Jun 16–17, 2023 · Miles City, MT · 📍 Riverside Park · State championship
Reps: Michael Santiago, Rhonda Santiago · Prize money: $9,450
Cluster Cluck Barbecue won Grand Champion at the Miles City Cowtown Cookoff on June 16, 2023 in Miles City, MT at Riverside Park, scoring 703.3944 in a field of 22 teams. Colorado Bulldawg BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 702.2400. Category winners: Chicken — Colorado Bulldawg BBQ (178.8572); Pork Ribs — Rhythm n QUE (180.0000); Pork — Cluster Cluck Barbecue (178.8572); Brisket — TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER (178.8572). This is the 3rd of 4 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Last Call Heroes BBQ; the next was held in 2024.
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, 2017 to 2024 — 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.
Closer than 79% of the 4,710 championships in the data
The Grand Championship was decided by 1.1544 points — closer than 79% of every championship in the data.
703.3944 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 699.3828 Last Call Heroes BBQ set in 2022.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 85 times in 100
Cluster Cluck Barbecue came in rated below the field's top team, Texas Smoke Whisperer, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 15-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was Cluster Cluck Barbecue's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 19th tracked contest.
Chicken places 1–2: Colorado Bulldawg BBQ and Cluster Cluck Barbecue tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 2–3: Cluster Cluck Barbecue and BRACKEN RACKS BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Pork places 3–4: Monarchbbq and Colorado Bulldawg BBQ tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Cluster Cluck Barbecue took the title on 3 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 14th.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2017 | Miles City, MT | Riverside Park , 5th and Main | 26 | 686.8232 | PARROTHEAD SMOKERS | BIG DADDY QUE |
| Jun 24, 2022 | Miles City, MT | Riverside Park | 26 | 699.3828 | Last Call Heroes BBQ | Bushmaster BBQ |
| Jun 16, 2023 ← this one | Miles City, MT | Riverside Park | 22 | 703.3944 | Cluster Cluck Barbecue | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ |
| Jun 14, 2024 | Miles City, MT | Riverside Park | 16 | 705.1088 | Wyo Smoke Show | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 178.8572 | 174.8456 | 172.5484 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 177.1544 | 171.4172 |
| Pork | 178.8572 | 174.8456 | 171.9772 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 175.4056 | 171.9772 |
22 entries · top 703.3944 · median 686.7542
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cluster Cluck Barbecue | |
| 2 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 3 | LaTa-Que | |
| 4 | Monarchbbq | |
| 5 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 6 | Boogs BBQ | |
| 7 | Needs More Cowbell BBQ | |
| 8 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 9 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 10 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 11 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 12 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 13 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 14 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 15 | BULL SLAP BBQ | |
| 16 | BRACKEN RACKS BBQ | |
| 17 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 18 | Pig Pounda Kappa | |
| 19 | Poor Richard's BBQ | |
| 20 | Two Fat Guys BBQ | |
| 21 | JM Automotive | |
| 22 | Arm Benders BBQ |
22 entries · top 178.8572 · median 171.1486
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 2 | Cluster Cluck Barbecue | |
| 3 | BRACKEN RACKS BBQ | |
| 4 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 5 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 6 | Boogs BBQ | |
| 7 | LaTa-Que | |
| 8 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 9 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 10 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 11 | Monarchbbq | |
| 12 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 13 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 14 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 15 | Needs More Cowbell BBQ | |
| 16 | BULL SLAP BBQ | |
| 17 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 18 | Poor Richard's BBQ | |
| 19 | Arm Benders BBQ | |
| 20 | Pig Pounda Kappa | |
| 21 | Two Fat Guys BBQ | |
| 22 | JM Automotive |
22 entries · top 180 · median 170.8228 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 2 | LaTa-Que | |
| 3 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 4 | Monarchbbq | |
| 5 | Needs More Cowbell BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 7 | BULL SLAP BBQ | |
| 8 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 9 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 10 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 12 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 13 | Boogs BBQ | |
| 14 | Cluster Cluck Barbecue | |
| 15 | Two Fat Guys BBQ | |
| 16 | JM Automotive | |
| 17 | Pig Pounda Kappa | |
| 18 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 19 | Poor Richard's BBQ | |
| 20 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 21 | BRACKEN RACKS BBQ | |
| 22 | Arm Benders BBQ |
22 entries · top 178.8572 · median 170.8572
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cluster Cluck Barbecue | |
| 2 | Boogs BBQ | |
| 3 | Monarchbbq | |
| 4 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 5 | Needs More Cowbell BBQ | |
| 6 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 8 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 9 | Pig Pounda Kappa | |
| 10 | LaTa-Que | |
| 11 | BULL SLAP BBQ | |
| 12 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 13 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 14 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 15 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 16 | Poor Richard's BBQ | |
| 17 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 18 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 19 | BRACKEN RACKS BBQ | |
| 20 | Two Fat Guys BBQ | |
| 21 | JM Automotive | |
| 22 | Arm Benders BBQ |
22 entries · top 178.8572 · median 170.8400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEXAS SMOKE WHISPERER | |
| 2 | LaTa-Que | |
| 3 | Cluster Cluck Barbecue | |
| 4 | Colorado Bulldawg BBQ | |
| 5 | Boogs BBQ | |
| 6 | SMOKIN' BOXERS BBQ | |
| 7 | Monarchbbq | |
| 8 | SMOKIN HOT BUTTS BBQ | |
| 9 | Needs More Cowbell BBQ | |
| 10 | Dirty Little Pigs BBQ | |
| 11 | Mountain Smoke BBQ | |
| 12 | Rhythm n QUE | |
| 13 | BRACKEN RACKS BBQ | |
| 14 | Kreiser Barbecue | |
| 15 | PAPA'S PIT CREW | |
| 16 | BEER BELLY BBQ | |
| 17 | BULL SLAP BBQ | |
| 18 | Pig Pounda Kappa | |
| 19 | Poor Richard's BBQ | |
| 20 | JM Automotive | |
| 21 | Two Fat Guys BBQ | |
| 22 | Arm Benders BBQ |