Lakeland Pig Festival
2023-01-27 – 2023-01-28 · Lakeland, FL · 📍 4175 Medulla Road · State championship
Reps: BILL JONES, CAROLYN WELLS, CHARLIE BRINZA, JEANNE TITUS, JULIE COOK, RUSTY COOK
Grand Champion: UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT (706.8228) · 51 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 Kings BBQ Team
Entries
Top score
Winning margin
Field average
Perfect 180s
Tightest race
Top-10 cutoff
Field spread
Double threats
How hot was the win?
Traveled in
Came back for more
Form held
Field strength
Storylines
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1196 points — closer than 83% of every championship in the data.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit took the Grand Championship home to NJ.
🔥 A day of perfect scores
5 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.
📸 Photo finishes
Master Series — Chicken places 2–3: KEEPIN IT SMOKIN BBQ and DOUBLE BARREL SMOKERS tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 3–4: DOUBLE BARREL SMOKERS and Fergolicious BBQ tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Master Series — Chicken places 4–5: Fergolicious BBQ and Kings BBQ Team tied on 177.7144 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
🛡️ Back to defend
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Accutech BBQ (won 2019), Who Cares BBQ (won 2022).
🃏 An upset on the books
Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 31-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
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)
Where the field came from (home regions on file)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-01-25 | Lakeland, FL | 70 | 682.8568 | 3 EYZ BBQ | WICKED QUE | |
| 2015-01-30 | Lakeland, FL 33813 | 62 | 691.9884 | JACK'S OLD SOUTH | SERIAL GRILLER | |
| 2016-01-29 | Lakeland , FL 33813 | 58 | 687.4172 | SWEET RACKS & SMOKIN' BUTTS BBQ | CHARQUETERIE | |
| 2017-01-27 | Sun'N Fun 4175 Medulla Road | 60 | 694.2744 | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM | SWINE AND SHINE BBQ | |
| 2018-01-26 | 4175 Medulla Rd | 60 | 702.2284 | MIDNIGHT BURN | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ | |
| 2019-01-25 | Lakeland, FL | 4175 Medulla Rd | 58 | 700.5028 | Accutech BBQ | SAUCED! BBQ TEAM |
| 2020-01-24 | Lakeland, FL | 4175 Medulla Rd | 53 | 700.5372 | Smoke Central BBQ | OLD VIRGINIA SMOKE |
| 2022-01-28 | Lakeland, FL | Lakeland, FL 33811 | 60 | 701.6800 | Who Cares BBQ | GETTIN' BASTED |
| 2023-01-27 ← this one | Lakeland, FL | 4175 Medulla Road | 51 | 706.8228 | UNCLE PIG'S BARBEQUE PIT | Kings BBQ Team |
| 2024-01-26 | Lakeland, FL | 4175 Medulla Road | 61 | 707.3828 | Rooters-N-Tooters | Ham Squad |
| 2025-01-24 | Lakeland, FL | 4175 Medulla Road | 40 | 714.2744 | Poppa Pig? | With a 180 |
| 2026-01-22 | Lakeland, FL | 4175 Medulla Road | 63 | 708.5600 | Fred Vegas Smokers | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Series — Chicken | 178.8572 | 177.7144 | 176.5600 |
| Master Series — Pork Ribs | 180.0000 | 176.0116 | 174.2744 |
| Master Series — Pork | 180.0000 | 177.7144 | 175.4172 |
| Master Series — Brisket | 180.0000 | 177.7144 | 175.4172 |
| Backyard Series — Chicken | 177.7028 | 173.1428 | 169.1200 |
| Backyard Series — Pork Ribs | 177.7028 | 174.8572 | 174.2628 |
| Backyard Series — Pork | 177.7028 | 175.4172 | 170.8344 |
| Backyard Series — Brisket | 176.5600 | 172.5600 | 168.5716 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
51 entries · top 706.8228 · median 681.0860
Chicken
51 entries · top 178.8572 · median 173.1200
Pork Ribs
50 entries · top 180.0000 · median 169.6800 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork
49 entries · top 180.0000 · median 171.4056 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
49 entries · top 180.0000 · median 167.9656 · 🔥 perfect 180
Backyard Series
Overall
54 entries · top 688.4800 · median 655.8742
Chicken
53 entries · top 177.7028 · median 162.8456
Pork Ribs
54 entries · top 177.7028 · median 165.1258
Pork
53 entries · top 177.7028 · median 163.9428
Brisket
52 entries · top 176.5600 · median 162.2514
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 — Anything Butt - Entrees
18 entries · top 180.0000 · median 168.5370 · 🔥 perfect 180
Ancillary — Anything Butt - Sides
11 entries · top 178.2972 · median 173.1200
Ancillary — Dessert
21 entries · top 180.0000 · median 176.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180
Kids-Q — Kid'S Que Sauce
11 entries · top 178.2972 · median 167.9656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BATTER UP BAR B QUE | |
| 2 | THE TANNER TOT BBQ | |
| 3 | BALLERINA BAR B QUE | |
| 4 | WABA BBQ | |
| 5 | BAWITDABA BBQ | |
| 6 | BBQ WIZARD | |
| 7 | WHISKEY BENT PRINCESS | |
| 8 | ATOMIC CITY SMOKERS JR 2 | |
| 9 | LITTLE SMOKE | |
| 10 | 3DG EATS | |
| 11 | ATOMIC CITY SMOKERS JR |
Kids-Q — Kids Que Chicken - Ages 11 - 15
16 entries · top 173.7144 · median 165.6970
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BATTER UP BAR B QUE | |
| 2 | MM BBQ (MOSKAL'S MEATS) | |
| 3 | 3DG EATS | |
| 4 | THE TANNER TOT BBQ | |
| 5 | WHISKEY BENT PRINCESS | |
| 6 | PAPACHICKA BBQ | |
| 7 | BEST BUDDIES BBQ | |
| 8 | BAWITDABA BBQ | |
| 9 | ONE BITE BBQ JR | |
| 10 | SMOKE & ASH | |
| 11 | TANK THYME | |
| 12 | BBQ WIZARD | |
| 13 | SLEEPY DOG BBQ | |
| 14 | FL GATOR - CJ12 | |
| 15 | BANE QUAD | |
| 16 | JT'S SMOKEHOUSE |
Kids-Q — Kids Que Chicken - Ages 5 - 10
16 entries · top 179.4400 · median 167.1142
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BALLERINA BAR B QUE | |
| 2 | ATOMIC CITY SMOKERS JR 2 | |
| 3 | ATOMIC CITY SMOKERS JR | |
| 4 | LITTLE SMOKE | |
| 5 | BOY WITH GRILL | |
| 6 | KONNYR'S KREWE | |
| 7 | KEEPIN IT SMOKIN JR | |
| 8 | TEAM THORNTON | |
| 9 | JOHNNY Q | |
| 10 | GIRLS INC OF LAKELAND | |
| 11 | A LITTLE PODUNK | |
| 12 | THE BROWN SQUAD | |
| 13 | MARTIN | |
| 14 | GIRLS INC OF LAKELAND 2 | |
| 15 | GRILL GIRL | |
| 16 | WABA BBQ |
Kids-Q — Kids Que Steak - Ages 11 - 15
16 entries · top 173.1428 · median 166.5658
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | BBQ WIZARD | |
| 2 | BAWITDABA BBQ | |
| 3 | 3DG EATS | |
| 4 | ONE BITE BBQ JR | |
| 5 | TANK THYME | |
| 6 | BATTER UP BAR B QUE | |
| 7 | SMOKE & ASH | |
| 8 | FL GATOR - CJ12 | |
| 9 | THE TANNER TOT BBQ | |
| 10 | WHISKEY BENT PRINCESS | |
| 11 | PAPACHICKA BBQ | |
| 12 | JT'S SMOKEHOUSE | |
| 13 | BEST BUDDIES BBQ | |
| 14 | BANE QUAD | |
| 15 | SLEEPY DOG BBQ | |
| 16 | MM BBQ (MOSKAL'S MEATS) |
Kids-Q — Kids Que Steak - Ages 5 - 10
16 entries · top 172.5944 · median 161.9716
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GIRLS INC OF LAKELAND | |
| 2 | MARTIN | |
| 3 | ATOMIC CITY SMOKERS JR | |
| 4 | THE BROWN SQUAD | |
| 5 | LITTLE SMOKE | |
| 6 | BALLERINA BAR B QUE | |
| 7 | BOY WITH GRILL | |
| 8 | KONNYR'S KREWE | |
| 9 | A LITTLE PODUNK | |
| 10 | JOHNNY Q | |
| 11 | ATOMIC CITY SMOKERS JR 2 | |
| 12 | KEEPIN IT SMOKIN JR | |
| 13 | TEAM THORNTON | |
| 14 | GIRLS INC OF LAKELAND 2 | |
| 15 | WABA BBQ | |
| 16 | GRILL GIRL |
Ancillary — Sauce
42 entries · top 174.8456 · median 165.9542
Ancillary — Steak
26 entries · top 174.8688 · median 169.4000