A familiar champion
2×
titles at this rep’s contests
Big James Kitchen has taken the Grand Championship at 2 of the contests this rep has run.
- 13 champions crowned in all
- 11 different teams
ROBERT VANDERIPE
A KCBS contest rep working 5 states/provinces, most often around Murfreesboro, TN. By events worked they sit #100 of the 152 reps in the data. First on the record in 2025, latest contest 2026-07-24.
At a glance (their career as a contest rep, in numbers)
Contests run
13
4 more on the calendar
Among all reps
#100
of 152 reps by events worked · #60 by states covered
On the trail
2025–2026
3 seasons in the data
This season
8
contests dated 2026 · 5.7 a season career-long
State championships
9
contests carrying a state title
Teams officiated
222
312 entries total · 1,090 meat boxes
Avg field
24
1036
teams per contest · median 23
Field strength
1598
avg power rating of their fields · above 76% of rated contests
GCs crowned
13
11 different teams · 7 reserve champions
First-ever titles
1
teams whose first GC anywhere came at one of theirs
Teams that started here
35
first contest in the data at one of theirs
Perfect 180s seen
29 🔥
out of 1,090 meat entries
Avg winning score (Master)
705.02
699.41714.26
7 Master contests · 692.85 across all contests
Avg winning score (Backyard)
355.07
353.12357.70
5 Backyard contests · 380.41 across all contests
Contests they return to
5
longest run 2 straight years at Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES)
Road between contests
2,706 mi
~902 miles a season · 532 mi corner to corner
Busiest month
October
4 of their 17 contests
Prize money
$79.2K
across their events · biggest purse $11,220.00
Results on file
100%
13 of their contests have scores in the data
Storylines (11 found in this rep's record)
Read out of the contests they have run — reps don’t judge, so nothing here is a comment on anyone’s scores.
Deep fields
1598
average power rating in their fields
Stronger than 76% of every rated contest
The fields at their contests average a 1598 power rating going in — stronger than 76% of every rated contest in the data.
- deepest: Smokin on the Rez
- 17 rated teams
Front row for greatness
29
perfect 180s handed in
29 perfect 180s have been scored at contests they've run — the first at Honeybee BBQ Competition on 2025-05-30.
- first at Honeybee BBQ Competition
- 2025-05-30
The longest shot
14-in-100
shot on pre-contest ratings
The ratings favoured the top seed the other 86 times in 100
At Honeybee BBQ Competition, Stewbabys BBQ came in rated below the field's top team, ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN, and took the Grand Championship anyway.
- 4 upsets at their contests
- 2025-05-30
Title contests
9
state championships run
53% of their contests carried a state title
9 of their 17 contests carried a state championship on the line.
The big room
36
teams at their biggest contest
Their average field is 24 teams
Smoke on the Falls drew 36 teams — more than double the 24-team field they average.
The double act
17
contests run together
100% of this rep's events
LYGIA (LEX) VANEGAS and ROBERT VANDERIPE have run 17 contests together since 2025.
- 2 co-reps in all
A season on the road
8
contests in 2026
2026 was their busiest year on the trail: 8 contests and 132 team entries through the tables.
- 132 team entries
- 5 state championships
Where teams start
35
teams cooked their first contest here
35 teams turned in their first box at a contest this rep was running — for that many teams, this is where the record starts.
- Smoking for a Cure · 2026-07-24
- Bad B BBQ · 2026-07-24
- Roadhouse BBQ · 2026-07-24
Road warrior
5
states and provinces worked
Has run contests in 5 different states and provinces — AL most of all (6 events).
- AL ×6
- TN ×4
- MS ×3
- KY ×2
Still on the calendar
4
contests still to come
4 contests on their calendar that have not been cooked yet.
- 2026-12-04 · Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship
- 2026-10-30 · Roast N Boast (OPEN FORMAT)
- 2026-10-09 · Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
The story so far (27 numbers that describe this rep)
On the trail
1.3 yrs
2025-04-04 → 2026-07-24
Among all reps
#100
of 152 reps by events worked · top 66%
Busiest season
2026
8 events · 132 team entries
Contests a season
5.7
across 3 seasons in the data
Their busiest month
October
4 of their 17 contests fall in October
Works mostly in
AL
6 of 17 contests · 5 states/provinces in all
Towns worked
10
most often Murfreesboro, TN (2)
Corner to corner
532 mi
Ridgeland to Leburn — the two ends of their map
Road between contests
2,706 mi
about 902 miles a season, contest to contest
Average field
24
312 team entries across their contests · median 23
Biggest event
36 teams
Smoke on the Falls (2026-04-03)
Field strength
1598
average power rating of the fields they have run · above 76% of rated contests
Grand Champions crowned
13
11 different teams
First-ever titles
1
teams whose first Grand Championship anywhere came at one of their contests
Teams that started here
35
cooked their first contest in the data at one of theirs
Upsets on the books
4
longest shot 14-in-100 — Stewbabys BBQ
Average winning score
705.02
Master series, 7 contests · 692.85 across all contests
Highest score seen
714.2628
Smoke on the Falls (2026-04-03)
Perfect 180s seen
29
first at Honeybee BBQ Competition (2025-05-30)
Meat entries turned in
1,090
boxes on the boards across every contest they have run
State championships
9
contests carrying a state title
Teams officiated
222
312 entries in all
Contests they return to
5
longest run 2 straight years at Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES)
Co-reps worked with
2
most often LYGIA (LEX) VANEGAS (17 events)
Prize money on the line
$79,170
summed from the purses listed at their events
Results on file
100%
13 of 13 contests they have run have scored results
Still to come
4
events on the calendar ahead
Milestones (the firsts and the round numbers of a rep's career)
- 2025
- First contest repped Smokin on the Rez
- First state championship Smokin on the Rez
- First Grand Champion crowned Smokin on the Rez
- Deepest field worked (1654 avg rating) Smokin on the Rez
- First contest outside MS Honeybee BBQ Competition
- First perfect 180 at their tables Honeybee BBQ Competition
- Biggest upset seen (14-in-100 shot) Honeybee BBQ Competition
- 2026
- Biggest field worked (36 teams) Smoke on the Falls
- Highest overall score seen (714.2628) Smoke on the Falls
- Back on the trail after 6 months Smoke on the Falls
- 10th contest repped Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- The Big B Barbecue Co won their first-ever Grand Championship Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES)
- Most recent contest Fire on the Mountain BBQ
- Next on the calendar Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY)
Season by season (how many contests a season, and how many carried a state title)
The climb (every contest they have run, added up)
Their year (contests by month)
Where they work
Field size by season (average and biggest)
What it took to win (Master winning scores)
How the meats scored (board average vs the winning call)
Who keeps winning (titles at their contests)
Career map (gold = state championship · bigger pin = more visits — tap one)
Every season (click a column to sort)
| Season | Contests | States | Entries | Teams | Avg field | Biggest | State champ. | 180s | Purse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | $6,200 | |
| 2026 | 5 | 132 | 133 | 26 | 36 | 5 | 21 | $38,620 | |
| 2025 | 5 | 180 | 148 | 23 | 36 | 4 | 8 | $34,350 |
Champions crowned (titles at their contests)
| Team | Titles | Latest |
|---|---|---|
| Big James Kitchen | 2 | 2026-06-12 |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN #8 | 2 | 2026-05-29 |
| DANG GOOD BBQ | 1 | 2026-07-24 |
| The Big B Barbecue Co | 1 | 2026-05-01 |
| Glamping Grillers | 1 | 2025-10-17 |
| PUDDLEDUCK BBQ | 1 | 2025-10-10 |
| FIRE & SHINE BBQ | 1 | 2025-09-05 |
| NORALA BBQ TEAM | 1 | 2025-09-05 |
| BLUE CHIP BBQ | 1 | 2025-07-25 |
| Stewbabys BBQ | 1 | 2025-05-30 |
| LC BBQ | 1 | 2025-04-04 |
First-ever Grand Championships (a team's first title anywhere, won here)
| Team | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Big B Barbecue Co | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) | 2026-05-01 |
Contests they keep coming back to
| Contest | Editions | Run | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) | 2 | 2 straight | 2026–2027 |
| Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | 2 straight | 2025–2026 |
| Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) | 2 | 2 straight | 2025–2026 |
| Honeybee BBQ Competition | 2 | 2 straight | 2025–2026 |
| Bernard Blues & BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | 2 | — | 2025–2025 |
Where they work (contests by state/province)
| State / province | Contests | Share |
|---|---|---|
| AL reps here | 6 | |
| TN reps here | 4 | |
| MS reps here | 3 | |
| KY reps here | 2 | |
| GA reps here | 2 |
Towns on their map
| Town | Contests | Latest |
|---|---|---|
| Murfreesboro, TN | 2 | 2027-04-30 |
| Columbus, MS | 2 | 2026-10-30 |
| Scottsboro, AL | 2 | 2026-10-09 |
| Leburn, KY | 2 | 2026-07-24 |
| Springfield, TN | 2 | 2026-06-12 |
| Lafayette, GA | 2 | 2026-05-29 |
| Cullman, AL | 2 | 2025-09-05 |
| Demopolis, AL | 1 | 2026-12-04 |
| Gadsden, AL | 1 | 2026-04-03 |
| Ridgeland, MS | 1 | 2025-04-04 |
Upsets at their contests (champion rated below the field's top seed)
| Contest | Champion | Top seed | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honeybee BBQ Competition | Stewbabys BBQ 1564 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN 1883 | 14-in-100 |
| Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ 1627 | NORALA BBQ TEAM 1810 | 26-in-100 |
| Fire on the Mountain BBQ | DANG GOOD BBQ 1682 | BLUE CHIP BBQ 1852 | 27-in-100 |
| Bernard Blues & BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | FIRE & SHINE BBQ 1683 | NORALA BBQ TEAM 1829 | 30-in-100 |
The boards at their contests (every meat entry they have run)
| Meat | Entries | Board avg | Winning avg | 180s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 366 | 169.00 | 179.11 | 11 |
| Pork Ribs | 347 | 168.08 | 178.67 | 5 |
| Pork | 234 | 170.33 | 179.07 | 9 |
| Brisket | 143 | 169.02 | 177.55 | 4 |
Frequent co-reps
| Rep | Events together | Share |
|---|---|---|
| LYGIA (LEX) VANEGAS | 17 | |
| JEANNE TITUS | 1 |
Teams that cook under them most
| Team | Contests | Wins | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| The BBQ Asylum | 7 | — | 2025 |
| Electro-Que-ted | 5 | 1 | 2025 |
| Big James Kitchen | 4 | 2 | 2025 |
| ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN | 4 | 2 | 2025 |
| DANG GOOD BBQ | 4 | 1 | 2025 |
| Rollin Smoke BBQ | 4 | 1 | 2025 |
| Armstrong Smoke & Co. | 4 | — | 2025 |
| Bad company cookers | 4 | — | 2025 |
| Burnt Plow BBQ | 4 | — | 2025 |
| Cluckin’ Crazy BBQ | 4 | — | 2025 |
| LEE LA Q | 4 | — | 2025 |
| PIGLITICALLY INCORRECT BBQ | 4 | — | 2025 |
Teams whose first contest was one of theirs
Every event (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Where | Teams | Top score | Prize $ | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027-04-30 | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) upcoming | Murfreesboro, TN | — | — | $6,200.00 | — |
| 2026-12-04 | Christmas on the River State Bar B Q Championship state champ. upcoming | Demopolis, AL | — | — | — | — |
| 2026-10-30 | Roast N Boast (OPEN FORMAT) state champ. upcoming | Columbus, MS | — | — | — | — |
| 2026-10-09 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) upcoming | Scottsboro, AL | — | — | $7,100.00 | — |
| 2026-07-24 | Fire on the Mountain BBQ state champ. | Leburn, KY | 22 | 703.3712 | $5,000.00 | DANG GOOD BBQ |
| 2026-06-12 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) | Springfield, TN | 32 | 535.4288 | $3,350.00 | Big James Kitchen |
| 2026-05-29 | Honeybee BBQ Competition state champ. | Lafayette, GA | 19 | 710.8344 | $5,750.00 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN |
| 2026-05-01 | Dr. George Smith BBQ Brawl (COMPETITOR SERIES) | Murfreesboro, TN | 23 | 527.9772 | $6,200.00 | The Big B Barbecue Co |
| 2026-04-03 | Smoke on the Falls state champ. | Gadsden, AL | 36 | 714.2628 | $11,220.00 | ROOTERS-N-TOOTERS TN |
| 2025-10-17 | Roast N Boast state champ. | Columbus, MS | 13 | 702.8000 | $5,500.00 | Glamping Grillers |
| 2025-10-10 | Scottsboro BBQ Festival (BACKYARD ONLY) | Scottsboro, AL | 30 | 353.1200 | $7,100.00 | PUDDLEDUCK BBQ |
| 2025-09-05 | Bernard Blues & BBQ Cookoff (BACKYARD ONLY) | Cullman, AL | 29 | 357.7028 | $2,700.00 | FIRE & SHINE BBQ |
| 2025-09-05 | Bernard Blues & BBQ Cookoff (ONE MEAT CHICKEN) | Cullman, AL | 19 | 180.0000 | $900.00 | NORALA BBQ TEAM |
| 2025-07-25 | Fire on the Mountain BBQ state champ. | Leburn, KY | 10 | 703.9544 | $5,000.00 | BLUE CHIP BBQ |
| 2025-06-13 | Robertson County Fair Assoc. Barbeque Throwdown (COMPETITOR SERIES) | Springfield, TN | 36 | 535.4172 | $3,350.00 | Big James Kitchen |
| 2025-05-30 | Honeybee BBQ Competition state champ. | Lafayette, GA | 26 | 699.4060 | $5,000.00 | Stewbabys BBQ |
| 2025-04-04 | Smokin on the Rez state champ. | Ridgeland, MS | 17 | 700.4796 | $4,800.00 | LC BBQ |