Jun 17–18, 2022 · Kansas City, KS · 📍 Our Lady of Unity · State championship
Reps: Forrest Bruce, Larry Hadley · Prize money: $5,000
Go Pig or Go Home won Grand Champion at the Knights Of Columbus BBQ Smoke Off "4 Life" on June 17, 2022 in Kansas City, KS at Our Lady of Unity, scoring 705.0856 in a field of 29 teams. LOVE 2 Q took Reserve Grand Champion with 701.6572. Category winners: Chicken — Simple Q Barbeque (178.8572); Pork Ribs — Go Pig or Go Home (178.8572); Pork — BULL CREEK BBQ (178.8572); Brisket — LOVE 2 Q (180.0000). This is the 5th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2021 edition was won by Slaps BBQ; the next was held in 2023.
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, 2017 to 2023 — 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.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 91 times in 100
Go Pig or Go Home came in rated below the field's top team, SLAPS BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 9-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was Go Pig or Go Home's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 35th tracked contest.
Chicken places 8–9: Free Range Friends BBQ and SLAPS BBQ tied on 172.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork Ribs places 3–4: Free Range Friends BBQ and SLAPS BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 1–2: BULL CREEK BBQ and SLAPS BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Go Pig or Go Home took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was chicken at 7th.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Slaps BBQ (won 2021).
1 perfect 180 was scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2017 | Kansas City, KS | 2646 S 34th St | 34 | 694.7772 | HIGH i QUE II | Fergolicious BBQ |
| Jun 15, 2018 | Kansas City, KS | 2646 S 34th St | 32 | 693.1084 | SKUNK RIVER BBQ | GETTIN' SAUCED |
| Jun 14, 2019 | Kansas City, KS | 2646 S 34th St | 38 | 688.5028 | Fergolicious BBQ | SLAPS BBQ |
| Jun 18, 2021 | Kansas City, KS | Our Lady of Unity | 37 | 706.2744 | Slaps BBQ | Barking Dog BBQ |
| Jun 17, 2022 ← this one | Kansas City, KS | Our Lady of Unity | 29 | 705.0856 | Go Pig or Go Home | LOVE 2 Q |
| Jun 16, 2023 | Kansas City, KS | Our Lady of Unity | 29 | 707.4172 | BrewsCue | Cow Creek BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 171.9772 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 175.4056 | 169.7028 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 176.5600 | 170.8456 |
| Brisket | 180 | 173.1084 | 170.2512 |
29 entries · top 705.0856 · median 666.6968
29 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.3944
29 entries · top 178.8572 · median 162.8116
29 entries · top 178.8572 · median 166.8228
29 entries · top 180 · median 168.0116 · 🔥 perfect 180
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.
4 entries · top 176 · median 170.8400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 2 | IRWIN'S PIT CREW BBQ | |
| 3 | The Smoky Mountain Boys | |
| 4 | Wildhouse BBQ |
6 entries · top 180 · median 174.8572 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 2 | Free Range Friends BBQ | |
| 3 | The Smoky Mountain Boys | |
| 4 | Flying W North BBQ | |
| 5 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 6 | Simple Q Barbeque |