BBQ | |
| 35 | Alpha Barbecue | |
| 36 | Smoked Balls & Mac | |
| 37 | Precision Smoked | |
| 38 | THREE DOGS BBQ | |
| 39 | Stubborn Grillers | |
| 40 | HANGING BELLIES BBQ | |
| 41 | Big Bubba's BBQ Company | |
| 42 | BOYMEETSGRILL | |
| 43 | Meatopia |
Chicken
42 entries · top 172.5828 · median 162.3086
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | THE PIG'S PAJAMAS | |
| 2 | PRIME BBQ- | |
| 3 | AUBRY'S BAR-B-QUE | |
| 4 | RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ | |
| 5 | Bark Boys Qc | |
| 6 | PIRATESBBQ | |
| 7 | Sugar Daddy Bacon BBQ Team | |
| 8 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 9 | WINE COUNTRY BARBECUE | |
| 10 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 11 | PAT BBQ | |
| 12 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 13 | Smoked Balls & Mac | |
| 14 | THE GOOD CUE CREW | |
| 15 | SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | |
| 16 | JACK9 BBQ | |
| 17 | Pistol Packin Piggies | |
| 18 | FAT TIGER BBQ | |
| 19 | WHISKEY'N'CLEAVERS | |
| 20 | Lords Of The Ribs | |
| 21 | McLay Brothers BBQ | |
| 22 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 23 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 24 | SHOP BOYS BBQ | |
| 25 | NORTH POLE BBQ TEAM | |
| 26 | PIGSTART MY HEART | |
| 27 | Smoldering Ash Holes | |
| 28 | Stubborn Grillers | |
| 29 | Precision Smoked | |
| 30 | Q+BREW | |
| 31 | WALLY BBQ | |
| 32 | PRAIRIE SMOKE & SPICE BBQ | |
| 33 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 34 | Van Damme Good BBQ | |
| 35 | SKARA OLD SCHOOL BBQ | |
| 36 | Alpha Barbecue | |
| 37 | Goon's BBQ | |
| 38 | SIBLING RIVALRY | |
| 39 | HANGING BELLIES BBQ | |
| 40 | THREE DOGS BBQ | |
| 41 | Big Bubba's BBQ Company | |
| 42 | BOYMEETSGRILL |
Pork Ribs
43 entries · top 174.8572 · median 161.1316
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 2 | SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | |
| 3 | PRAIRIE SMOKE & SPICE BBQ | |
| 4 | JACK9 BBQ | |
| 5 | Bark Boys Qc | |
| 6 | Q+BREW | |
| 7 | THE PIG'S PAJAMAS | |
| 8 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 9 | NORTH POLE BBQ TEAM | |
| 10 | PIRATESBBQ | |
| 11 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 12 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 13 | Pistol Packin Piggies | |
| 14 | THE GOOD CUE CREW | |
| 15 | WINE COUNTRY BARBECUE | |
| 16 | WALLY BBQ | |
| 17 | Smoldering Ash Holes | |
| 18 | SHOP BOYS BBQ | |
| 19 | FAT TIGER BBQ | |
| 20 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 21 | Goon's BBQ | |
| 22 | SIBLING RIVALRY | |
| 23 | Alpha Barbecue | |
| 24 | THREE DOGS BBQ | |
| 25 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 26 | Lords Of The Ribs | |
| 27 | WHISKEY'N'CLEAVERS | |
| 28 | Precision Smoked | |
| 29 | RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ | |
| 30 | BOYMEETSGRILL | |
| 31 | PAT BBQ | |
| 32 | Big Bubba's BBQ Company | |
| 33 | Smoked Balls & Mac | |
| 34 | Stubborn Grillers | |
| 35 | McLay Brothers BBQ | |
| 36 | Sugar Daddy Bacon BBQ Team | |
| 37 | PIGSTART MY HEART | |
| 38 | SKARA OLD SCHOOL BBQ | |
| 39 | Meatopia | |
| 40 | Van Damme Good BBQ | |
| 41 | HANGING BELLIES BBQ | |
| 42 | PRIME BBQ- | |
| 43 | AUBRY'S BAR-B-QUE |
Pork
43 entries · top 177.1428 · median 160.0116
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 2 | PRAIRIE SMOKE & SPICE BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 4 | THREE DOGS BBQ | |
| 5 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 6 | JACK9 BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | |
| 8 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 9 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 10 | WHISKEY'N'CLEAVERS | |
| 11 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 12 | Pistol Packin Piggies | |
| 13 | PRIME BBQ- | |
| 14 | RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ | |
| 15 | Bark Boys Qc | |
| 16 | Big Bubba's BBQ Company | |
| 17 | THE PIG'S PAJAMAS | |
| 18 | Van Damme Good BBQ | |
| 19 | Smoldering Ash Holes | |
| 20 | WALLY BBQ | |
| 21 | PIRATESBBQ | |
| 22 | PAT BBQ | |
| 23 | McLay Brothers BBQ | |
| 24 | AUBRY'S BAR-B-QUE | |
| 25 | PIGSTART MY HEART | |
| 26 | NORTH POLE BBQ TEAM | |
| 27 | FAT TIGER BBQ | |
| 28 | Sugar Daddy Bacon BBQ Team | |
| 29 | SKARA OLD SCHOOL BBQ | |
| 30 | Goon's BBQ | |
| 31 | Q+BREW | |
| 32 | THE GOOD CUE CREW | |
| 33 | WINE COUNTRY BARBECUE | |
| 34 | Lords Of The Ribs | |
| 35 | Precision Smoked | |
| 36 | SHOP BOYS BBQ | |
| 37 | SIBLING RIVALRY | |
| 38 | Stubborn Grillers | |
| 39 | Meatopia | |
| 40 | Alpha Barbecue | |
| 41 | BOYMEETSGRILL | |
| 42 | Smoked Balls & Mac | |
| 43 | HANGING BELLIES BBQ |
Brisket
43 entries · top 176.5828 · median 160.5600
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WALLY BBQ | |
| 2 | Rogue Hog BBQ | |
| 3 | WINE COUNTRY BARBECUE | |
| 4 | NORTH POLE BBQ TEAM | |
| 5 | PIRATESBBQ | |
| 6 | THE PIG'S PAJAMAS | |
| 7 | FAT TIGER BBQ | |
| 8 | PRAIRIE SMOKE & SPICE BBQ | |
| 9 | RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ | |
| 10 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 11 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 12 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 13 | PAT BBQ | |
| 14 | WHISKEY'N'CLEAVERS | |
| 15 | Smoldering Ash Holes | |
| 16 | THE GOOD CUE CREW | |
| 17 | McLay Brothers BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | |
| 19 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA | |
| 20 | BOYMEETSGRILL | |
| 21 | PIGSTART MY HEART | |
| 22 | Lords Of The Ribs | |
| 23 | Van Damme Good BBQ | |
| 24 | Pistol Packin Piggies | |
| 25 | MILLER'S BACKYARD BBQ | |
| 26 | Q+BREW | |
| 27 | SIBLING RIVALRY | |
| 28 | JACK9 BBQ | |
| 29 | AUBRY'S BAR-B-QUE | |
| 30 | SKARA OLD SCHOOL BBQ | |
| 31 | HANGING BELLIES BBQ | |
| 32 | Bark Boys Qc | |
| 33 | Goon's BBQ | |
| 34 | Alpha Barbecue | |
| 35 | THREE DOGS BBQ | |
| 36 | Big Bubba's BBQ Company | |
| 37 | PRIME BBQ- | |
| 38 | Sugar Daddy Bacon BBQ Team | |
| 39 | Smoked Balls & Mac | |
| 40 | SHOP BOYS BBQ | |
| 41 | Meatopia | |
| 42 | Precision Smoked | |
| 43 | Stubborn Grillers |
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 — Banana
24 entries · top 180 · median 168.5714 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bark Boys Qc | |
| 2 | PIRATESBBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKIN BOYS AND HOT GRILLS | |
| 4 | Lords Of The Ribs | |
| 5 | Alpha Barbecue | |
| 6 | McLay Brothers BBQ | |
| 7 | WINE COUNTRY BARBECUE | |
| 8 | WHISKEY'N'CLEAVERS | |
| 9 | JACK9 BBQ | |
| 10 | RUSTY'S SMOKE BBQ | |
| 11 | THREE DOGS BBQ | |
| 12 | WHAT THE PORK? | |
| 13 | PRAIRIE SMOKE & SPICE BBQ | |
| 14 | THE GOOD CUE CREW | |
| 15 | WALLY BBQ | |
| 16 | THE PIG'S PAJAMAS | |
| 17 | NORTH POLE BBQ TEAM | |
| 18 | SMELLAQUE | |
| 19 | Sugar Daddy Bacon BBQ Team | |
| 20 | MEAN MOE'S BBQ | |
| 21 | Smoked Balls & Mac | |
| 22 | Goon's BBQ | |
| 23 | Stubborn Grillers | |
| 24 | AUBRY'S BAR-B-QUE |