Won without a category win
3 of 3
meats called to the stage
Big James Kitchen won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 3 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
- Chicken 2nd
- Pork Ribs 3rd
- Pork 2nd
Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) 2025
Jun 13–14, 2025 · Springfield, TN · 📍 4635 US-41
Reps: Lygia (Lex) Vanegas, Robert Vanderipe · Prize money: $3,350
Big James Kitchen won Grand Champion at the Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) on June 13, 2025 in Springfield, TN at 4635 US-41, scoring 535.4172 in a field of 36 teams. Hot Tooters took Reserve Grand Champion with 530.2860. Category winners: Chicken — Smoke a Fatty BBQ Nashville (178.8572); Pork Ribs — The Big B Barbeque Company (180.0000); Pork — Hot Tooters (178.8572). This is the 3rd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2024 edition was won by Hogs B Hatin'; the next was held in 2026.
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.
455.26
median 502.16
535.42 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 178.86
- Pork Ribs 180 🔥
- Pork 178.86
139.94
180
Entries
36
3 judged meats · 2 ancillary
Top score
535.4172
Winning margin
5.1312
GC over RC
Field average
502.30
455.26535.42
median 502.16 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
2.2856 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
515.9200
455.26535.42
10th place overall
Field spread
80.1604
winner to last place
Prize money
$3,350
on the line
Double threats
4
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
Came back for more
61%
20 of 33 teams from the previous edition returned
Storylines (8 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 dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 4 tracked editions
Big James Kitchen has won this contest 2 times across its 4 tracked editions.
- 2025
- 2026
A rookie on the podium
2nd
at their first tracked contest
Hot Tooters finished 2nd overall in the first contest the data has them cooking at all.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 11 calls decided inside half a point
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.
- Chicken 1–2 · tie
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 9–10 · tie
- Pork Ribs 2–3 · tie
A contest record in pork ribs
180.0000
best pork ribs ever cooked here
The Big B Barbeque Company turned in 180.0000 in pork ribs — past the 178.2972 that had stood across 2 earlier editions.
- old best 178.2972
- across 2 past editions
Back to defend
2
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Pig Destroyer (won 2023), Hogs B Hatin' (won 2024).
- Pig Destroyer · 2023
- Hogs B Hatin' · 2024
The biggest field yet
36
teams — a contest high
This contest usually draws about 32 teams
36 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 32.
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.
- The Big B Barbeque Company · Pork Ribs
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
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 9, 2023 | Springfield, TN | 4635 HWY 41 N | 30 | 698.2172 | Pig Destroyer |
| Jun 7, 2024 | Springfield, TN | 4635 HWY 41 N | 33 | 531.9656 | Hogs B Hatin' |
| Jun 13, 2025 ← this one | Springfield, TN | 4635 US-41 | 36 | 535.4172 | Big James Kitchen |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Springfield, TN | 4635 US-41 | 32 | 535.4288 | Big James Kitchen |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 175.4172 | 173.1200 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 177.7144 | 174.2744 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 175.4056 | 171.9772 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Competitor Series
Overall
36 entries · top 535.4172 · median 502.1598 · out of 540, not the usual 720
Chicken
36 entries · top 178.8572 · median 167.9714
Pork Ribs
36 entries · top 180 · median 169.4000 · 🔥 perfect 180
Pork
36 entries · top 178.8572 · median 169.6800
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 — Cocktail
12 entries · top 180 · median 176.2800 · 🔥 perfect 180
Ancillary — Dessert
16 entries · top 180 · median 176.5600 · 🔥 perfect 180