Won without a category win
3 of 3
meats called to the stage
LEE LA Q won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 3 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 5th
- Pork Ribs 2nd
- Pork 2nd
Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) 2020
Aug 7–8, 2020 · Glencoe, AL · 📍 313 Nancy Carrol Av
Reps: Carol Bigler, Randy G Bigler · Prize money: $3,750
LEE LA Q won Grand Champion at the Smoke in the Park (BACKYARD ONLY) on August 7, 2020 in Glencoe, AL at 313 Nancy Carrol Av, scoring 521.1088 in a field of 21 teams. HICKORY HANGOVER took Reserve Grand Champion with 517.0744. Category winners: Chicken — HELL ON SQUEALS (178.8572); Pork Ribs — REDBONES BBQ (174.2628); Pork — HICKORY HANGOVER (180.0000). This is the 3rd of 10 editions of this contest on record; the 2019 edition was won by Slinging Pig Meat; 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.
473.01
median 490.16
521.11 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.86
- Pork Ribs 174.26
- Pork 180 🔥
151.92
180
Entries
21
3 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
521.1088
Winning margin
4.0344
GC over RC
Field average
494.80
473.01521.11
median 490.16 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.8456 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
496.4800
473.01521.11
10th place overall
Field spread
48.1036
winner to last place
Prize money
$3,750
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
Came back for more
35%
9 of 26 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.59 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,548
avg power rating going in · stronger than 36% of contests
Storylines (5 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 dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 10 tracked editions
Dogpatch Q has won this contest 2 times across its 10 tracked editions.
- 2025
- 2026
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 6 calls decided inside half a point
Pork Ribs places 3–4: HICKORY HANGOVER and Slingin Pit Meat tied on 171.9772 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY and 2 Swine Crew tied on 171.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: Thin Blue Swine edged LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY by 0.0116.
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · tie
- Pork Ribs 5–6 · tie
- Chicken 3–4 · 0.0116
- Chicken 5–6 · 0.0116
A contest record in pork
180.0000
best pork ever cooked here
HICKORY HANGOVER turned in 180.0000 in pork — past the 176.5600 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
- old best 176.5600
- across 2 past editions
A perfect score on the table
1
perfect 180s
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- HICKORY HANGOVER · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2018 | Glencoe, AL | 407 Hollingsworth Park dr | — | — | — |
| Aug 9, 2019 | Glencoe, AL | 313 Nancy Carrol Av | 26 | 518.8116 | Slinging Pig Meat |
| Aug 7, 2020 ← this one | Glencoe, AL | 313 Nancy Carrol Av | 21 | 521.1088 | Leela Q |
| Aug 6, 2021 | Glencoe, AL | 313 Nancy Carrol Av | 31 | 514.2284 | NOROLA BBQ Team |
| Aug 12, 2022 | Glencoe, AL | 313 Nancy Carrol Ave | 35 | 530.8228 | Hickory Hangover |
| Aug 11, 2023 | Glencoe, AL | 313 Nancy Carrol Ave | 35 | 523.9772 | Small Batch BBQ |
| Sep 20, 2024 | Glencoe, AL | 313 Nancy Carrol Ave | 18 | 354.2744 | Curly Bird BBQ |
| Sep 19, 2025 | Glencoe, AL | 313 Nancy Carrol Ave | 30 | 351.9656 | Puddleduck BBQ |
| Sep 20, 2025 | Glencoe, AL | 313 Nancy Carrol Ave | 22 | 348.0116 | Dogpatch Q |
| Jun 5, 2026 | Glencoe, AL | 313 Nancy Carol Dr | 26 | 353.7144 | Dogpatch Q |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 169.6800 | 165.1088 |
| Pork Ribs | 174.2628 | 171.4172 | 166.2628 |
| Pork | 180 | 170.2628 | 162.8228 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Backyard Series
Overall
21 entries · top 521.1088 · median 490.1604 · out of 540, not the usual 360
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | LEE LA Q | |
| 2 | HICKORY HANGOVER | |
| 3 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 4 | Slingin Pit Meat | |
| 5 | Thin Blue Swine | |
| 6 | REDBONES BBQ | |
| 7 | HELL ON SQUEALS | |
| 8 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 9 | Bubba Q | |
| 10 | Simply Smoked | |
| 11 | BAMA BOYS BBQ | |
| 12 | DONE RIGHT SMOKIN | |
| 13 | Sneeky Creek | |
| 14 | Whiskey Church BBQ | |
| 15 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 16 | Asphalt Cowboys BBQ Team | |
| 17 | Outhouse Smokers | |
| 18 | Batwing | |
| 19 | RIBLIFE | |
| 20 | Pit Row BBQ | |
| 21 | The Meat Whisperers |
Chicken
21 entries · top 178.8572 · median 165.0972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HELL ON SQUEALS | |
| 2 | Simply Smoked | |
| 3 | Thin Blue Swine | |
| 4 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 5 | LEE LA Q | |
| 6 | REDBONES BBQ | |
| 7 | Bubba Q | |
| 8 | Slingin Pit Meat | |
| 9 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 10 | Sneeky Creek | |
| 11 | HICKORY HANGOVER | |
| 12 | Outhouse Smokers | |
| 13 | RIBLIFE | |
| 14 | Asphalt Cowboys BBQ Team | |
| 15 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 16 | DONE RIGHT SMOKIN | |
| 17 | Whiskey Church BBQ | |
| 18 | Batwing | |
| 19 | BAMA BOYS BBQ | |
| 20 | Pit Row BBQ | |
| 21 | The Meat Whisperers |
Pork Ribs
21 entries · top 174.2628 · median 165.7372
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | REDBONES BBQ | |
| 2 | LEE LA Q | |
| 3 | HICKORY HANGOVER | |
| 4 | Slingin Pit Meat | |
| 5 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 6 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 7 | Sneeky Creek | |
| 8 | Thin Blue Swine | |
| 9 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 10 | The Meat Whisperers | |
| 11 | Bubba Q | |
| 12 | Simply Smoked | |
| 13 | DONE RIGHT SMOKIN | |
| 14 | Asphalt Cowboys BBQ Team | |
| 15 | Pit Row BBQ | |
| 16 | BAMA BOYS BBQ | |
| 17 | Batwing | |
| 18 | Whiskey Church BBQ | |
| 19 | HELL ON SQUEALS | |
| 20 | Outhouse Smokers | |
| 21 | RIBLIFE |
Pork
21 entries · top 180 · median 162.8116 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HICKORY HANGOVER | |
| 2 | LEE LA Q | |
| 3 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 4 | BAMA BOYS BBQ | |
| 5 | Slingin Pit Meat | |
| 6 | HELL ON SQUEALS | |
| 7 | Bubba Q | |
| 8 | Whiskey Church BBQ | |
| 9 | Thin Blue Swine | |
| 10 | REDBONES BBQ | |
| 11 | DONE RIGHT SMOKIN | |
| 12 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 13 | Batwing | |
| 14 | Outhouse Smokers | |
| 15 | Asphalt Cowboys BBQ Team | |
| 16 | Pit Row BBQ | |
| 17 | Sneeky Creek | |
| 18 | RIBLIFE | |
| 19 | Simply Smoked | |
| 20 | The Meat Whisperers | |
| 21 | The Real Squeal BBQ |
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 — Ironman Chicken
15 entries · top 166.8572 · median 155.4056
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | REDBONES BBQ | |
| 2 | HICKORY HANGOVER | |
| 3 | Batwing | |
| 4 | HELL ON SQUEALS | |
| 5 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 6 | LEE LA Q | |
| 7 | Thin Blue Swine | |
| 8 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 9 | Simply Smoked | |
| 10 | DONE RIGHT SMOKIN | |
| 11 | Slingin Pit Meat | |
| 12 | Asphalt Cowboys BBQ Team | |
| 13 | Pit Row BBQ | |
| 14 | Outhouse Smokers | |
| 15 | The Meat Whisperers |
Ancillary — Ironman Ribs
15 entries · top 166.8572 · median 154.8000
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simply Smoked | |
| 2 | HELL ON SQUEALS | |
| 3 | Outhouse Smokers | |
| 4 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 5 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 6 | LEE LA Q | |
| 7 | Asphalt Cowboys BBQ Team | |
| 8 | Thin Blue Swine | |
| 9 | HICKORY HANGOVER | |
| 10 | DONE RIGHT SMOKIN | |
| 11 | REDBONES BBQ | |
| 12 | Slingin Pit Meat | |
| 13 | The Meat Whisperers | |
| 14 | Pit Row BBQ | |
| 15 | Batwing |