A new contest record
700.5028
highest overall ever cooked here
700.5028 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 699.3712 Gettin' Sauced set in 2022.
- old record 699.3712
- set 2022 by Gettin' Sauced
Tom Brigham Memorial BBQ 2023
Jul 28–29, 2023 · Iola, KS · 📍 River Side Park · State championship
Reps: Dave Rogers, Peg Rogers · Prize money: $6,000
SLAPS BBQ won Grand Champion at the Tom Brigham Memorial BBQ on July 28, 2023 in Iola, KS at River Side Park, scoring 700.5028 in a field of 25 teams. Fine As* Swine BBQ took Reserve Grand Champion with 694.8116. Category winners: Chicken — SLAPS BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — MAD MUTT'S BBQ (177.7144); Pork — Fine As* Swine BBQ (178.2972); Brisket — Happy Grillmore (179.4400). This is the 2nd of 5 editions of this contest on record; the 2022 edition was won by Gettin' Sauced; 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.
597.62
median 667.84
700.50 🏆
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 177.71
- Pork 178.30
- Brisket 179.44
131.98
180
Winning score by edition
What it has taken to win here, 2022 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Entries
25
4 judged meats
Top score
700.5028
Winning margin
5.6912
GC over RC
Field average
666.55
597.62700.50
median 667.84 · last place to winner
Tightest race
Pork Ribs
4 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
675.3028
597.62700.50
10th place overall
Field spread
102.8796
winner to last place
Prize money
$6,000
on the line
Double threats
5
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 32%
beats 68% of 4714 Master Series wins in the data
Came back for more
50%
8 of 16 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.76 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,600
avg power rating going in · stronger than 78% of contests
Storylines (4 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.
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 15 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 3–4: Who's Cookin' and Barking Dog BBQ tied on 175.4172 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 7–8: JDQ BBQ and PIG NEWTON tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 8–9: PIG NEWTON and Happy Grillmore tied on 173.1200 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · tie
- Chicken 8–9 · tie
- Pork Ribs 4–5 · tie
How the title was won
4 of 4
meats called to the stage
SLAPS BBQ took the title on 4 calls from 4 meats, with 1 outright win — their weakest board was pork ribs at 8th.
- Chicken 1st
- Pork Ribs 8th
- Pork 4th
- Brisket 3rd
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.
- SLAPS BBQ · Chicken
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2022 | Iola, KS | River Side Park | 16 | 699.3712 | Gettin' Sauced | HIGH i QUE |
| Jul 28, 2023 ← this one | Iola, KS | River Side Park | 25 | 700.5028 | Slaps BBQ | Fine As* Swine BBQ |
| May 17, 2024 | Iola, KS | Riverside Park | 31 | 703.4060 | Barking Dog BBQ | Damn Fine Beef & Swine |
| May 16, 2025 | Iola, KS | Riverside Park | 27 | 703.9772 | Bocephus BBQ | WOOD HOOK BBQ |
| Apr 17, 2026 | Iola, KS | 600 South State | 27 | 702.2516 | Squealin N Dealin BBQ | WOOD HOOK BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 174.2744 | 171.9656 |
| Pork Ribs | 177.7144 | 173.7144 | 171.9772 |
| Pork | 178.2972 | 171.9656 | 169.6800 |
| Brisket | 179.4400 | 173.7028 | 169.1200 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series
Overall
25 entries · top 700.5028 · median 667.8400
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 2 | Fine As* Swine BBQ | |
| 3 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 4 | Happy Grillmore | |
| 5 | 913 BBQ | |
| 6 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 7 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 8 | JDQ BBQ | |
| 9 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 10 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 11 | PIG NEWTON | |
| 12 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 13 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 14 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 15 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 16 | Boss Hog BBQ | |
| 17 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 18 | Blaz'n Weazel BBQ | |
| 19 | Split Borders BBQ | |
| 20 | WINGED SWINE | |
| 21 | Beat Bo! | |
| 22 | TORNADO BBQ | |
| 23 | Smokaholics | |
| 24 | Green Cover Seed | |
| 25 | DRUNK AND CONFUSED BBQ |
Chicken
25 entries · top 180 · median 169.7028 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 2 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 3 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 4 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 5 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 6 | 913 BBQ | |
| 7 | JDQ BBQ | |
| 8 | PIG NEWTON | |
| 9 | Happy Grillmore | |
| 10 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 11 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 12 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 13 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 14 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 15 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 16 | Boss Hog BBQ | |
| 17 | Fine As* Swine BBQ | |
| 18 | Blaz'n Weazel BBQ | |
| 19 | Beat Bo! | |
| 20 | Split Borders BBQ | |
| 21 | Green Cover Seed | |
| 22 | WINGED SWINE | |
| 23 | DRUNK AND CONFUSED BBQ | |
| 24 | TORNADO BBQ | |
| 25 | Smokaholics |
Pork Ribs
25 entries · top 177.7144 · median 170.8344
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 2 | 913 BBQ | |
| 3 | Fine As* Swine BBQ | |
| 4 | JDQ BBQ | |
| 5 | WINGED SWINE | |
| 6 | PIG NEWTON | |
| 7 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 8 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 9 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 10 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 11 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 12 | Boss Hog BBQ | |
| 13 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 14 | Happy Grillmore | |
| 15 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 16 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 17 | Beat Bo! | |
| 18 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 19 | Split Borders BBQ | |
| 20 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 21 | Blaz'n Weazel BBQ | |
| 22 | Smokaholics | |
| 23 | DRUNK AND CONFUSED BBQ | |
| 24 | TORNADO BBQ | |
| 25 | Green Cover Seed |
Pork
25 entries · top 178.2972 · median 166.2744
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fine As* Swine BBQ | |
| 2 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 3 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 4 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 5 | JDQ BBQ | |
| 6 | Blaz'n Weazel BBQ | |
| 7 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 8 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 9 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 10 | Happy Grillmore | |
| 11 | 913 BBQ | |
| 12 | TORNADO BBQ | |
| 13 | PIG NEWTON | |
| 14 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 15 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 16 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 17 | Split Borders BBQ | |
| 18 | WINGED SWINE | |
| 19 | Boss Hog BBQ | |
| 20 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 21 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 22 | Beat Bo! | |
| 23 | DRUNK AND CONFUSED BBQ | |
| 24 | Smokaholics | |
| 25 | Green Cover Seed |
Brisket
25 entries · top 179.4400 · median 167.9656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Happy Grillmore | |
| 2 | Fine As* Swine BBQ | |
| 3 | SLAPS BBQ | |
| 4 | PORKY MCBEEF AND THE CLUCKERS | |
| 5 | Cow Creek BBQ | |
| 6 | 913 BBQ | |
| 7 | Blaz'n Weazel BBQ | |
| 8 | PORK PULLERS | |
| 9 | MAD MUTT'S BBQ | |
| 10 | SMOOTH SMOKE | |
| 11 | JDQ BBQ | |
| 12 | Barking Dog BBQ | |
| 13 | HIGH i QUE | |
| 14 | Boss Hog BBQ | |
| 15 | Broken Bottle BBQ | |
| 16 | Smokaholics | |
| 17 | Beat Bo! | |
| 18 | Split Borders BBQ | |
| 19 | M Squared Smokin' Q | |
| 20 | Who's Cookin' | |
| 21 | PIG NEWTON | |
| 22 | Green Cover Seed | |
| 23 | WINGED SWINE | |
| 24 | TORNADO BBQ | |
| 25 | DRUNK AND CONFUSED BBQ |