Jul 18–19, 2026 · Somers, CT · 📍 Four Town Fair Grounds · State championship
Reps: Bill Wright, Kim Wright · Prize money: $4,400
Boggs Hogg BBQ won Grand Champion at the Connecticut Barbecue Challenge on July 18, 2026 in Somers, CT at Four Town Fair Grounds, scoring 702.2972 in a field of 36 teams. Smokin' Hoggz BBQ - MA took Reserve Grand Champion with 701.1200. Category winners: Chicken — New Pigs On The Block (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Titans of BBQ (178.3200); Pork — Smokin' Hoggz BBQ - MA (178.2972); Brisket — Grandpa Val's BBQ (180.0000). This is the 4th of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by House of Que.
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, 2024 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 78% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1772 points — closer than 78% of every championship in the data.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 89 times in 100
Boggs Hogg BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 11-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Boggs Hogg BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 4 calls from 4 boards, best of them 3rd. Consistency beat fireworks.
2 of 4 tracked editions
House of Que has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
Boggs Hogg BBQ finished 1st overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
Chicken places 4–5: Boggs Hogg BBQ and EL JEFE SMOKE tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: Smokin' Hoggz BBQ - MA and EL JEFE SMOKE tied on 174.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 6–7: EL JEFE SMOKE and Risk It For The Brisket tied on 174.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Grandpa Val's BBQ turned in 180.0000 in brisket — past the 177.1428 that had stood across 3 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: House of Que (won 2024, 2025).
This contest usually draws about 26 teams
36 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 26.
2 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 12, 2024 | Somers, CT | Four Town Fair Grounds | 30 | 704.5600 | House of Que | Q Shanty |
| Jul 12, 2024 | Somers, CT | Four Town Fair Grounds | 19 | 180 | Smokin Hoggz BBQ-MA | — |
| Jul 12, 2025 | Somers, CT | Four Town Fair Grounds | 30 | 705.1084 | House of Que | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY |
| Jul 18, 2026 ← this one | Somers, CT | Four Town Fair Grounds | 36 | 702.2972 | Boggs Hog BBQ | Smokin' Hoggz BBQ - MA |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 176.5600 | 173.1200 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.3200 | 174.8572 | 173.1428 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 174.8456 | 173.1200 |
| Brisket | 180 | 174.8456 | 170.8228 |
36 entries · top 702.2972 · median 676.7486
36 entries · top 180 · median 169.6684 · 🔥 perfect 180
36 entries · top 178.3200 · median 167.6684
36 entries · top 178.2972 · median 170.2628
34 entries · top 180 · median 168.8286 · 🔥 perfect 180