A statement win
14.8680
points clear of the field
Wider than 96% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The champion won by 14.8680 points — a wider margin than 96% of championships in the data.
Smoke on the Sound
Sep 25–27, 2026 · Redmond, WA · 📍 16325 NE Marymoor Way · State championship
Reps: Ian Schmidt, Julie Poe · Prize money: $7,000
Colorado Bulldawg BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke on the Sound on September 25, 2026 in Redmond, WA at 16325 NE Marymoor Way, scoring 700.5256 in a field of 17 teams. Alderfire BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 685.6576. Category winners: Chicken — Alderfire BBQ (175.4288); Pork Ribs — Colorado Bulldawg BBQ (177.1428); Pork — Moose & Gator BBQ (178.3200); Brisket — Colorado Bulldawg BBQ (180.0000).
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.
652.43
median 670.75
700.53 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 175.43
- Pork Ribs 177.14
- Pork 178.32
- Brisket 180 🔥
151.95
180
Entries
17
4 judged meats
Top score
700.5256
Winning margin
14.8680
GC over RC
Field average
671.12
652.43700.53
median 670.75 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Chicken
2.3088 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
667.8516
652.43700.53
10th place overall
Field spread
48.0912
winner to last place
Prize money
$7,000
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 31%
beats 69% of 4711 Master Series wins in the data
Form held
Moderate
ρ = -0.55 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,555
avg power rating going in · stronger than 42% 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.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 9 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 5–6: Iron Haug BBQ and BULL MARKET BBQ tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 1–2: Alderfire BBQ edged BBQ Aloha by 0.0116. Pork Ribs places 8–9: J&C BBQ edged Pit 71 BBQ by 0.0116.
- Chicken 5–6 · tie
- Chicken 1–2 · 0.0116
- Pork Ribs 8–9 · 0.0116
- Pork Ribs 6–7 · 0.0116
A double category winner
2
category wins in a day
Colorado Bulldawg BBQ won Pork Ribs, Brisket — a double, and took the Grand Championship on top of it.
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Brisket 1st
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
Colorado Bulldawg BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 2 outright wins — their weakest board was pork at 5th.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 5th
- Brisket 1st
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.
- Colorado Bulldawg BBQ · Brisket
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)
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 175.4288 | 173.1200 | 169.7028 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.1428 | 171.9772 | 169.1200 |
| Pork | 178.3200 | 168.5372 | 166.2400 |
| Brisket | 180 | 170.8460 | 166.2400 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
17 entries · top 700.5256 · median 670.7544
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 2 | Alderfire BBQ | |
| 3 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 4 | Moose & Gator BBQ | |
| 5 | Daddy & Me BBQ | |
| 6 | J&C BBQ | |
| 7 | BBQ Aloha | |
| 8 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 9 | Marcoe's Black Jack BBQ | |
| 10 | Pit 71 BBQ | |
| 11 | Panther BBQ | |
| 12 | Old Dirty Basters | |
| 13 | ONW BBQ Co | |
| 14 | RJs Smokehouse | |
| 15 | Glazed and Confused | |
| 16 | Freedom Works BBQ | |
| 17 | Iron Haug BBQ |
Chicken
17 entries · top 175.4288 · median 170.2512
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alderfire BBQ | |
| 2 | BBQ Aloha | |
| 3 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 4 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 5 | Iron Haug BBQ | |
| 6 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 7 | ONW BBQ Co | |
| 8 | J&C BBQ | |
| 9 | Panther BBQ | |
| 10 | Moose & Gator BBQ | |
| 11 | Freedom Works BBQ | |
| 12 | Daddy & Me BBQ | |
| 13 | Old Dirty Basters | |
| 14 | Marcoe's Black Jack BBQ | |
| 15 | Pit 71 BBQ | |
| 16 | RJs Smokehouse | |
| 17 | Glazed and Confused |
Pork Ribs
17 entries · top 177.1428 · median 169.6800
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 2 | Moose & Gator BBQ | |
| 3 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 4 | ONW BBQ Co | |
| 5 | Panther BBQ | |
| 6 | Freedom Works BBQ | |
| 7 | Marcoe's Black Jack BBQ | |
| 8 | J&C BBQ | |
| 9 | Pit 71 BBQ | |
| 10 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 11 | Alderfire BBQ | |
| 12 | Daddy & Me BBQ | |
| 13 | Iron Haug BBQ | |
| 14 | BBQ Aloha | |
| 15 | RJs Smokehouse | |
| 16 | Old Dirty Basters | |
| 17 | Glazed and Confused |
Pork
17 entries · top 178.3200 · median 166.8228
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moose & Gator BBQ | |
| 2 | Daddy & Me BBQ | |
| 3 | Old Dirty Basters | |
| 4 | Alderfire BBQ | |
| 5 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 6 | BBQ Aloha | |
| 7 | Panther BBQ | |
| 8 | J&C BBQ | |
| 9 | Glazed and Confused | |
| 10 | Pit 71 BBQ | |
| 11 | RJs Smokehouse | |
| 12 | ONW BBQ Co | |
| 13 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 14 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 15 | Freedom Works BBQ | |
| 16 | Marcoe's Black Jack BBQ | |
| 17 | Iron Haug BBQ |
Brisket
17 entries · top 180 · median 167.3944 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 2 | BULL MARKET BBQ | |
| 3 | Marcoe's Black Jack BBQ | |
| 4 | Alderfire BBQ | |
| 5 | J&C BBQ | |
| 6 | BBQ Aloha | |
| 7 | Small Axe BBQ | |
| 8 | Daddy & Me BBQ | |
| 9 | Pit 71 BBQ | |
| 10 | RJs Smokehouse | |
| 11 | Glazed and Confused | |
| 12 | Old Dirty Basters | |
| 13 | Moose & Gator BBQ | |
| 14 | Panther BBQ | |
| 15 | Iron Haug BBQ | |
| 16 | ONW BBQ Co | |
| 17 | Freedom Works BBQ |