Jul 17–18, 2026 · Shenandoah, IA · 📍 709 S. Fremont Street · State championship
Reps: Eugene Wickham, Sarah Wickham · Prize money: $7,000
SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES won Grand Champion at the Shenandoah ShenDig on July 17, 2026 in Shenandoah, IA at 709 S. Fremont Street, scoring 703.9544 in a field of 28 teams. HOT DADDY'S BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 703.3940. Category winners: Chicken — There's No Place Like Smoke (180.0000); Pork Ribs — NEVER EASY BBQ (177.7144); Pork — HOME FARM BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — HOME FARM BBQ (176.5600). This is the 3rd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Low Eye Que; the next was held in 2026.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2023 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
Closer than 91% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5604 points — closer than 91% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 82 times in 100
SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES came in rated below the field's top team, HOT DADDY'S BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 18-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
5 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
Chicken places 2–3: MACHETE BOYS BBQ and SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: HOT DADDY'S BBQ and NEVER EASY BBQ tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 2–3: SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ and SHIGGIN & GRINNIN tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
HOME FARM BBQ won Pork, Brisket — a double.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Low Eye Que (won 2025).
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 21, 2023 | Shenandoah, IA | 701 S. Fremont Street | 37 | 702.7884 | Hot Daddy's Barbeque | RAILYARD BBQ |
| Jul 18, 2025 | Shenandoah, IA | 709 S. Fremont Street | 30 | 707.3944 | Low Eye Que | HOT DADDY'S BBQ |
| Jul 17, 2026 ← this one | Shenandoah, IA | 709 S. Fremont Street | 28 | 703.9544 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | HOT DADDY'S BBQ |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Shenandoah, IA | 709 S. Fremont Street | 17 | 178.2972 | BBQ Pit Bros | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.7028 | 174.8456 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 176.5600 | 175.4056 |
| Pork | 180 | 176.5716 | 174.8572 |
| Brisket | 176.5600 | 174.2744 | 171.9772 |
28 entries · top 703.9544 · median 687.0570
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 2 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 3 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 4 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 5 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 6 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 7 | HOME FARM BBQ | |
| 8 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 9 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 10 | There's No Place Like Smoke | |
| 11 | Low Eye Que | |
| 12 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 13 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 14 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 15 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 16 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 18 | RED OAK BBQ | |
| 19 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 20 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 21 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 22 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 23 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 24 | Sweet Smokin' Jones BBQ | |
| 25 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 26 | Marv's Doublechin BBQ | |
| 27 | Savory Smoke | |
| 28 | Forged Brothers BBQ |
28 entries · top 180 · median 172.8284 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | There's No Place Like Smoke | |
| 2 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 3 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 4 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 5 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 6 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 7 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 8 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 9 | Low Eye Que | |
| 10 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 11 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 12 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 13 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 14 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 15 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 16 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 17 | Savory Smoke | |
| 18 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 19 | HOME FARM BBQ | |
| 20 | RED OAK BBQ | |
| 21 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 22 | Marv's Doublechin BBQ | |
| 23 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 24 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 25 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 26 | Sweet Smokin' Jones BBQ | |
| 27 | Forged Brothers BBQ | |
| 28 | On The Brink BBQ |
28 entries · top 177.7144 · median 170.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 2 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 3 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 4 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 5 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 6 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 7 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 8 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 9 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 10 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 11 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 12 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 13 | RED OAK BBQ | |
| 14 | HOME FARM BBQ | |
| 15 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 16 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 18 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 19 | Low Eye Que | |
| 20 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 21 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 22 | There's No Place Like Smoke | |
| 23 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 24 | Sweet Smokin' Jones BBQ | |
| 25 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 26 | Marv's Doublechin BBQ | |
| 27 | Savory Smoke | |
| 28 | Forged Brothers BBQ |
28 entries · top 180 · median 172.5486 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOME FARM BBQ | |
| 2 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 3 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 4 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 5 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 6 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 7 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 8 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 9 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 10 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 11 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 12 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 14 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 15 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 16 | There's No Place Like Smoke | |
| 17 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 18 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 19 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 20 | Low Eye Que | |
| 21 | Sweet Smokin' Jones BBQ | |
| 22 | RED OAK BBQ | |
| 23 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 24 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 25 | Marv's Doublechin BBQ | |
| 26 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 27 | Savory Smoke | |
| 28 | Forged Brothers BBQ |
28 entries · top 176.5600 · median 169.6742
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOME FARM BBQ | |
| 2 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN | |
| 3 | SMOKEHOUSE 72 | |
| 4 | WHEN PIGS DIE | |
| 5 | BUCKSHOTBBQ | |
| 6 | Low Eye Que | |
| 7 | RED OAK BBQ | |
| 8 | SMOKEY D'S WANNABEES | |
| 9 | NEVER EASY BBQ | |
| 10 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 11 | Chillin N Grillin N Iowa BBQ | |
| 12 | HOT DADDY'S BBQ | |
| 13 | Bucknutz BBQ | |
| 14 | There's No Place Like Smoke | |
| 15 | SMOKIN' LEFTY'S BBQ | |
| 16 | TEAM CRAWFORD | |
| 17 | Sweet Smokin' Jones BBQ | |
| 18 | Smokin Suckers | |
| 19 | HELPING U BBQ | |
| 20 | TEAM BREW & QUE | |
| 21 | IN DEEP SAUCE | |
| 22 | MACHETE BOYS BBQ | |
| 23 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 24 | Marv's Doublechin BBQ | |
| 25 | GRILLIN' GRINDES | |
| 26 | On The Brink BBQ | |
| 27 | Forged Brothers BBQ | |
| 28 | Savory Smoke |