Jun 23–24, 2023 · Sioux City, IA · 📍 111 3rd Street
Reps: Alfred T Bowen, Fran Bowen · Prize money: $1,750
Hillbilly Smoke BBQ won Grand Champion at the Camp High Hopes Rib Fest (BACKYARD ONLY) on June 23, 2023 in Sioux City, IA at 111 3rd Street, scoring 351.4288 in a field of 15 teams. Big Racks BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 345.7028. Category winners: Chicken — Hillbilly Smoke BBQ (177.7144); Pork Ribs — WRECKING CREW BBQ (175.4172). This is the 4th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Good Old Boys 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.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 76 times in 100
Hillbilly Smoke BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, Wrecking Crew BBQ, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 24-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
This was Hillbilly Smoke BBQ's first Grand Championship in the data — it arrived at their 3rd tracked contest.
Chicken places 4–5: 2 B's BBQ edged BBQ Pit Bros by 0.0228. Chicken places 8–9: Melting Cow edged 7.62 BBQ by 0.0456.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Sioux City, IA | 111 3rd St | 14 | 331.4744 | Ferg A Que | — |
| Jun 22, 2018 | Sioux City, IA | 111 3rd st | 19 | 338.2972 | Hillbilly Smoke-IA | ROCK'N HOGS BBQ |
| Jun 19, 2021 | Sioux City, IA | 111 3rd st | 22 | 344.5944 | Go Ham BBQ | — |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Sioux City, IA | 111 3rd Street | 13 | 345.0856 | Good Old Boys BBQ | — |
| Jun 23, 2023 ← this one | Sioux City, IA | 111 3rd Street | 15 | 351.4288 | Hillbilly Smoke BBQ | — |
| Jun 21, 2024 | Sioux City, IA | 111 3rd Street | 17 | 348.0228 | East Bow Que | — |
| Jun 20, 2025 | Sioux City, IA | 111 3rd Street | 20 | 354.9144 | BBQ Pit Bros | — |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 177.7144 | 166.2972 | 156.5600 |
| Pork Ribs | 175.4172 | 166.8344 | 153.7028 |
15 entries · top 351.4288 · median 320.0116
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hillbilly Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 3 | Good Ol Boys BBQ | |
| 4 | WRECKING CREW BBQ | |
| 5 | SMOKEY GQ | |
| 6 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 7 | KICKIN BULL BBQ | |
| 8 | 2 B's BBQ | |
| 9 | 7.62 BBQ | |
| 10 | Diggers BBQ | |
| 11 | Louis Bros BBQ | |
| 12 | Melting Cow | |
| 13 | Rock'm Sock'mmm BBQ | |
| 14 | Patti's Pit Stop | |
| 15 | STF |
14 entries · top 177.7144 · median 161.4342
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hillbilly Smoke BBQ | |
| 2 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 3 | Good Ol Boys BBQ | |
| 4 | 2 B's BBQ | |
| 5 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 6 | SMOKEY GQ | |
| 7 | WRECKING CREW BBQ | |
| 8 | Melting Cow | |
| 9 | 7.62 BBQ | |
| 10 | KICKIN BULL BBQ | |
| 11 | Rock'm Sock'mmm BBQ | |
| 12 | Louis Bros BBQ | |
| 13 | Diggers BBQ | |
| 14 | Patti's Pit Stop |
15 entries · top 175.4172 · median 160.5028
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | WRECKING CREW BBQ | |
| 2 | Hillbilly Smoke BBQ | |
| 3 | Good Ol Boys BBQ | |
| 4 | Big Racks BBQ | |
| 5 | Diggers BBQ | |
| 6 | KICKIN BULL BBQ | |
| 7 | SMOKEY GQ | |
| 8 | 7.62 BBQ | |
| 9 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 10 | Louis Bros BBQ | |
| 11 | 2 B's BBQ | |
| 12 | STF | |
| 13 | Melting Cow | |
| 14 | Patti's Pit Stop | |
| 15 | Rock'm Sock'mmm BBQ |