A new contest record
709.1316
highest overall ever cooked here
709.1316 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 699.9772 Angry Cock set in 2025.
- old record 699.9772
- set 2025 by Angry Cock
Kora Kares for Kids 2026
Aug 15–16, 2026 · Hiram, ME · 📍 Ossipee Valley Fairgrounds · State championship
Reps: Jodi Harriss, Kent Harriss · Prize money: $7,300
Old Virginia Smoke won Grand Champion at the Kora Kares for Kids on August 15, 2026 in Hiram, ME at Ossipee Valley Fairgrounds, scoring 709.1316 in a field of 51 teams. Smoke Sisters took Reserve Grand Champion with 703.9428. Category winners: Chicken — Say My Name BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Old Virginia Smoke (180.0000); Pork — Old Virginia Smoke (180.0000); Brisket — ELJEFE SMOKE (180.0000). This is the 5th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Bone Patrol; the next was held in 2026.
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.
616.95
median 683.87
709.13 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 180 🔥
- Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Pork 180 🔥
- Brisket 180 🔥
148.53
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2024 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
51
4 judged meats
Top score
709.1316
Winning margin
5.1888
GC over RC
Field average
677.14
616.95709.13
median 683.87 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
5 🔥
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
1.1428 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
693.6228
616.95709.13
10th place overall
Field spread
92.1832
winner to last place
Prize money
$7,300
on the line
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 4%
beats 96% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.56 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,573
avg power rating going in · stronger than 57% 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 day of perfect scores
5
perfect 180s
5 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- ELJEFE SMOKE · Brisket
- Say My Name BBQ · Chicken
- Old Virginia Smoke · Pork
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 18 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 2–3: Fire At The End of the Day and Sticks & Stones BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: Grumpy Old Patriot BBQ and Smoke Sisters tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 7–8: Smoke Sisters and Chicken Fried BBQ tied on 177.7028 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Chicken 6–7 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · tie
- Pork Ribs 1–2 · tie
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
Old Virginia Smoke won Pork Ribs, Pork — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 1st
How the title was won
3 of 4
meats called to the stage
Old Virginia Smoke took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was chicken at 30th.
- Chicken 30th
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 1st
- Brisket 3rd
A contest record in brisket
180.0000
best brisket ever cooked here
ELJEFE SMOKE turned in 180.0000 in brisket — past the 177.7144 that had stood across 4 earlier editions.
- old best 177.7144
- across 4 past editions
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Fire at the End of the Day (won 2024).
- Fire at the End of the Day · 2024
The biggest field yet
51
teams — a contest high
This contest usually draws about 38 teams
51 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 38.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 2024 | Hiram, ME | Ossipee Valley Fairgrounds | 39 | 693.6688 | Fire at the End of the Day | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Hiram, ME | Ossipee Valley Fairgrounds | 35 | 180 | 16 Mesh BBQ | — |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Hiram, ME | Ossipee Valley Fairgrounds | 40 | 699.9772 | Angry Cock | CANYON RIDERS BBQ |
| Aug 16, 2025 | Hiram, ME | Ossipee Valley Fairgrounds | 39 | 178.8572 | Bone Patrol | — |
| Aug 15, 2026 ← this one | Hiram, ME | Ossipee Valley Fairgrounds | 51 | 709.1316 | Old Virginia Smoke | Smoke Sisters |
| Aug 15, 2026 | Hiram, ME | Ossipee Valley Fairgrounds | 53 | 178.8572 | THE BBQ BUS | — |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 177.7144 | 176.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 178.8572 | 175.4172 |
| Pork | 180 | 176.5600 | 175.4172 |
| Brisket | 180 | 176.5600 | 174.2628 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
51 entries · top 709.1316 · median 683.8740
Chicken
51 entries · top 180 · median 170.8344 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
51 entries · top 180 · median 169.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork
51 entries · top 180 · median 171.4056 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
51 entries · top 180 · median 169.6684 · 🔥 perfect 180