A new contest record
705.1316
highest overall ever cooked here
705.1316 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 701.0972 MUTTLEY CREW BBQ set in 2017.
- old record 701.0972
- set 2017 by MUTTLEY CREW BBQ
Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down 2019
Oct 11–12, 2019 · Rocky Mount, NC · 📍 S Church st · State championship
Reps: Alan Rothrock, Doug Reid · Prize money: $20,000
OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE won Grand Champion at the Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down on October 11, 2019 in Rocky Mount, NC at S Church st, scoring 705.1316 in a field of 32 teams. REDNECK SCIENTIFIC took Reserve Grand Champion with 693.0628. Category winners: Chicken — OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE (177.7144); Pork Ribs — POKE N SMOKE (176.5600); Pork — Smack That Butt BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — REDNECK SCIENTIFIC (180.0000). This is the 4th of 8 editions of this contest on record; the 2018 edition was won by MUTTLEY CREW BBQ; the next was held in 2021.
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.
581.07
median 657.04
705.13 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 177.71
- Pork Ribs 176.56
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 180 🔥
136.59
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2024 — this edition picked out.
Entries
32
4 judged meats
Top score
705.1316
Winning margin
12.0688
GC over RC
Field average
651.64
581.07705.13
median 657.04 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.8456 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
669.6344
581.07705.13
10th place overall
Field spread
124.0572
winner to last place
Prize money
$20,000
on the line
Double threats
3
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 13%
beats 87% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
54%
21 of 39 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.78 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,571
avg power rating going in · stronger than 56% of contests
Storylines (8 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 statement win
12.0688
points clear of the field
Wider than 92% of the 4,713 championships in the data
The champion won by 12.0688 points — a wider margin than 92% of championships in the data.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 8 tracked editions
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 8 tracked editions.
- 2017
- 2018
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 8 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 3–4: ROLLIN' SMOKE and SOUTHERN Q COMPETITION COOK TEAM tied on 174.2628 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 9–10: MUTTLEY CREW BBQ and HOLY SMOKE BBQ-NC tied on 170.8228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Brisket places 5–6: Smack That Butt BBQ and HAMTOWN SMOKERS tied on 170.8228 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Pork 9–10 · tie
- Brisket 5–6 · tie
- Chicken 5–6 · 0.0116
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
OLD COLONY SMOKEHOUSE took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 3rd.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 3rd
- Brisket 2nd
A contest record in brisket
180.0000
best brisket ever cooked here
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC turned in 180.0000 in brisket — past the 177.1428 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
- old best 177.1428
- across 3 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: MUTTLEY CREW BBQ (won 2017, 2018).
- MUTTLEY CREW BBQ · 2017, 2018
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.
- REDNECK SCIENTIFIC · Brisket
- Smack That Butt BBQ · Pork
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 11, 2013 | Rocky Mount, NC | Rocky Mount, NC | 55 | 682.2744 | FatBacks BBQ & Rib Shack | WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS |
| Oct 7, 2016 | Rocky Mount, NC | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oct 13, 2017 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St. | 50 | 701.0972 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | THE SMOKEHOUSE BANDITS!!! |
| Oct 12, 2018 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St. | 39 | 682.7428 | MUTTLEY CREW BBQ | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC |
| Oct 11, 2019 ← this one | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church st | 32 | 705.1316 | Old Colony Smokehouse | REDNECK SCIENTIFIC |
| Oct 8, 2021 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St | 26 | 702.2400 | Fred Vegas Smokers | GOOD GOOGLY GOO BBQ |
| Oct 7, 2022 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St | 27 | 705.1316 | Hold Your Horses BBQ | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS |
| Oct 13, 2023 | Rocky Mount, NC | S Church St | 27 | 702.2400 | Swine 'N' Roses BBQ | Smoke Central BBQ |
| Oct 11, 2024 | Rocky Mount, NC | 285 NE Main Street | 26 | 702.7884 | Smoke Central | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7144 | 173.7144 | 169.6800 |
| Pork Ribs | 176.5600 | 173.7144 | 167.9772 |
| Pork | 180 | 174.2972 | 170.8228 |
| Brisket | 180 | 170.8228 | 168.0116 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
32 entries · top 705.1316 · median 657.0402
Chicken
32 entries · top 177.7144 · median 165.6856
Pork Ribs
32 entries · top 176.5600 · median 163.0972
Pork
32 entries · top 180 · median 163.1258 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
32 entries · top 180 · median 162.5314 · 🔥 perfect 180