A new contest record
707.9772
highest overall ever cooked here
707.9772 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 706.2744 Tebo Creek BBQ set in 2020.
- old record 706.2744
- set 2020 by Tebo Creek BBQ
Smoke in the Spring 2023
Apr 7–8, 2023 · Osage City, KS · 📍 517 South 1st Street · State championship
Reps: Carolyn Wells, Dave Rogers, Forrest Bruce, Larry Hadley, Larry Voth, Lynda Voth, Peg Rogers · Prize money: $22,650
JANKY LEG BBQ won Grand Champion at the Smoke in the Spring on April 7, 2023 in Osage City, KS at 517 South 1st Street, scoring 707.9772 in a field of 103 teams. MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 699.3600. Category winners: Chicken — HIGH i QUE (180.0000); Pork Ribs — JANKY LEG BBQ (180.0000); Pork — Barking Dog BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — GETTIN' BASTED (180.0000). This is the 11th of 14 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition came before it; the next was held in 2024.
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.
291.98
median 678.78
707.98 🏆
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 🔥
136.45
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2013 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
103
4 judged meats · 1 ancillary
Top score
707.9772
Winning margin
8.6172
GC over RC
Field average
665.55
291.98707.98
median 678.78 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
9 🔥
Tightest race
Brisket
1.1428 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
697.1088
291.98707.98
10th place overall
Field spread
416.0000
winner to last place
Prize money
$22,650
on the line
Double threats
2
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 7%
beats 93% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
69%
9 of 13 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.69 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,621
avg power rating going in · stronger than 88% of contests
Storylines (7 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
9
perfect 180s
9 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
- GETTIN' BASTED · Brisket
- FAIRWAY SMOKERS · Brisket
- AMERICAN FIRE BBQ · Brisket
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 14 tracked editions
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 14 tracked editions.
- 2014
- 2015
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 20 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 1–2: HIGH i QUE and Can Country Outlaw BBQ tied on 180.0000 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: Ambition Que and LAST CALL HEROES BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: LAST CALL HEROES BBQ and MAN MEAT BBQ tied on 176.5600 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 1–2 · tie
- Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork Ribs 3–4 · tie
How the title was won
2 of 4
meats called to the stage
JANKY LEG BBQ took the title on 2 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork at 31st.
- Chicken 3rd
- Pork Ribs 1st
- Pork 31st
- Brisket 13th
Back to defend
3
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ (won 2014, 2015), CLARK CREW BBQ (won 2016, 2017), Last Call Heroes BBQ (won 2022).
- IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ · 2014, 2015
- CLARK CREW BBQ · 2016, 2017
- Last Call Heroes BBQ · 2022
One of the big ones
103
teams on the grounds
Bigger than 98% of the 5,468 contests in the data
103 teams — bigger than 98% of the 5,468 contests in the data.
This contest's own records (3 in the KCBS record book)
Records held by every edition of this contest put together, not just this one afternoon.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 12, 2013 | Osage City, KS | Osage City, KS | 71 | 685.7142 | GRILLIN' BEAVERS | PELLET ENVY |
| Apr 11, 2014 | Osage City, KS | Osage City, KS 66523 | 73 | 689.6916 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | CHICKHOOVENSWINE BBQ |
| Apr 10, 2015 | Osage City, KS | Osage City, KS 66523 | 97 | 698.2516 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | SMOKE N BABES BBQ |
| Apr 8, 2016 | Osage City, KS | Osage City, KS | 109 | 700.5144 | CLARK CREW BBQ | LUCKY'S Q |
| Apr 7, 2017 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st St (Jones Park) | 100 | 700.0116 | CLARK CREW BBQ | THE SMOKING HILLS |
| Apr 6, 2018 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st St (Jones Park) | 103 | 699.3712 | HOGLINE | 4 LEGS UP BBQ |
| Oct 30, 2020 | Osage City, KS | Jones Park (in Osage City) | 93 | 706.2744 | Tebo Creek BBQ | TRIPLE H BBQ |
| Apr 9, 2021 | Osage City, KS | Jones Park (in Osage City) | 105 | 703.4400 | Piggin Whiskey O.G. | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD |
| Apr 8, 2022 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 94 | 700.0228 | Last Call Heroes BBQ | HIGH i QUE |
| Apr 8, 2022 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | — | — | — | — |
| Apr 7, 2023 ← this one | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 103 | 707.9772 | Janky Leg BBQ | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ |
| Apr 5, 2024 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 97 | 706.2628 | Burnt Trees | Damn Fine Beef & Swine |
| Apr 11, 2025 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 92 | 708.6060 | Parts 'R' Smokin | Cow Creek BBQ |
| Apr 10, 2026 | Osage City, KS | 517 South 1st Street | 101 | 709.7028 | Blind Fox BBQ | SLAPS BBQ |
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 | 178.2972 | 176.5600 |
| Pork | 180 | 177.7144 | 176 |
| Brisket | 180 | 178.8572 | 176.5600 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
103 entries · top 707.9772 · median 678.7772
Chicken
103 entries · top 180 · median 170.2744 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork Ribs
103 entries · top 180 · median 169.6916 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork
102 entries · top 180 · median 169.6742 · 🔥 perfect 180
Brisket
101 entries · top 180 · median 169.1200 · 🔥 perfect 180
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.
Turkey Smoke Series — Turkey Smoke
29 entries · top 178.8572 · median 170.2628
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ | |
| 2 | PIGGIN' WHISKEY | |
| 3 | SLO.MO.QUE | |
| 4 | Damn Fine Beef & Swine | |
| 5 | Scratch that Itch BBQ | |
| 6 | FINGER LEIKAM GOOD | |
| 7 | THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE SMOKE | |
| 8 | Mercer BBQ | |
| 9 | Smokin Brothers Pro Team | |
| 10 | The Smokin Bullies | |
| 11 | ShowMeMoSmoke | |
| 12 | PARTS 'R' SMOKIN | |
| 13 | TOPEKA BBQ SHOP | |
| 14 | LEGENDARY BARBEQUE | |
| 15 | Pine Tar BBQ | |
| 16 | PIRATES OF BAR-B-QUE BAY | |
| 17 | SONS OF A BRISKET | |
| 18 | CROSSCUT BBQ2 | |
| 19 | SMOKIN ELVISES | |
| 20 | Haven't Got A Q | |
| 21 | Shark Q | |
| 22 | Twins BBQ | |
| 23 | Blaz'n Weazel BBQ | |
| 24 | Go Pig or Go Home | |
| 25 | B 3 BBQ | |
| 26 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 27 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 28 | WAG'S BACKWOODS BBQ | |
| 29 | Broken Dudes BBQ |