Score of the month
708.5600
Master overall, out of 720
top 1% of every Master overall ever scored
FRED VEGAS SMOKERS put up 708.5600 at Lakeland Pig Festival — the highest overall of the month.
January 2026 in BBQ
Every sanctioned contest scored in January 2026 — 1 Jan to 31 Jan.
6contests scored
353teams competed
342top-ten calls
24perfect 180s
63biggest field
4states & provinces
95new teams
2Backyard boards
Now on the newsstand
The Smoke Ring
Competition Barbecue’s Paper of Record
January 2026, set as a proper newspaper.
Every Grand Champion named, the month in figures across the top, the perfect 180s,
the box scores, and the calendar as classified notices.
Read the January 2026 edition →
The stories
First one ever
6th
contest — and their first GC
GOD'S COUNTRY BBQ won their first Grand Championship at 11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge, in their 6th contest in the data.
- 16 Jan
Upset of the month
11-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings gave them a 11% chance
GOD'S COUNTRY BBQ won 11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge over top-rated IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ as the ratings underdog.
Perfect 180s
24
perfect scores handed out
Six judges, every card a 9: 24 perfect 180s were handed out in January 2026.
- Chicken ×8
- Pork ×8
- Pork Ribs ×5
- Brisket ×3
Closest call
0.0004
points between 1st and 2nd
GOD'S COUNTRY BBQ edged Uncle Jesse's BBQ by 0.0004 at 11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge.
- Master Series
Biggest riser
+35
power rating points
Mike's Backyard BBQ gained 35 rating points across 2 contests — the biggest climb of the month.
- 2 contests
- now #1637 overall
Best debut
1st
in their very first contest
ANNOINTED BBQ finished 1st at The Golden State Battle VIII — the first contest they appear in anywhere in the data.
- 95 new teams in Jan 2026
- field of 41
Best in the backyard
355.4172
Backyard overall, out of 360
Mike's Backyard BBQ put up 355.4172 on the Backyard board at 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam — two meats, a different scale, and the same nerves.
- 2 Backyard boards in Jan 2026
- won it
Biggest field
63
teams at one contest
Lakeland Pig Festival drew 63 teams, and Fred Vegas Smokers won it.
- Lakeland
- FL
Road warriors
3
contests cooked
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ cooked 3 contests in January 2026 — nobody hauled the rig further.
- best finish 2nd
New on the calendar
53
teams at a brand-new contest
11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge ran for the first time on record, drawing 53 teams, and GOD'S COUNTRY BBQ won it. Somebody put in the work to make a new contest happen.
- 4 first editions in Jan 2026
- Bullhead City
- AZ
Rep of the month
4
contests worked
JEANNE TITUS repped 4 contests in January 2026 — somebody has to run the table.
The boards
Highest overall scores (Master · /720)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FRED VEGAS SMOKERS Lakeland Pig Festival |
708.5600 |
| 2 | LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ The Golden State Battle VIII |
708.5372 |
| 3 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
706.2628 |
| 4 | GOD'S COUNTRY BBQ 11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge |
706.2516 |
| 5 | SHAKE 'N BAKE BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
706.2516 |
| 6 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
706.2512 |
| 7 | Uncle Jesse's BBQ 11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge |
706.2512 |
| 8 | Cherry Anchor BBQ The Golden State Battle VIII |
706.2400 |
| 9 | Bocephus BBQ SJV Winter Rub |
705.7028 |
| 10 | IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
705.0856 |
| 11 | Porterhouse BBQ The Golden State Battle VIII |
705.0856 |
| 12 | SMOKIN HOGGZ BBQ - MA Lakeland Pig Festival |
703.9428 |
| 13 | MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS SJV Winter Rub |
703.4060 |
| 14 | BrewsCue Lakeland Pig Festival |
703.3944 |
| 15 | SHIGGIN & GRINNIN Lakeland Pig Festival |
702.8344 |
Best of each meat (both series · /180)
| Category | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken ×8 💯 | Optimus Swine 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
180.0000 |
| Pork Ribs ×5 💯 | Smoke Central BBQ 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
180.0000 |
| Pork ×8 💯 | MAYA JANE BBQ CO. 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
180.0000 |
| Brisket ×3 💯 | GETTIN' BASTED 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
180.0000 |
Straight nines (perfect 180s)
On the move (power rating)
| Team | Rating | Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Mike's Backyard BBQ #1637 | 1,555 | +35 |
| Clean Smoke BBQ Team #1075 | 1,596 | +32 |
| When Pigs Fly Family BBQ #1210 | 1,585 | +27 |
| Tillman's BBQ #543 | 1,668 | +21 |
| Pops BBQ 22 #2289 | 1,527 | +20 |
| Uncle Jesse's BBQ | 1,522 | +19 |
| ANNOINTED BBQ | 1,519 | +19 |
| GOD'S COUNTRY BBQ #1546 | 1,561 | +18 |
| Rollin Smoke BBQ #144 | 1,780 | +17 |
| GRILL WORTHY | 1,517 | +17 |
| Tiquicia Smokers BBQ #4392 | 1,475 | -16 |
| Burnin and Lootin #46 | 1,850 | -18 |
| TRIPLE H BBQ #13 | 1,902 | -18 |
| TCB-Takin Care of BBQ #5500 | 1,450 | -21 |
| Glamping Grillers #247 | 1,741 | -26 |
Who showed up
| Team | Contests | GCs | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ | 3 | — | 2 |
| BrewsCue | 3 | — | 5 |
| Poppa Pig | 3 | — | 8 |
| FRED VEGAS SMOKERS | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Mike's Backyard BBQ | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Rollin Smoke BBQ | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Dogpatch Q | 2 | — | 2 |
| Clean Smoke BBQ Team | 2 | — | 3 |
| Porterhouse BBQ | 2 | — | 3 |
| Tillman's BBQ | 2 | — | 3 |
| Big Johns BBQ Company | 2 | — | 4 |
| Pork Bombin BBQ | 2 | — | 4 |
| When Pigs Fly Family BBQ | 2 | — | 4 |
| Kings BBQ Team | 2 | — | 5 |
Who ran the table
| Rep | Contests | States |
|---|---|---|
| JEANNE TITUS | 4 | 1 |
| MIKE GARRETSON | 4 | 1 |
| CHARLIE BRINZA | 3 | 2 |
| ERNESTO URIBE | 2 | 1 |
| KELLY MCINTOSH | 2 | 1 |
| NATASHA LOEW | 2 | 1 |
| BILL JONES | 1 | 1 |
| BUNNY TUTTLE | 1 | 1 |
| CAROLYN WELLS | 1 | 1 |
| DAVE ROGERS | 1 | 1 |
| DEL ANDERSON | 1 | 1 |
| KATHLEEN MCINTOSH | 1 | 1 |
| PEG ROGERS | 1 | 1 |
| RICH TUTTLE | 1 | 1 |
Where they cooked
| State/Prov. | Contests | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 2 | 197 |
| Arizona | 1 | 59 |
| California | 1 | 45 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 38 |
Best in the backyard (Backyard · /360)
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike's Backyard BBQ 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
355.4172 |
| 2 | Rollin Smoke BBQ 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
355.4056 |
| 3 | Clean Smoke BBQ Team 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
354.8456 |
| 4 | Rollin Smoke BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
354.2628 |
| 5 | Dogpatch Q Lakeland Pig Festival |
352.5600 |
| 6 | When Pigs Fly Family BBQ 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
352.0000 |
| 7 | Rub N Butts 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
351.9772 |
| 8 | Mike's Backyard BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
348.5716 |
| 9 | Sleepy Pete's BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
346.8228 |
| 10 | Big & Ugly BBQ 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
346.2400 |
| 11 | Dogpatch Q 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam |
345.6800 |
| 12 | Drunkin Brothers BBQ Lakeland Pig Festival |
345.1088 |
New to the circuit
First editions (new on the calendar)
| Contest | Teams | Won by |
|---|---|---|
| 11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge Bullhead City, AZ |
53 | GOD'S COUNTRY BBQ |
| The Golden State Battle VIII Riverside, CA |
41 | Loot N' Booty BBQ |
| 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam St. Augustine, FL |
38 | Maya Jane BBQ Co. |
| Chiriqui Grill Fest Internacional Chiriqui, +507 |
31 | Grill & Chill |
Running a contest? The organizer tools →
Every contest scored (6 in January 2026)
| Contest | Teams | Grand Champion | High score |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Golden State Battle VIII 2026-01-30 · Riverside, CA |
41 | Loot N' Booty BBQ RC: Cherry Anchor BBQ |
708.5372 |
| SJV Winter Rub 2026-01-30 · Omaha, NE |
38 | Bocephus BBQ RC: MEAT ME IN ST. LOUIS |
705.7028 |
| Chiriqui Grill Fest Internacional 2026-01-24 · Chiriqui, +507 |
31 | Grill & Chill RC: 88 BBQ |
680.0112 |
| Lakeland Pig Festival 2026-01-22 · Lakeland, FL |
63 | Fred Vegas Smokers RC: IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
708.5600 |
| 11th Annual Slab-O-Rama Barbeque Challenge 2026-01-16 · Bullhead City, AZ |
53 | GOD'S COUNTRY BBQ RC: Uncle Jesse's BBQ |
706.2516 |
| 10th Annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam 2026-01-09 · St. Augustine, FL |
38 | Maya Jane BBQ Co. RC: IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ |
706.2512 |
The archive
Every month with scored results, back to the start of the data. Subscribe to the monthly feed and each one lands as it closes.