Sep 18–19, 2026 · Ponca City, OK · 📍 Lake Ponca · State championship
Reps: Larry Voth, Lynda Voth · Prize money: $13,750
BULL IN THE RING BBQ won Grand Champion at the Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cookoff on September 18, 2026 in Ponca City, OK at Lake Ponca, scoring 704.5256 in a field of 30 teams. BREWSCUE took Reserve Grand Champion with 701.6456. Category winners: Chicken — BULL IN THE RING BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — Fire Dancer BBQ (180.0000); Pork — BREWSCUE (180.0000); Brisket — Super Swine BBQ (178.8572). This is the 1st of 2 editions of this contest on record; 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.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 83 times in 100
BULL IN THE RING BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, Kermit's Ex, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 17-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
3 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
BULL IN THE RING BBQ finished 1st overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
Chicken places 5–6: Munny Stove and KERMITS EX tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: TRIANGLES S BBQ and Smoked& Furious tied on 173.1084 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 5–6: CEO and SCRAPPY'S BBQ tied on 174.2744 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
BULL IN THE RING BBQ took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 14th.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 18, 2026 ← this one | Ponca City, OK | Lake Ponca | 30 | 704.5256 | BULL IN THE RING | BREWSCUE |
| Sep 18, 2026 | Ponca City, OK | Lake Ponca | 9 | 178.8572 | Kermit's EX | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 175.4056 | 171.9772 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 174.2744 | 170.8228 |
| Pork | 180 | 175.4172 | 171.9772 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 173.1200 |
30 entries · top 704.5256 · median 685.8856
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BULL IN THE RING BBQ | |
| 2 | BREWSCUE | |
| 3 | Pacs BBQ | |
| 4 | Fire Dancer BBQ | |
| 5 | Munny Stove | |
| 6 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 7 | RAZZORRACKS BBQ | |
| 8 | Buffalo's BBQ | |
| 9 | KERMITS EX | |
| 10 | Super Swine BBQ | |
| 11 | Smoked& Furious | |
| 12 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 13 | Bochephus BBQ | |
| 14 | Brews Before Q's | |
| 15 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 16 | CEO | |
| 17 | SCRAPPY'S BBQ | |
| 18 | BUCKEYE BLUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 19 | Butcher BBQ | |
| 20 | CHISOLM TRAIL SMOKERS | |
| 21 | GOOD NEWS BBQ | |
| 22 | KAN-OK BBQ | |
| 23 | GRILLS GONE WILD | |
| 24 | COOKSHACK | |
| 25 | SMG BBQ | |
| 26 | STEELE FAMILY BBQ | |
| 27 | ATOMIK KITCHEN | |
| 28 | Cast Iron Orange BBQ | |
| 29 | TRIANGLES S BBQ | |
| 30 | FIRE ON THE SWINE |
29 entries · top 180 · median 170.8112 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BULL IN THE RING BBQ | |
| 2 | Fire Dancer BBQ | |
| 3 | Pacs BBQ | |
| 4 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 5 | Munny Stove | |
| 6 | KERMITS EX | |
| 7 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 8 | TRIANGLES S BBQ | |
| 9 | Smoked& Furious | |
| 10 | BREWSCUE | |
| 11 | Butcher BBQ | |
| 12 | CEO | |
| 13 | RAZZORRACKS BBQ | |
| 14 | Buffalo's BBQ | |
| 15 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 16 | Brews Before Q's | |
| 17 | BUCKEYE BLUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 18 | Super Swine BBQ | |
| 19 | GOOD NEWS BBQ | |
| 20 | Bochephus BBQ | |
| 21 | KAN-OK BBQ | |
| 22 | CHISOLM TRAIL SMOKERS | |
| 23 | SCRAPPY'S BBQ | |
| 24 | ATOMIK KITCHEN | |
| 25 | STEELE FAMILY BBQ | |
| 26 | GRILLS GONE WILD | |
| 27 | SMG BBQ | |
| 28 | COOKSHACK | |
| 29 | Cast Iron Orange BBQ |
29 entries · top 180 · median 169.1200 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fire Dancer BBQ | |
| 2 | Munny Stove | |
| 3 | BULL IN THE RING BBQ | |
| 4 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 5 | CEO | |
| 6 | SCRAPPY'S BBQ | |
| 7 | BREWSCUE | |
| 8 | BUCKEYE BLUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 9 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 10 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 11 | RAZZORRACKS BBQ | |
| 12 | Butcher BBQ | |
| 13 | COOKSHACK | |
| 14 | Pacs BBQ | |
| 15 | Buffalo's BBQ | |
| 16 | Super Swine BBQ | |
| 17 | Smoked& Furious | |
| 18 | GOOD NEWS BBQ | |
| 19 | GRILLS GONE WILD | |
| 20 | Brews Before Q's | |
| 21 | Bochephus BBQ | |
| 22 | KAN-OK BBQ | |
| 23 | SMG BBQ | |
| 24 | KERMITS EX | |
| 25 | CHISOLM TRAIL SMOKERS | |
| 26 | STEELE FAMILY BBQ | |
| 27 | Cast Iron Orange BBQ | |
| 28 | FIRE ON THE SWINE | |
| 29 | ATOMIK KITCHEN |
30 entries · top 180 · median 170.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BREWSCUE | |
| 2 | Buffalo's BBQ | |
| 3 | Brews Before Q's | |
| 4 | RAZZORRACKS BBQ | |
| 5 | KERMITS EX | |
| 6 | Bochephus BBQ | |
| 7 | CHISOLM TRAIL SMOKERS | |
| 8 | Smoked& Furious | |
| 9 | Pacs BBQ | |
| 10 | Munny Stove | |
| 11 | Super Swine BBQ | |
| 12 | CEO | |
| 13 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 14 | BULL IN THE RING BBQ | |
| 15 | SCRAPPY'S BBQ | |
| 16 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 17 | GRILLS GONE WILD | |
| 18 | SMG BBQ | |
| 19 | COOKSHACK | |
| 20 | Fire Dancer BBQ | |
| 21 | Butcher BBQ | |
| 22 | GOOD NEWS BBQ | |
| 23 | KAN-OK BBQ | |
| 24 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 25 | BUCKEYE BLUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 26 | FIRE ON THE SWINE | |
| 27 | TRIANGLES S BBQ | |
| 28 | Cast Iron Orange BBQ | |
| 29 | ATOMIK KITCHEN | |
| 30 | STEELE FAMILY BBQ |
30 entries · top 178.8572 · median 170.8170
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Super Swine BBQ | |
| 2 | Pacs BBQ | |
| 3 | BULL IN THE RING BBQ | |
| 4 | Bochephus BBQ | |
| 5 | WOOD HOOK BBQ | |
| 6 | KERMITS EX | |
| 7 | BREWSCUE | |
| 8 | PETIE'S SMOKIN PITS BBQ | |
| 9 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 10 | Smoked& Furious | |
| 11 | SCRAPPY'S BBQ | |
| 12 | Buffalo's BBQ | |
| 13 | Munny Stove | |
| 14 | RAZZORRACKS BBQ | |
| 15 | Fire Dancer BBQ | |
| 16 | BUCKEYE BLUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 17 | Brews Before Q's | |
| 18 | CHISOLM TRAIL SMOKERS | |
| 19 | CEO | |
| 20 | Butcher BBQ | |
| 21 | GOOD NEWS BBQ | |
| 22 | KAN-OK BBQ | |
| 23 | GRILLS GONE WILD | |
| 24 | TRIANGLES S BBQ | |
| 25 | STEELE FAMILY BBQ | |
| 26 | ATOMIK KITCHEN | |
| 27 | SMG BBQ | |
| 28 | COOKSHACK | |
| 29 | FIRE ON THE SWINE | |
| 30 | Cast Iron Orange BBQ |
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.
3 entries · top 177.7028 · median 174.2972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 2 | BUCKEYE BLUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 3 | KAY COUNTY GRILLBILLIES |
6 entries · top 180 · median 174.2570 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bochephus BBQ | |
| 2 | Brews Before Q's | |
| 3 | FIRE ON THE SWINE | |
| 4 | CEO | |
| 5 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 6 | Texoma Q |
6 entries · top 179.4400 · median 171.9714
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BACK FROM THE DEAD | |
| 2 | KAY COUNTY GRILLBILLIES | |
| 3 | CEO | |
| 4 | FIRE ON THE SWINE | |
| 5 | Steele Smokin | |
| 6 | HOLLOW Q |
10 entries · top 177.7028 · median 174.2570
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smoked& Furious | |
| 2 | Munny Stove | |
| 3 | Fine As* Swine | |
| 4 | Texoma Q | |
| 5 | BUCKEYE BLUE SMOKE BBQ | |
| 6 | BACK FROM THE DEAD | |
| 7 | HOLLOW Q | |
| 8 | MAD DOG EVERTHING SAUCE 1 | |
| 9 | MAD DOG EVERYTHING SAUCE 2 | |
| 10 | RCB BANK |