2025-06-13 – 2025-06-14 · Springfield, TN · 📍 4635 US-41
Reps: LYGIA (LEX) VANEGAS, ROBERT VANDERIPE · Prize money: $3,350.00
Grand Champion: Big James Kitchen (535.4172) · 36 teams
Reserve Champion: 🥈 Hot Tooters
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, 2023 to 2026 — 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.
Big James Kitchen won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 3 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
2 of 4 tracked editions
Big James Kitchen has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
Hot Tooters finished 2nd overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
Chicken places 1–2: Smoke a Fatty BBQ Nashville and Big James Kitchen tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: DC's Backyard Smokers and Hot Tooters tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 9–10: HIGH ON THE HAWG and Smokin' Pimp tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
The Big B Barbeque Company turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 178.2972 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Pig Destroyer (won 2023).
This contest usually draws about 32 teams
36 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 32.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-06-09 | Springfield, TN | 4635 HWY 41 N | 30 | 698.2172 | Pig Destroyer | — |
| 2024-06-07 | Springfield, TN | 4635 HWY 41 N | 33 | 531.9656 | Hogs B Hatin' | — |
| 2025-06-13 ← this one | Springfield, TN | 4635 US-41 | 36 | 535.4172 | Big James Kitchen | — |
| 2026-06-12 | Springfield, TN | 4635 US-41 | 32 | 535.4288 | Big James Kitchen | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 173.1200 |
| Pork Ribs | 180.0000 | 177.7144 | 174.2744 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 175.4056 | 171.9772 |
36 entries · top 535.4172 · median 502.1598
36 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.9714
36 entries · top 180.0000 · median 169.4000 · 🔥 perfect 180
36 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.6800
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.
12 entries · top 180.0000 · median 176.2800 · 🔥 perfect 180
16 entries · top 180.0000 · median 176.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180