Miles City Cowtown Cook Off
2019-06-14 – 2019-06-15 · Miles City, MT · 📍 Riverside Park · State championship
Reps: IAN SCHMIDT, JULIE POE · Prize money: $10,250.00
Grand Champion: Beer Belly BBQ (698.8112) · 28 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 RICHIE Z's
Entries
28
4 judged meats
Top score
698.8112
Winning margin
3.3596
GC over RC
Field average
655.35
median 664.18
Tightest race
Brisket
4.5600 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
675.8856
10th place overall
Field spread
146.4920
winner to last place
Prize money
$10,250.00
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 55%
beats 45% of 1951 Master Series wins in the data
Traveled in
61%
of the 28 teams with a home region came from outside MT
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.62 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1506
avg power rating going in · stronger than 9% of contests
Storylines
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
Beer Belly BBQ took the Grand Championship home to KS.
🧹 A double category winner
LAST CALL HEROES BBQ won Chicken, Pork Ribs — a double.
📸 Photo finishes
Pork Ribs places 4–5: SPITFIRE and Burnt Out BBQ-MT tied on 174.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 9–10: GRATE EXPECTATIONS and PARROTHEAD SMOKERS tied on 173.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 1–2: MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ and BURNT TREES BBQ tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: GRATE EXPECTATIONS (won 2015), LAST CALL HEROES BBQ (won 2018).
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)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-06-19 | Miles City, MT 59301 | 26 | 686.2856 | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | JO-BAWB'S BBQ | |
| 2018-06-15 | Riverside Park , 5th and Main | 27 | 691.9428 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | YOU QUE'D ME ALL NIGHT LONG | |
| 2019-06-14 ← this one | Miles City, MT | Riverside Park | 28 | 698.8112 | Beer Belly BBQ | RICHIE Z's |
| 2021-06-25 | Miles City, MT | Riverside Park | 25 | 704.5600 | Owens BBQ | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8800 | 170.8456 | 166.8344 |
| Pork Ribs | 179.4400 | 174.8572 | 173.7028 |
| Pork | 180.0000 | 174.8456 | 168.0228 |
| Brisket | 174.2628 | 169.7028 | 167.9884 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
28 entries · top 698.8112 · median 664.1828
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 2 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 3 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 4 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 5 | SPITFIRE | |
| 6 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 8 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 9 | PIGTAMER BBQ | |
| 10 | LUCKY SMOKE | |
| 11 | BURNT TREES BBQ | |
| 12 | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | |
| 13 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 14 | LaTa-Que | |
| 15 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 16 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 17 | Burnt Out BBQ-MT | |
| 18 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 19 | SMOKIN JERKS | |
| 20 | Boogs BBQ | |
| 21 | THE PIG MECHANIC'S | |
| 22 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 23 | Blue Line BBQ | |
| 24 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 25 | Rockin'-n-BBQ | |
| 26 | POPPIN' SMOKE | |
| 27 | Bad Ash BBQ | |
| 28 | Treasurestate bbq |
Chicken
28 entries · top 178.8800 · median 165.1486
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 2 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 3 | PIGTAMER BBQ | |
| 4 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 5 | SPITFIRE | |
| 6 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 7 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 8 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 9 | BURNT TREES BBQ | |
| 10 | LUCKY SMOKE | |
| 11 | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | |
| 12 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 13 | Burnt Out BBQ-MT | |
| 14 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 15 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 16 | SMOKIN JERKS | |
| 17 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 18 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 19 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 20 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 21 | LaTa-Que | |
| 22 | THE PIG MECHANIC'S | |
| 23 | Bad Ash BBQ | |
| 24 | Boogs BBQ | |
| 25 | Rockin'-n-BBQ | |
| 26 | Blue Line BBQ | |
| 27 | POPPIN' SMOKE | |
| 28 | Treasurestate bbq |
Pork Ribs
28 entries · top 179.4400 · median 167.6914
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 2 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 3 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 4 | SPITFIRE | |
| 5 | Burnt Out BBQ-MT | |
| 6 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 7 | PIGTAMER BBQ | |
| 8 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 9 | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | |
| 10 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 11 | LaTa-Que | |
| 12 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 13 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 14 | BURNT TREES BBQ | |
| 15 | LUCKY SMOKE | |
| 16 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 17 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 18 | THE PIG MECHANIC'S | |
| 19 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 20 | Boogs BBQ | |
| 21 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 22 | SMOKIN JERKS | |
| 23 | POPPIN' SMOKE | |
| 24 | Blue Line BBQ | |
| 25 | Bad Ash BBQ | |
| 26 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 27 | Rockin'-n-BBQ | |
| 28 | Treasurestate bbq |
Pork
28 entries · top 180.0000 · median 165.9770 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LUCKY SMOKE | |
| 2 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 3 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 4 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 5 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 6 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 8 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 9 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 10 | SMOKIN JERKS | |
| 11 | SPITFIRE | |
| 12 | LaTa-Que | |
| 13 | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | |
| 14 | Boogs BBQ | |
| 15 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 16 | PIGTAMER BBQ | |
| 17 | BURNT TREES BBQ | |
| 18 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 19 | Burnt Out BBQ-MT | |
| 20 | THE PIG MECHANIC'S | |
| 21 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 22 | Blue Line BBQ | |
| 23 | POPPIN' SMOKE | |
| 24 | Rockin'-n-BBQ | |
| 25 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 26 | Bad Ash BBQ | |
| 27 | Treasurestate bbq | |
| 28 | BIG PIG BBQ |
Brisket
28 entries · top 174.2628 · median 162.5314
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 2 | BURNT TREES BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 4 | HICKORY AND SPICE BBQ | |
| 5 | LAST CALL HEROES BBQ | |
| 6 | Boogs BBQ | |
| 7 | SPITFIRE | |
| 8 | OWENS BBQ | |
| 9 | RICHIE Z's | |
| 10 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 11 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 12 | GRATE EXPECTATIONS | |
| 13 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | |
| 14 | Blue Line BBQ | |
| 15 | LaTa-Que | |
| 16 | LUCKY SMOKE | |
| 17 | SMOKIN JERKS | |
| 18 | BIG PIG BBQ | |
| 19 | WILD HOGS BBQ | |
| 20 | PIGTAMER BBQ | |
| 21 | MONTANA OUTLAW BBQ | |
| 22 | THE PIG MECHANIC'S | |
| 23 | Burnt Out BBQ-MT | |
| 24 | Rockin'-n-BBQ | |
| 25 | 12 BAR BLUES CUE | |
| 26 | POPPIN' SMOKE | |
| 27 | Bad Ash BBQ | |
| 28 | Treasurestate bbq |